School children around the country will be watching tomorrow's once-in-a-decade solar eclipse on TV due to safety fears. Britain will be thrown into partial darkness around 9.30am tomorrow morning as the moon passes in front of the sun, blocking out up to 98 per cent of its light. But many schools are keeping children indoors when the phenomenon takes place because of fears they could damage their eyes by looking at the sun. The decision by head teachers has angered parents, who want their children to experience the rare celestial event without sitting in front of a screen. Pupils at a number of schools around Britain will be kept indoors tomorrow during the solar eclipse over fears they may damage their eyes by looking at the sun. File photo . Those living in some parts of Britain may not see the eclipse due to the cloudy weather which is forecast . Mother-of-two Jen Palmer, from Worthing, West Sussex, tweeted: 'Hands up who is rebelling against school rules tomorrow and sending their kids in late having watched the eclipse?' And Paul Towner, a father from Reading, Berkshire, wrote: 'Should I take my son to school late so he can watch the Eclipse? They are watching it on TV!' Isabel Stevenson, a mother-of-four from Glasgow, added: 'So not happy about secondary school my kids go to doing NOTHING for solar eclipse tomorrow! Livid and furious. I'm on a mission today.' She has set up a petition calling on her children's school, Greenfaulds High School in Cumbernauld, to do more to mark the occasion. The petition states: 'I have been told by the school that they are doing nothing for the event. 'Pupils who are absent from class will be penalised as normal, and the school has no plans in place for viewing the eclipse as it happens, either by video, or by projection. 'Pupils with solar viewing glasses will not be allowed to go outside and use them. '[The school] is dismissing the value that witnessing this rare astronomical event will have on many pupils and it goes against the idea that school is a place of education.' Parents in other areas say they have been left running around after schools only announced today that children would have to bring their own 'eclipse-viewing glasses'. The decision has caused anger among parents, who do not want their children to miss out on the event . Pupils around Britain also went online to complain after some were told the blinds in their classrooms would be closed during the eclipse and others said they would be shown a recording of the event in the afternoon. Oldway primary school in Paignton, Devon, is another one of those which has come under fire for keeping children inside, where they will watch it on computer screens. Parent Sophie Bertorelli said: 'It is a bit of a shame to watch it on a computer. I would have thought they would have maybe supplied some protective glasses.' Head teacher Jane Smythe said she had 700 children to look after and she 'could not guarantee that they would not look at the sun'. Ms Smythe said she understood if parents wanted to keep children at home for the first hour of school so they could watch it together. The school is not the only one to make the decision. The Penryn Primary Academy Cornwall says it is broadcasting the event for children in the school hall, Lasswade Primary School in Bonnyrigg, Midlothian are also keeping students indoors and Bishop Vesey's Grammar School in Birmingham is screening it on TV in the afternoon to all but Year 7 students, who will be allowed outside. Oldway Primary School in Paignton, Devon, is keeping pupils inside. Its headteacher, Jane Smythe (left) says she cannot guarantee pupils will not look at the sun . Some parent's have back the decision. Fiona Bullman, in Paignton, told the BBC: 'It's too much of a risk. You can't risk 700 children potentially being blinded. Unless there's one adult to one child, you can't [risk it].' The Department for Education has said what schools do for the eclipse is a matter for individual head teachers to decide. Would you let your child watch the solar eclipse? Would you let your child watch the solar eclipse? Now share your opinion . Looking at the sun either with naked eyes or through unfiltered binoculars or telescopes  can permanently damage people's eyesight. Those who want to look at the occurrence are being advised to use pin-hole projectors or glasses with special filters. It is feared clouds could also ruin viewing of the eclipse, with overcast skies forecast for much of the south west of England. Northern cities such as Lancaster, York and Newcastle should have sunnier days and Scotland, where the eclipse will conceal almost 98 per cent of the sun in places, will be largely clear. A Met Office spokeswoman said: 'Forecasting exactly where cloud will break and reform is really not scientifically possible. But it's not as thick in the south as further north, so you're more likely to see breaks in the cloud the further south you are.' It is not unknown for a fleeting break in cloud to occur during an eclipse as the atmosphere cools. Another 'deep' partial eclipse visible in the UK will not occur until August 12, 2026, and the next total eclipse not until September 2090. Tomorrow's eclipse will produce a 100-mile-wide 'totality' shadow path that crosses the North Atlantic and covers only two land masses, the Faroe Islands between Scotland and Iceland and the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. Astronomer Gemma Lavender from All About Space magazine . Do you need special equipment to look at the eclipse? 'It's all too easy to look at the sun when an eclipse is happening, but you should never look at the eclipse with naked eyes, binoculars or a telescope without filters - otherwise you run the risk of permanently damaging your eyesight. 'That's not to say that you can't watch the eclipse on Friday - but you should ensure that you have the right equipment that will provide you with the right amount of protection. 'Dedicated telescopes such as solar telescopes can allow you to observe the eclipse with absolutely no risk. However, unless you already own one, know somebody who does or are looking to get into solar astronomy, they can be a massive investment of several hundred pounds. 'There are cheaper ways to observe the eclipse, though.' Are solar glasses fine to use? 'Many people buy solar glasses or viewers to watch the eclipse. These can be bought quite cheaply from telescope dealers. 'They work by employing a Mylar film that blocks out over 99 per cent of the sun's light, allowing you to view the eclipse safely. 'Before using them though, you should make sure that they are not damaged in any way and you should ensure that you have bought them from a reputable dealer. If you're in doubt, don't use your viewers at all.' How can you use a telescope to observe the eclipse? 'If you own a telescope, then there are several ways for you to observe the eclipse. 'If you don't own them already, it is possible for you to buy a solar filter, which covers the aperture of your telescope to ensure that you can observe the sun safely. The movement of the sun and moon means the eclipse will be seen at different times around the UK . 'They are found to be made of glass or as with the solar glasses, Mylar film. It is possible to make a solar filter using Mylar sheets but caution is advised while making your own solar filter - any scratches or pinholes will lead to dangerous amount of sunlight entering your eyes. 'You should also avoid relying on eyepiece filters - they cannot handle the sun's light. 'Telescope projection is also a safe way to observe the eclipse. By using two large, white pieces of card, you can project the eclipse's image onto one piece, while using the other to fit around your telescope's tube to act as a mask to shield your eyes from the sun. 'Focusing your telescope's eyepiece, while holding the second card away, which projects the image, will enable you to show the eclipse to a large group of people safely. 'You should not use a cheap, plastic telescope for telescope projection and ensure that your finderscope has its cap on. 'Never look at the eclipse whilst lining up your telescope with the sun and never leave your telescope unattended. You should also ensure that your instrument doesn't overheat.' Can you use household items to view the eclipse? 'If you don't have a standard telescope or have forgotten to buy a solar viewer, then there are several household items you can use so that you don't miss out on seeing this fantastic event. 'Using a piece of card, or anything that has small holes punched into it, you can project the eclipse onto another piece of card. This is certainly one of the safest ways of viewing the eclipse since you don't need to look at the sun at all. 'A washing up bowl or bucket can also be lined with a black bin liner and then filled with water to make a reflective surface to safely watch the eclipse. When and where will the eclipse be visible? 'The eclipse will begin in the morning. For observers in the UK, the eclipse starts at 8.30am, peaks at 9.35 am and ends at 10.41am, so you should make sure that you know where the Sun rises from your location. 'The total solar eclipse - that's 100 per cent of the Sun's surface covered by the Moon - is visible from the Faroe Islands and Svalbard but if you are unable to get to these locations, many are able to see a substantial partial eclipse - for instance, Scotland will see around 90 per cent of the Sun's disc covered by the moon.' How dark will it get in the UK? 'In London and even in places where there's 90 per cent sun coverage, we're not really going to notice any changes in brightness because there's still a portion of the sun's surface uncovered. 'It'll be like there's a cloud passing over the Sun - you know it's cloudy but it's still light.' This map of the UK shows where the eclipse will be visible and what time it will reach its peak .
Moon will pass in front of  sun tomorrow creating 98% eclipse in some parts . The event due to take place at 9.30am, meaning children will be at school . Parents angry after some headteachers decide to keep youngsters indoors . School chiefs say they will not risk children's eyesight from looking at sun .