SCHOOLBOY CRUSH
»»Shocking photo of crowded corridor fuels fears over our children’s health »»15 schools report cases but Sturgeon says no evidence of class transmission
PROBLEMS with social distancing in Scotland’s schools were exposed yesterday by a shock photograph showing teenagers cramped together in a corridor.
It shows pupils at a secondary school in Clydebank – understood to be St Peter of the Apostles High School – barely inches apart.
The image emerged on Twitter yesterday from a woman with an account called @roseprincess64, who said: “This is how kids at St Peter of the Apostles and Clydebank High Schools returned on Monday. Absolutely shocking.”
West Dunbartonshire Council, the local authority for the school, confirmed they were aware of the picture and insisted everything was being done to keep children safe.
She said: “These images were taken on the first day all pupils returned to the building together and as they tried to adapt to the new systems in place.
“If senior management teams noticed any congestion, they review and make alterations as required.
“All our schools operate a one-way system inside the buildings and we have also implemented a new policy for teachers to move between classrooms instead of pupils.
“West Dunbartonshire Council regularly reviews school safety guidance to ensure that the measures we have in place are effective and offer a practical approach to maintaining physical distancing where possible.”
Under the guidelines, children in primary schools are not required to social distance but secondary school pupils are “encouraged” to distance.
Six more Scottish schools yesterday reported cases of coronavirus – but the Government insisted there was “no evidence” of school transmission.
And both First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her deputy John Swinney said there were currently no plans to introduce tougher rules for schools to prevent the virus spreading.
Among them is Kingspark School, Dundee, an additional support needs school which is being closed for the rest of the week after six adults there were confirmed to have the virus.
And at St Albert’s Primary School in Pollokshields, Glasgow, an entire class and their teacher are self-isolating due to virus concerns.
Sturgeon insisted all pupils and staff who have the virus got it from “community transmission” but with the schools only recently having returned, the incubation period for any school transmission has not yet expired.
Last night, Labour’s health spokeswoman Monica Lennon warned: “The Government said there was no evidence of care home transmission ... until there was.
“They said there was no evidence of patients being transferred from hospitals to care homes with the virus ... until there was.
“Now they are saying there is no evidence of school transmission. We can’t have the Government gambling with children’s health. They need to do more, urgently, to ensure schools are safe before there are outbreaks.”
Already there have been reported cases of pupils or teachers being confirmed as having the virus at Bannerman High School, Baillieston, Glasgow, Caldervale High School, Airdrie, and both St Ambrose and St Andrew’s High Schools in Coatbridge.
There have also been cases of the virus found in people at Todholm Primary, Paisley, Oakbank Primary, Perth, Newhill Primary, Kinross, and Carntyne Primary, Glasgow.
A member of staff at Kinmylies Primary in Inverness is also reported to have the virus.
Yesterday, Sturgeon confirmed “two new individual cases involving people at schools” in Renfrewshire and Dundee.
One of them is Kingspark School in Dundee, the other is Wallace Primary School in Elderslie.
A decision on whether Kingspark School will reopen on Monday will be taken later in the week, the local council and NHS board said.
Sturgeon said health protection teams had written to parents of children in relevant classes and advised them “if necessary” children should isolate.
She said the Government was monitoring the cases “extremely closely”.