Will full-time teaching happen?

A parent has told the PA she is sceptical that school pupils will return full-time on August 11.

Sandi Brannigan has a 15-year-old daughter in S5 and a 13-year-old son in S3 at Perth High School.

She was told on Monday her daughter would only attend school two days a week while her son would be in just one day under the blended learning model.

But the Scottish Government performed a U-turn on Tuesday, with education secretary John Swinney telling parliament schools could plan for a full return.

Speaking before Mr Swinney’s announcement, Sandi told the PA she would have to cut her hours at work under the proposal.

She added: “For my daughter in S5 two days a week is not good enough. She has plans for her future and they’re not doable on two days a week.

“My son is in S3 and he needs someone to be on at him. He’s good at school but I work fulltime just now. They are failing him by doing this.

“This is not blended learning. It’s just home schooling.”

After the announcement Sandi said: “I’m not convinced they will go back full-time.

“The part-time plan was plan A and now they have backtracked to say it’s plan B but I really don’t think that’s the case. They always said they were going back part-time.

“It feels like they’ve made this announcement because of the pressure from parents.”

Conservative duo Liz Smith and Murdo Fraser welcomed the “U-turn” but said it should have come sooner.

Mr Fraser said: “Schoolchildren’s education would have been chaotic under the blended learning approach and parents were rightly angered at this proposal.

“It is a massive relief that the Scottish Government have for once seen common sense in this issue.”

Ms Smith added: “The previous plan of blended learning, which would have seen some pupils only attend school once a week, as was the proposal for Perth High School, was appalling.

“However, parents made their feelings known. They understood the impact of blended learning on children’s education.

“Now teachers will have a short time to prepare for full-time education, all caused by the Scottish Government prevaricating over the return to school plan and the education secretary’s sudden change of heart.”