SCOTTISH SCHOOLS TO CLOSE
Classrooms shut ‘until August’ ++ Death rate doubles as cases soar ++ Supermarkets ration ++ Army on standby ++ London faces lockdown
SCOTLAND’S schools and nurseries will shut down from tomorrow – and could remain closed for up to five months. Nicola Sturgeon yesterday announced the radical move,
which it is hoped will slow the spread of deadly coronavirus.
She admitted that schools might be closed until after the summer holidays – causing a major headache for parents across the country and severely affecting the education of pupils. The shock announcement came as it emerged ministers are considering plans for a total lockdown in London, where the epidemic is said to be ‘weeks’ ahead of the rest of the UK.
In a further sign of the escalating crisis, 20,000 troops were put on standby to be deployed to Britain’s streets, hospitals and other key sites to relieve the pressure on emergency services. It was also announced that a third patient had died in Scotland after contracting Covid-19, while the number of confirmed cases soared to 227.
The true number may be far higher because of people self-isolating without being tested.
Miss Sturgeon last night admitted that the decision to close schools was
‘the most difficult’ she had taken during her time as First Minister.
She admitted that schools may not reopen after next month’s Easter break – and could not promise if they will be open before the summer holidays.
That leaves parents facing the threat of a five-month shutdown up until August. Schools in England and Wales will also close and all exams such as GSCEs and A-Levels, due to take place in May and June, will be cancelled.
There was no clarity on what it means for the children in Scotland set to take exams this year but Education Secretary John Swinney is expected to update Holyrood today.
In yet another dramatic day of developments, it emerged:
Scots will not face another poll on independence this year after the SNP confirmed it will not push for one;
Businesses north of the Border will gain some protection from the economic impact of the virus as the Scottish Government confirmed it will ‘mirror’ all the support measures introduced in England;
Dentists will stop giving patients routine fillings;
Train and bus services face being scaled back as they see a dramatic fall in passenger numbers;
Churches will ask that only close family attend weddings and funerals as they halt Sunday services completely;
Filming on EastEnders and other BBC dramas including Casualty and Holby City was postponed until further notice;
Another grim day on world stock markets saw the FTSE 100 index fall by 4 per cent and the pound drop by 3.5 per cent against the dollar;
Supermarkets stepped up rationing measures, with Sainsbury’s, Co-Op and Asda among those placing restrictions on purchases to tackle panic buying;
Princess Beatrice cancelled her wedding reception, but plans to marry at the Chapel Royal on May 29 in a private ceremony;
The Glastonbury festival and Eurovision Song Contest became the latest high-profile events to be cancelled.
Miss Sturgeon yesterday said the country had never seen anything like the current crisis.
She added: ‘The actions we are asking people to take are unprecedented but I want to be very clear again today that they are necessary.
‘They are about saving lives, protecting the population as a whole and safeguarding our NHS.
‘We are living through unprecedented times. The coronavirus crisis is like nothing we have faced in most of our lifetimes. People’s way of life will be changing dramatically, and potentially for some time to come.
‘I want everyone to know that I and the Scottish Government are doing absolutely everything we possibly can to play our part in what is a global battle against the virus.
‘We are heading into stormy waters. As First Minister, I will do everything I can to steer the ship safely through. It will not be easy – but together we will get through this.’
Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the EIS teaching union, said yesterday that many teachers would welcome the closures. He said: ‘The escalation of the situation, and the change to government advice earlier this week, led the EIS to taking the view that school closures were now an absolute necessity.
‘The decision to close schools will have been welcomed by many teachers, who have expressed growing concern in recent days over potential increased risk to the health of pupils, staff, their families and the wider community.’
The EIS said that when schools close, it expects the default will be staff working from home and young people learning at home.
Mr Flanagan added: ‘On the issue of supporting home learning during this period, a number of councils are looking at online learning solutions which may offer some provision – although they most certainly should not be seen as a panacea.
‘Ensuring equitable access for students is just one challenge, bearing in mind that many young people will not have home access to suitable IT facilities.
‘The EIS will continue to engage both nationally and locally about appropriate working arrangements for teachers, in order that young people and their families can receive as much educational support as practicable.’
‘These actions are unprecedented’
THE decision by the Scottish Government to close all schools from tomorrow afternoon, while seismic, comes as no surprise.
Since the extent of the coronavirus became apparent, it’s been a matter of when, not if, pupils would be sent home.
When First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday that ordering the closure of schools was one of the toughest decisions she has ever made, even her fiercest political opponents must have sympathised. Both Miss Sturgeon and Prime Minister Boris Johnson face great tests of leadership right now, and it is in the interests of everyone, regardless of political loyalty, that they succeed.
While closing schools will, we hope, contain the spread of the virus, it will have serious, unavoidable consequences. For working families, the issue of childcare will be an immediate priority. Not all employed parents are able to work from home. The pressure on many families will be huge.
One small consolation from yesterday’s announcement is that, at least, uncertainty over the question is now at an end. Parents can begin making plans to cope with the sudden shake-up of family life.
Leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Jackson Carlaw, struck the right tone on behalf of opposition parties at Holyrood earlier this week. His commitment to working with the Government in the weeks ahead was the mark of a politician who understands the magnitude of the challenge coronavirus represents.
But while now is not the time for political rough and tumble, there are key questions that the Scottish Government must answer. Pupils need clarity around exams. Miss Sturgeon must make the provision of detail on how and when National 5s and Highers will go ahead a priority. For younger pupils, school closures will have a negligible effect but for many teenagers the chaos could have the most devastating impact on their academic dreams.
For anyone still harbouring doubts about the deadly seriousness of the contagion, this surely dispels them. It is a pivotal moment for the nation – completely alien to anything most of us have known.
Who could have imagined, three long months ago, that a disease spawned in China would tank the economy, ground flights, close car factories and bring everyday life to a grinding halt?
As the pound slumped to its lowest level in 35 years and the Bank of England pondered handing money directly to shore up flailing households and businesses, the Army has been placed on standby for emergencies.
To stem panic-buying, supermarkets have introduced rationing. And while countless NHS workers can’t get tested for the virus to find out if they’re infectious and should avoid patients, celebrities are paying huge sums for check-ups.
Yet despite fear gripping the nation, it’s vital to maintain a sense of proportion. Britain showed the Blitz spirit to see off Nazi tyranny. The Mail is sure we’ll show it to beat coronavirus.
Look at the Queen, who has weathered so many crises. At 93, she captures the best of the country. She is taking precautions, yet carrying on as normal. Prince William, who launched the National Emergencies Trust, set up to help victims of domestic disasters, says we must ‘pull together’.
Up and down the country, hundreds of thousands of volunteers are dog-walking, delivering food or keeping up the spirits of the elderly, who face the prospect of months on end being spent alone indoors.
The road to overcome this appalling disease may be long.
This is an arduous test of leadership, both of the country and the community.
Things will get worse before they get better. But in the darkest moments, that is the flame to hold: That they will get better.