TOUGHEST DECISION WE’VE EVER HAD TO TAKE
Care nightmare as schools shut down for up to five months Pupils face threat of having to repeat whole year of studies
EVERY school and nursery in Scotland will be shut down at the end of this week – and may remain closed until after the summer holidays.
Nicola Sturgeon yesterday revealed the radical decision, which will cause a major childcare headache for parents across the country and could severely impact on the education of pupils.
She admitted that schools may not reopen after next month’s Easter holidays and said she cannot even promise they will be open before the summer holidays.
That leaves parents facing the threat of a shutdown of around five months until August.
One bombshell proposal which will be given serious consideration if there is a long-term closure is to ask every pupil in the country to repeat the entire school year.
That would result in some pupils not leaving school until after their 19th birthday.
Last night, ministers were urged to ensure they introduce measures to help parents deal with the closure.
Announcing the move at a press briefing in Edinburgh, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘The clearest guidance I can give now is that people should not assume that schools and nurseries will be open after the Easter break.
‘We will, of course, only keep them closed for as long as we absolutely have to but, at this stage, I cannot promise that they will be open before the summer holidays.
‘Let me say that this has been one of the hardest decisions we have faced so far as we tackle this virus. We know that this will massively disrupt life, society and the economy. We know that it massively changes family life and nothing is more precious than that.
‘But that indeed is the measure of how serious this virus is and how serious the challenge is that we face.’ In a direct message to the public, she said: ‘We are heading into stormy waters, of
‘We are heading into stormy waters’
that there is no doubt. As your First Minister I will do everything I can to steer the ship safely through but I do need your help. It will not be easy but together we will get through this.’
The decision to close schools comes after the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) examined new advice. The UK is one of the last countries in Europe to shut schools in the wake of the spread of the virus.
Miss Sturgeon had resisted the move because children may still congregate outside schools and because she was concerned about the impact on parents working in crucial emergency services. She said that some schools had already taken the decision to close down because of the number of staff self-isolating.
Education Secretary John Swinney is today expected to announce measures to protect vulnerable pupils, such as those receiving free school meals, what it means for pupils taking exams this year and how to address the impact on key workers such as doctors and nurses.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘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.
‘These actions will clearly also have a significant impact on our society and on the economy. People around the country are adapting to a new way of life and I am determined that Government will do whatever we can to reduce the challenges that come with that as much as we can.’
The First Minister yesterday refused to rule out a nuclear option of asking every child in the country to repeat the entire school year if the worst-case scenario of a prolonged closure happens.
A senior government insider confirmed the radical step will be considered along with options such as rescheduling exams or awarding some qualifications without a formal exam taking place. On the prospect of repeating the entire year, the source said: ‘If you’d asked me that question a few days ago, I’d have laughed in your face. I’m not laughing now.’ Asked about whether repeating the entire year will be considered if there is a sustained and long-term closure, Miss Sturgeon said she did not want to ‘get ahead of decision-making’.
She said: ‘Once we have got a better sense of how long this will last then longer-term decisions, of course, may have to be taken.
‘But we are trying to work through this in as ordered a way as possible, prioritising the issues that really are most urgent in that order of decision-making.’
Scottish Chambers of Commerce chief executive Liz Cameron said: ‘This move brings Scotland in line with expert advice on managing the Covid-19 pandemic.’
The Educational Institute of Scotland said it believed school closures were an ‘absolute necessity’. General secretary Larry Flanagan said: ‘As the First Minister highlighted, there is a clear need for arrangements to be put in place to deal with a range of important issues, including providing alternative arrangements for pupils in receipt of free school meals; appropriate provision and support for pupils taking SQA exams; and suitable arrangements for pupils of parents who are critical workers, such as those employed in the NHS or the emergency services.
‘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.’
He added: ‘Maintaining as much as we can a sense of common purpose for the common weal will help Scottish education, its students and staff navigate our way ahead at this time of significant crisis.’
The Qualifications Contingency Group, chaired by the Scottish Government, said ‘every effort should be made’ to ensure schools remain ‘partially open’ to allow senior phase pupils to complete learning and be able to submit coursework.
It said schools could remain open as exam centres ‘should medical and scientific advice allow’.
Scottish Tory education spokesman Jamie Greene said: ‘This will undoubtedly be of huge concern to parents who rely on their children attending school to allow them to go to work, as well as those facing imminent exams.
‘Given those challenges, it is vital that we put normal politics aside to support these decisions and work together on practical solutions to minimise the disruptive consequences of them.’
Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said: ‘I fully support the First Minister’s decision to close schools and nurseries by the end of the week as it is right to follow the scientific advice. Yet many parents will now be anxious about how to balance childcare and any remaining work commitments.
‘We should ensure vulnerable pupils who rely on free school meals continue to have access to them. We need to create exceptional care provision for the children of emergency service and other critical workers who don’t have a support network.’
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