‘Adequate mitigation’ essential in fight

Professor Reicher said it is vital to ensure children self-isolating have access to computers and wi-fi to study at home.

In just one day last week, Scottish Government figures showed 19,533 pupils were off school self-isolating.

Prof Reicher said: “We’ve got to provide for digital equality and it’s got to be a priority because kids are going to be sent home and, as ever, it’s going to be the poor kids who are going to suffer.”

He added that testing must also be easily accessible to all, including those without cars, and financial support offered to parents who cannot work because they are self-isolating.

Referring to a report published on

“We are in a position where there are infections but it’s not out of control. PROF REICHER

Tuesday which suggested pupils in the most deprived areas of England were more likely to be four months behind in their learning than those in more affluent areas, he said: “We need to balance the risks of going to school against the risks of not going to school.

“For most kids the greater risk is not being in school.”

Prof Reicher said “we would be in trouble” if transmission in schools did occur and so mitigation measures must be looked at, including adequate space to allow distancing in classrooms and ventilation.

He said this would involve hiring more teachers and obtaining extra space, and added: “It is possible, it’s been done in some places but it costs.

These are questions of cost and priority.

“In the context of rising overall infection levels in Scotland, and the last few days suggest they are rising, this is going to become a greater problem in schools because the greater the community transmission the more cases will be brought into schools.

“It’s not something unexpected and we really need to plan for it.”

He said parents should be “reassured but not complacent” about the lack of apparent transmission within schools.

He said: “We are in a position where there are infections but it’s not out of control.

“If we have the adequate mitigation I’ve talked about we can keep on top of this but it’s really important we do so.”