Home school alert as pupils miss classes

Home-schooling could return soon as thousands of Tayside and Fife pupils are now missing classes because of Covid-19.

As of Tuesday, 640 pupils were off with coronavirus in four council areas, while 2,718 were in quarantine after being identified as a close contact.

The breakdown shows that 330 pupils in Fife were off with Covid, while 139 youngsters in Perth and Kinross were absent.

In Dundee and Angus, the figures were 73 and 98, respectively.

There has also been an increase in the number of parents who have opted to keep their children off school because of fears over the Omicron variant.

Yesterday it was revealed remote learning provision for Fife pupils had been outlined should schools close or whole classes are forced to isolate.

Now subject to a 10-day isolation rule, instead of being able to return to school after a negative PCR result, pupils could have to stay at home longer if they are identified as close contacts, and schools could face staffing issues if teachers are off.

Fife Council education and children’s services director Carrie Lindsay said: “As has been the case throughout this session, should the staffing position in any one school/early learning and childcare setting mean that whole classes, year groups or indeed the whole school/ ELC setting need to be at home, remote learning will be made available for pupils.

“We fully recognise the importance of children being in school but given the extended isolation period now in place for all positive cases of Covid-19 and their household contacts, it is possible that this might be required in individual settings.”

For Fife schoolchildren, remote learning is to include a combination of live “interactions” with teachers and tasks set by teachers, some requiring a digital device and others not.

Airlie Primary School, near Kirriemuir, moved to remote learning yesterday and today.

It is not yet known whether pupils will return for classes for the final three days of term.

Angus Council has also yet to confirm whether the school closure is a result of Covid-19.

Its statement read: “Due to staff shortages, Airlie Primary School will move to remote learning on Thursday December 16 and Friday December 17.

“We’ll review the situation after that on whether this arrangement will need to continue.”

We have asked Angus Council whether the staff shortages are linked to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic – however, we had not received a response at the time of publication.

At a parliamentary Covid-19 briefing, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed early school closures were not being considered.

UNDER REVIEW: Fife education and children’s services director Carrie Lindsay.