Thousands to end school holidays early
Tens of thousands of Scottish children and teachers will return to school a week earlier than planned, after the government announced a blanket re-start date as part of its route map out of lockdown.
Schools from Dumfries and Galloway to Shetland, including Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee
and the Highlands, would have expected to welcome pupils back from 18 august, but instead the west of Scotland resumption date of the 11 August has been agreed by the Education Recovery Group, chaired by John Swinney.
However, teachers’ union, the Educational Institute of Scotland, said that teachers would not lose out on their holiday entitlement as a result of the change.
Yesterday a 46-page framework document on how schools could return was published, suggesting that pupils would return on a part time basis, “blending” school with home learning, to ensure social distance measures could be upheld. Classes could also be held in leisure centres or libraries, community centres or conference halls. Teachers could also return to schools in June, in the first phase of the lockdown easing, to prepare for the reopening. There will also be support available for pupils moving into primary one or first year at high school.
Nicola Sturgeon said: “These arrangements will not represent a complete return to normality by August. But we judge them to be the most sensible approach we can plan for at this stage.”
The First Minister added the Scottish Government wanted to ensure pupils will be back at school “in a way that allows them to be children”. “None of us relish the prospect of seeing kids, particularly young kids, socially distancing or be as aware of these risks as we will undoubtedly have to require them to be. Trying to get, for children in particular, as much normality as possible in the school environment is really important. We shouldn’t underestimate the challenges of that but it is absolutely central to all of this careful planning that is under way.”
Mr Swinney said steps would be taken, if necessary, to increase the number of teachers by bringing formerly retired educators back into schools. Class sizes could be “significantly reduced”, with some classes split into two or three separate groups.
However Scottish Labour’s education spokesperson, Iain Gray, said the expert advice behind the announcement should be published as schools should not reopen until it was safe.
“Parents and teachers will be pleased to have a confirmed date when they can expect schools to open but they need the confidence of seeing and understanding the scientific advice and public health modelling behind such a reopening,” he said. “The education framework published today does refer to specific modelling and advice, draws conclusions from it – but it doesn’t share it.” EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan welcomed the “clarity” of the start date and “the clear statement that schools will not re-open until after the summer and only if health conditions allow.