Employer flexibility needed as Holyrood ‘wrestles’ with home schooling issues

Employers will have to be “flexible” with parents whose children have to learn from home when schools return, the Education Secretary has said.

But John Swinney said the Government is still “wrestling” with issues such as how the children of parents who have to go out to work - such as NHS staff - will be homeschooled from August.

The Scottish Government’s plan for easing lockdown measures - if the spread of coronavirus is controlled would see schools open on 11 August with a combination of in-school teaching and athome learning.

However, this model has caused concern for parents who are unable to work from home.

Mr Swinney did not explain how the child of two frontline NHS workers would be taught at home, but said: “Our route map is predicated on lots more people continuing to work from home to contribute towards the work of their employers. We are not going to return to a pre-covid normal of how schools or businesses operate. What this will require is employers to be flexible about the way in which they’re asking their employees to engage in work.”

Asked about the logistics of the plan, Mr Swinney said he and the Economy Secretary are “wrestling with some of these questions with the First Minister, to make sure that business and education and other aspects of the community are working harmoniously as we adapt to what’s a really difficult situation”.

Mr Swinney also defended Health Secretary Jeane Freeman over accusations she has lost the trust of the public.

He said: “I think any dispassionate observer would recognise that nobody could have given more commitment to leading the health service during this pandemic than Jeane.”