The Scotsman

Scotsman.com & @Thescotsma­nnewspaper

Your comments on some of the most popular stories of the day taken from The Scotsman website and Facebook page

-

Low marks

Part-time schooling and a four-day working week may become the new norm in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has said, as she unveiled a fourphase ‘route map’ out of Coronaviru­s lockdown

Part time schooling! What am I supposed to do once lockdown is relaxed and I go back to my full-time job? Single mum to a 12-year-old son, with no family close by for support to help out. I certainly won’t be alone in this situation.

Karine Riley This would be an absolutely great idea if it happens. Studies show a shorter working week increases productivi­ty which will help the economy get back to where it needs to be.

Devon Longstone I’m sure I’d rather my kids were alive than worry about childcare. If we don’t agree with this phasing to get back to normality, we won’t have our kids. We all have to make sacrifices and I’d rather we did things slowly than have a second wave of this virus and be in lockdown even longer. Our health comes first.

Julie K Cowe I recently condensed my work hours over four days instead of five and it’s been the best decision ever. I feel much happier and don’t dread Monday as I used to, as I know my week won’t be as long. I now have an extra day off to do what I want and what makes me happy. We can’t just live to work, we need to be selfish sometimes and think of ourselves first.

Patrizia Canu The more you bring large numbers of children together into confined spaces, the more spreading you are going to have in the autumn and winter months. Children are mainly asymptomat­ic spreaders to the rest of the population, and there is the danger of the multi-system inflammato­ry syndrome in children, which is very dangerous.

Neena Livingston­e Better than nothing. We need to find a new normal. Kids are great at adapting.

Sandra Ronald I’ll be glad when I can have some structure back in my life. My mental health has had a serious knock because of this and I’ve had to have my medication increased just to get through a day! This is not the life I want to live– hope we can get some normality back ASAP!

Alistair Stewart Use Portacabin­s for extra classroom space and ask retired teachers to help, like we did with doctors and nurses. I’m working, studying for a degree and raising two kids. I don’t have time for a four-day week!

Kate Sheridan My son is deaf, he needs structure in his life. I know being in his room is keeping people safe, but it’s not doing his mental health any good.

Sharon Mcaloon Look, it’s quite simple! We as a nation will have to make sacrifices and adapt to a different way of life. It sucks for everyone in one way or another but we need to pull together and try our best to through this!

Connie Mackenzie I agree on a slower release to lockdown, clearly giving some practice on home schooling. Tough for some, but not all – and hairdressi­ng, same.

Elspeth Henderson The First Minister uses the R number - the number of people on average who are infected by each infected person – to justify the lockdown rules. The key word here is average. The R number in, say, a hospital in Glasgow is not what should determine the lockdown restrictio­ns in, say, the centre of Edinburgh.

Stewart Ritchie Ridiculous! Grandparen­ts/ child minders will have to help out with childcare, putting them at risk so parents can go back to work. Are they going to deep clean the school every morning and afternoon?

Claire Espie Does [Sturgeon] engage her brain before she speaks of part time schooling and copying the PM of New

Zealand by suggesting a four-day week? Is the Scottish Government going to supplement the loss of the fifth day’s salary or will she be continuing to help herself to the UK government’s piggy bank?

Angela Mcdermott I’m up for a four-day week. If everyone did the same the country would be a happier place.

Derek Allan After lockdown and the furloughin­g is over, a lot of people would love to have a job, never mind a four-day week.

Ian Hodgson To be fair, most schools are open less than half a day on a Friday. What does everyone usually do with their kids?

Shirley Morgan Yeah, because we’re doing so well in the school leagues and the attainment gap is so good... Oh wait, they’ve buried the report until after Holyrood elections.

David Shaw

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom