Councils back teachers calling for more time to get ready for a return to class
Heads say more time is needed to reopen
there is still no certainty full-time schooling will go ahead, if it does then teachers are going to need time to get ready for this. We would like to see the
scotland’s councils are backing start date being pushed back until at
teachers calling for the least August 17.”
reopening of scotland’s schools Last week, politicians, parents and
to be pushed back to allow more teachers told The Sunday Post that
time to prepare. urgency, creativity and leadership Education Secretary John Swinney was needed to reopen our schools. last week announced schools would AHDS general secretary Greg reopen full-time on August 11 with Dempster said the past few months of no social distancing after previously running hubs and developing a new suggesting blended learning, combining way of working with school teams schools with online lessons, had taken a toll on school leaders. would last at least a year. “The next session is going to be His surprise announcement came another difficult term,” he said. days after we told how parents and “School leaders need the break to education experts feared plans for rest and ready themselves for next pupils to return to class for as little as year. We would like to see a period at one day a week would dramatically the start of the new term for revised widen the attainment gap between planning to be developed and implemented the wealthiest and poorest post codes. before teachers return.” However, some teachers were angry First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has at the apparent U-turn, claiming they denied the changed plans for schools had worked tirelessly to prepare for was a reversal of policy, saying ministers blended learning and voicing concerns are responding to fast-changing not enough work has been done circumstances and blended learning on making schools safe to return. will remain a contingency plan. On Friday, the Association of Sarah Chisnall, from campaign Headteachers and Deputes in group 50-50 – which wants at least half Scotland (AHDS) pushed for the reopening of pupils’ time to be in the classroom date to be delayed to let teachers and a national standard for online have more time to prepare for the learning – welcomed plans for a fulltime new term after the school holidays. return to schools but voiced concern. Now Cosla, the umbrella group “Some children won’t be able to for Scotland’s local authorities, has go back to school because they might backed the call. Stephen Mccabe, have an underlying health condition children and young people spokesperson, or people in their household are said he wants the reopening shielding,” she said. “And what would pushed back by almost a week. “Up happen if there is another spike in the until John Swinney’s announcement, virus and schools have to be closed? everyone was working on the blended “We have a chance to get home learning model so this has been a dramatic learning where it needs to be. This turnaround,” he said. “While should not be abandoned.” Teachers need more time to prepare for this