Social distancing callsfor schools

Scotland’s largest teaching union is calling for clarity on a phased return to West Lothian schools and warn social distancing is essential.

The education secretary John Swinney said on January 20 that a government group is considering whether nurseries and pupils in primary one to three can come back to school first.

It is unlikely that pupils will all return at once, like August 2020, and he said it is “much more likely” the Scottish Government would bring them back in different groups of pupils.

However, the teacher’s union Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) told The Courier that schools should only open when it is “safe to do so” and that social distancing needs to return.

The EIS vice president, and secretary for West Lothian, Heather Hughes, explained: “We have made it clear that we will be looking for further information around the effect of the new variant and transmission in young people before schools are reopened on a phased basis.

“Schools would only be opened on a phased return when we have that information and it is safe to do so for staff and students.

“We are clear that there will be a need for physical distancing of two metres amongst young people, especially in the senior phase on return.”

The EIS spoke to The Courier repeatedly in December calling for periods of home schooling in West Lothian and all other Level Four areas.

A West Lothian Council spokesperson said: “As it stands, there is no change to the existing guidance from the Scottish Government.

“When the guidance does change we will provide further information to parents as quickly as possible.”

It was announced this week that schools will stay closed for most pupils until the middle of February at least.

Mr Swinney said that the Education Recovery Group have met to discuss schools reopening.

He added: “Ideally I would like to give two weeks’ notice to everybody involved about the return to face to face learning, but obviously we may give shorter notice than that if we believe the opportunity exists.”

After announcing the school closures extending this week, Nicola Sturgeon said that she would next review the matter on February 2.