Youngest pupils will return first
Phased school plans set out by First Minister
Some West Lothian pupils will be able to return to the classroom from February 22, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said this week.
In her statement to the Scottish Parliament, she said some students will begin a phased return to school.
There will be a full-time return of early learning and childcare for children below school age and for those in primary one to three.
The return for senior pupils will be on a parttime limited basis to allow students to complete practical work necessary for national qualification courses.
A council spokesperson said the local authority has been working on plans for schools reopening to ensure that there is as little disruption as possible when pupils do return.
He continued: “We will ensure all necessary arrangements are in place for all pupils when they are able to return to the classroom, and will provide specific information to parents/carers as quickly as we can, and once the phased return dates are confirmed by the Scottish Government.
“We will be delighted to welcome pupils back into our schools when the schools do reopen.
“As the Scottish Government has said, the exceptional arrangements to close schools from January were put in place as a precautionary measure in light of the latest developments at the time. A range of previously published evidence has made clear that schools are not high-risk environments when the appropriate mitigations and safety measures outlined in the guidance are implemented.
“There is to date, no evidence that in-school transmission is a significant driver of increasing infection levels.
“We can assure parents/ carers that West Lothian Council has implemented the mitigations and safety measures set out in national guidance, and every school has put in place a risk assessment based on the circumstances at that school.”
Executive councillor for education, David Dodds added: “We know that all pupils are affected but young children, in particular, are hugely affected by not being in nursery and school. And it is obvious that many other pupils have to undertake practical work so a phased return has to be prioritised.
“Officers will work to ensure our staff, who continue to show great flexibly in a continually changing landscape, are supported as they work in these challenging circumstances. I’m a former teacher myself and I know how difficult this period is for school staff. When further details are available, we will ensure parents and pupils are provided with the information they need prior to their return to schools.”
The First Minister also said she hoped the gradual easing of restrictions can begin from the start of March.
But she warned the situation is fragile, as the most recent figures showed a further 758 people had tested positive for Covid-19 and 69 more deaths were registered in the last 24 hours.
The First Minister did say that while progress had been made, figures remained high, adding “progress had been down to compliance with the lockdown restrictions.”
She continued: “That means that if we were to ease restrictions too quickly, there is a real risk that infections would rise again very quickly.”
She also added there had been five cases of the new South African variant identified in Scotland.
The First Minister also announced plans for a managed quarantine requirement for anyone who arrives directly into Scotland, regardless of where they have travelled from.
And she revealed 21 per cent of those aged over 75 had received their first dose of the vaccine while 83 per cent of 80s had received their first jab.