Distancing could be scrapped to open up schools

SOCIAL distancing could be scrapped for school children as part of a bid to allow more pupils into the classroom in August.

Nicola Sturgeon yesterday said officials are exploring a number of options such as increased testing in schools and enhanced hygiene procedures.

But the First Minister has been accused of attempting to ‘deceive parents’ amid growing anger at plans to have children in classrooms for as little as one day a week.

Experts have said it is ‘impossible’ for schools to return without social distancing, while a Nationalist MSP has hit out at Miss Sturgeon’s plans for ‘blended learning’.

As well as concerns over attainment and education, parents have warned this could have an impact on their own jobs.

At her daily briefing yesterday, Miss Sturcould geon admitted that the current plan for blended learning was ‘not acceptable’.

She pledged to examine several options – such as scrapping or reducing social distancing in schools for children only, with teachers still required to keep two metres apart.

Miss Sturgeon confirmed her Covid-19 advisory group will review the two-metre rule following pressure from businesses, parents and opponents.

She said: ‘I would be delighted if we could have education without young people having to stay two metres away from another.’

But she added: ‘We can’t just magically move to that.’

She said the virus would have to be ‘at a low enough level’ and that ‘other protections might be required’.

Miss Sturgeon added: ‘Now that could be testing in schools, it could be certain aspects of enhanced hygiene in schools, it

be – as I believe Northern Ireland has just announced – physical distancing of two metres is not required for children but is still required for teachers and between teachers and children.’

She said the current scientific advice is that ‘two metres distancing is required’, adding: ‘So we are having to plan with councils how we can get schools back on that basis.’

Schools will reopen on August 11, with councils and even schools forced to come up with their own blended learning plan for pupils to spend part of their time in class and part at home.

Miss Sturgeon previously called the plan a ‘contingency’, but Education Secretary John

Swinney has insisted two-metre distancing will remain in place.

Yesterday, education experts helping to build the Government’s education strategy said there is no other option than blended learning.

Scottish Labour education spokesman Iain Gray said: ‘In the course of this week the Education Secretary has said blended learning might last for a year, while the First Minister called it a “contingency”.

‘The First Minister is clearly trying to deceive parents by pretending these plans are only a contingency. The Scottish Government has turned a return to schools into a shambles, and it is not good enough.’

Stephen McCabe, education spokesman for local authority body Cosla, told Holyrood’s education committee that blended learning was the only plan being discussed by officials, and that any changes to social distancing would have to be made within weeks in order for them to be in place by August.

Mr McCabe said: ‘The reality is that we are being advised by the Government and by the scientists that children can only come to school in August on the basis of a two-metre social distance, therefore it’s impossible for us to provide full-time education with that constraint.’

During the committee’s evidence session, Nationalist MSP Alex Neil said the current proposals – where regional differences mean some pupils could return to school for just one day a week – were ‘unacceptable’, adding: ‘That is not good quality education.’

Meanwhile, the EIS teachers’ union has called for additional teachers to be hired – with general secretary Larry Flanagan urging councils to work with newly qualified teachers. Saturday Report – Pages 18&19

‘A shambles. Not good enough’