Time to re-open our schools

Scottish Government has made what is probably the right call but there are risks

The Scottish Government’s decision to re-open schools will be greeted with delight by some and concern by others, and there is no getting away from the fact that it is a risk.

However, given the current levels of infection in Scotland, it is probably one that we should take. Parents need to be getting back to work, particularly as the furlough scheme is being phased out, and children need to get back to school to continue their education.

The longer that classes remained online only, with parents drafted in as stand-in tutors, the greater the chance of life-long impacts. There are, after all, few more important things than the education of the young generation.

But it would be a mistake to dismiss genuine concerns from teachers, parents and others about the chance of coronavirus infection. The Scottish Government and education officials will, no doubt, be trying to minimise the risks. But they and teaching unions also need to work together, without any of the rancor that has sometimes blighted talks between the two sides, to identify any specific problems and seek swift solutions. Announcing the decision, Nicola Sturgeon said it was a “moral and educational imperative that we get children back to school as soon as is safely possible”, adding that one reason for her Government’s cautious approach had been to ensure the infection rate was low enough to allow schools to re-open.

Critics pointed out that plans for a ‘blended’ approach, mixing attendance in school with online learning, had only been abandoned after public uproar, but this was always a difficult decision with a number of factors to be balanced against each other, so perhaps a little hesitancy was only to be expected.

One potential problem of re-opening schools is that it sends a message to the public that the danger has passed and life is back to normal. No one should think that for a moment. If anything, we should increase our efforts to stick to social distancing, mask-wearing and hand-washing because the simple fact is that greater human interaction makes it easier for the virus to spread. And a number of countries that had been doing well have seen the disease flare up once again after the relaxation of restrictions.

That said, there are few things in life that are entirely risk-free and we cannot remain behind closed doors forever. The first day of school will be a moment to celebrate, but we cannot allow ourselves to get carried away. This is not over yet.