PARENTS’ COVID REVOLT

Thousands say they won’t send children back to school

THOUSANDS of parents are planning to keep their children off school when classrooms reopen next week amid ongoing fears about the spread of coronavirus.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed on Thursday that full-time education will restart from August 11, after a break of almost five months.

Although the move has been welcomed by many parents, a significant number remain profoundly worried about the risk of their children contracting Covid-19.

Thousands of parents have already decided they will not be letting their children go back to school, research by parents’ groups suggests, while tens of thousands more are still undecided.

Teachers are also concerned about a return to full-time education, and the leader of Scotland’s largest teaching union has said it is ready to pull them out of classrooms – and raise grievances with schools and local authorities – if they believe it is unsafe.

Parents’ campaign group Connect and the National Parents’ Forum of Scotland (NPFS) have carried out surveys in recent days. Connect found fewer than threequarters of parents are fully committed to sending their children back to school. The NPFS survey revealed that around a third of parents do not want a return to full-time schooling.

The Scottish Government is not planning to prosecute parents who refuse to send their children to school, and has passed a special directive meaning it is no longer a legal requirement.

Sources say they hope that if the return to classrooms is successful, Ministers will slowly be able to persuade nervous parents to allow their children to return.

But Eileen Prior, executive director of Connect, said: ‘Schools, local authorities and the Scottish Government have work to do in reassuring parents.

‘Many families in our survey said they needed more information about what school would be like and how children will be kept safe.

‘Children and staff going back to school is a big step for everyone, welcomed by many but not all.

‘A small percentage of families in our survey said they did not intend to send their children back. Schools need to reach out to families and offer support and reassurance.’

Joanna Murphy, chairman of NPFS, which has advised the Government through the Coronavirus Education Recovery Group, said: ‘It will be good to return to a bit more normality, but we appreciate that many parents will be worried about their children returning.’ Connect found that 71 per cent of parents – nearly three-quarters – were committed to sending children back to school, with 27 per cent unsure and 2 per cent certain not to.

With almost 700,000 pupils in Scotland, 2 per cent is the equivalent of 14,000 children – although adding those who were ‘unsure’ would take the total to 200,000. Only 31 per cent, a third, of parents were positive about their children returning to school, with more than half either a bit or very worried.

Connect surveyed almost 8,000 parents across all 32 local authorities in Scotland, while the NPFS surveyed almost 2,500. The NPFS found that 62 per cent backed the Scottish Government’s plan for fulltime education, with more than a third wanting their child spending less time at school.

Larry Flanagan, the general secretary of the EIS teaching union, said the Government’s guidance has ‘contradictions and shortcomings’, adding the union is prepared to act if members’ health and safety are jeopardised. There are no plans for strike action but teachers could be pulled out of schools.

Mr Flanagan added: ‘We will always be looking after members’ safety first.’

The Scottish Government said: ‘Our guidance makes clear that schools and local authorities should engage with anyone considering withholding their child to provide reassurance and support.

‘We will continue to work with parent organisations and local authorities to provide clear, consistent information to parents.

‘Detailed guidance on preparing for the start of term was agreed by the Education Recovery Group, which includes trades unions, teachers’ representatives, parent bodies and local authorities.’

‘Authorities have work to do in reassuring parents’ ‘Guidance contradictions and shortcomings’