SCHOOLS are expected to remain closed until after the summer break to help tackle the Covid-19 outbreak, according to Scotland's Education Secretary.
John Swinney was speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Scotland radio programme when he revealed will be shut until at least that period is over.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, previously said she could not "promise" they would be able to reopen before that time.
Swinney said that schools will remain closed for the foreseeable future, which is expected to be until at least the summer break is over.
He added: "What I can say is that for the foreseeable future schools will be closed.
"We have taken no decisions to reopen schools and, as we said back in March, we expect them to be closed until at least the summer break.
READ MORE: Sturgeon: Closing schools is 'most difficult decision' so far
"We are seeing the progress that is being made on slowing up the coronavirus just now, but that's on the basis that only one in every 200 children are in schools today.
"The minute we say more people can be in that school, we are acknowledging that the risk of the spread of coronavirus rises and we can't afford to take that risk."
Swinney also responded to concerns the lockdown would worsen the poverty attainment gap.
He told the broadcaster that devices such as laptops would be able to be shared more widely and they could use money to tackle the attainment gap with fewer restrictions.
The deputy first minister said: "What I've said to schools is that they can exercise much greater flexibility over the use of pupil equity funding and the resources that we allocate especially for the Scottish Attainment Challenge."
When asked whether schools could give out devices such as laptops, he added: "Yes they could, or many schools already do that and many schools already provide all young people with devices that enable them to interact with their learning remotely.
"The flexibility we've given to schools, through pupil equity funding and the Scottish Attainment Challenge, enables schools to do exactly that if they judge that to be the right course of action."
The pupil equity funding is allocated directly to schools and targeted at closing the poverty-related attainment gap.
This money is to be spent at the discretion of the headteacher working in partnership with their local authority, and is part of the £750 million Attainment Scotland Fund.
It comes after the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) published developed guidance to support teachers when awarding pupils' grades this year.
Staff are to use their professional judgment to estimate students' final grades, as examinations were put off due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Swinney said: "The SQA have responded to this entirely unprecedented situation that we face by devising a system that's based on the information provided by teachers, and teachers will have seen the progress that young people will have been making during their education.
"By drawing on the estimates that teachers make of the performance of young people, the SQA will be able to certificate and to deliver the awards that are necessary this year based on the preservation of the standards that are important at the heart of our exam system."
Scotland is in lockdown. Shops are closing and newspaper sales are falling fast. It’s no exaggeration to say that the future of The National is at stake. Please consider supporting us through this with a digital subscription from just £2 for 2 months by following this link: http://www.thenational.scot/subscribe. Thanks – and stay safe.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here