SCOTLAND’S schools are to remain closed until next month at the earliest, with the Government saying there is “significant uncertainty about the impact of the new variant [of coronavirus] on transmission amongst young people.”
In an emergency session of the Scottish Parliament, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the majority of pupils would now not be due back in the classroom until February 1. Instead, lessons will be delivered remotely.
The delay to opening includes nursery schools, as well as primary and secondary schools. It will apply to all pupils – except vulnerable children, and children of key workers.
“There is no doubt that of all the difficult decisions we have had to take today, this was the most difficult of all,” Sturgeon said.
The First Minister said the Scottish Government were also looking to see if they could fast-track vaccinations to teachers.
Sturgeon told MSPs two factors had convinced ministers to keep schools closed: the overall level of community transmission was too high, and the “significant uncertainty about the impact of the new variant on transmission amongst young people”.
She said: “We therefore have to adopt a cautious approach. So most pupils will be learning online for at least the rest of the month. We will review on 18 January whether they can – as we hope – return to school on February 1.”
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The First Minister said: “Just as the last places we ever want to close are schools and nurseries – so it is the case that schools and nurseries will be the first places we want to re-open as we re-emerge from this latest lockdown. They remain our priority.”
Asked by Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie about the potential for teachers to be vaccinated before the Scottish Government reviews its school closure policy, she said minsters would always follow “clear expert clinical advice about the need to prioritise those who are clinically most at risk of getting ill and dying from this virus”.
This, she added, would include, many teachers – including all those over 50 or who have other health conditions.
“But beyond that, we want to get teachers and school staff generally vaccinated as quickly as possible, but we must make sure we are following the advice about those clinically most in need.
“We will be discussing internally in government with our advisers and with teaching unions and local authorities how we can accelerate that whole process because we understand the central importance of that.”
Responding to the announcement, the EIS general secretary, Larry Flanagan said moving to remote learning was “the correct decision”.
He added: “Whilst the education system is better prepared to deliver education remotely than during the first lockdown, challenges remain and we need to ensure that all pupils, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, can access learning on an equitable basis.”
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