Aberdeen is pressing ahead with plans to open schools next week despite the news that the city is going back into lockdown.
First minister Nicola Sturgeon, announcing the lockdown measures this afternoon after a surge of cases in the city, said that opening schools was a greater priority than keeping open other settings, such as pubs and restaurants.
“If it’s a choice between hospitality and schools, we choose schools,” the first minister said at her daily coronavirus briefing today.
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Some pupils are due back in Aberdeen schools a week today, 12 August, with a full return planned from Monday 17 August.
When asked about the implications of the lockdown measures she had just announced, Ms Sturgeon said she wanted Aberdeen City Council’s plans for reopening schools to “continue as planned”.
She added: “And don’t underestimate the factor here in the decisions we’ve taken today, which is about protecting the ability of schools to return.
“This is about being more precautionary elsewhere, in order that we stamp on transmission so that children’s return to school is not compromised.”
The first minister added: “I’ve said for the past few weeks that getting children back to school is the priority, and this I’m afraid is the hard edge of what that means in practice when we’re facing increased transmission.”
Ms Sturgeon cited comments from the children’s commissioner in England, Anne Longfield, who “summed it up well” this morning when she said that schools must come first in any planning for future Covid-19 lockdowns and should be the last places to be locked down.
The first minister said: “If it is a choice between hospitality and schools, we are choosing schools right now.
“And that is because we know that it is in the interests and for the wellbeing of young people to get them back into education.
“So this [lockdown announcement] is about protecting that, not having that compromised, which may happen if we were not to take really decisive action.”
On BBC News at One;
- @NicolaSturgeon imposes significant restrictions on Aberdeen, saying schools the priority
- Children’s Commissioner for England urges similar approach. Labour agrees
- UK ministers say they will take local action too
- Nick Eardley (@nickeardleybbc) August 5, 2020
The Aberdeen-based Press and Journal newspaper reported this morning that the first pupils to return to the city’s schools classrooms will do so a week today, Wednesday 12 August, although council leaders warned that a local spike in Covid-19 cases could prevent a full return if staff numbers are impacted.
They said they were “confident” about implementing measures to ensure a safe return.
Full-time schooling is expected to begin the following Monday, 17 August, one day before the deadline set by the Scottish government for all pupils in Scotland to be back at school.
First Minister announces partial lockdown in Aberdeen because of spike in coronavirus cases. All pubs, bars and restaurants will shut from 5pm. No household meetings allowed, 5 mile limit on travel outside city for social, entertainment and leisure. To be reviewed in 7 days. pic.twitter.com/kfvui3IO4S
- Donald J MacDonald (@DJMacDSTV) August 5, 2020
