The action taken by Scottish councils to improve ventilation in schools - seen as key in reducing the spread of coronavirus - has “in the main been very small”, the education secretary has admitted.
Shirley-Anne Somerville told the Scottish Parliament today that there has been “very limited” action taken by councils to improve ventilation in schools and classrooms, beyond repairing windows and removing obstacles “to ensure maximum opening”.
Ms Somerville made her comments after being questioned by Labour’s education spokesperson, Michael Marra, about what the Scottish government’s plans were “for active ventilation in classrooms, now that its inspection programme has been completed”.
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First minister Nicola Sturgeon announced in August that councils were to receive £10 million to invest in carbon dioxide monitors to assess air quality in schools. Ms Sturgeon gave authorities until the October holidays to identify necessary improvements, saying ventilation was “one of the most important ways in which the risk of Covid transmission can be reduced”.
However, responding to Mr Marra in Parliament today, Ms Somerville said councils had reported that “remedial actions have in the main been very small”, including things like “repairing windows or removing obstructions to ensure maximum opening”.
She added: “There have been very limited requirements for any further improvements than those, but where they have been required to be undertaken, they will be undertaken by local authorities.
“Of course, the Scottish government continues to be in close contact with local authorities to ensure that that monitoring is ongoing and that remedial action is undertaken.”
Mr Marra accused the government of failing to take “real action” and said it had spent £10 million of taxpayers money “on alarms to let teachers know when to open the window” - instead of on “the sustainable active ventilation systems we need”.
