First minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she is “very keen” to see younger primary pupils return to schools a week today, on the target date of 22 February .
The Scottish government is due to make an announcement on the return of P1-3 pupils tomorrow. Some secondary students who need to carry out work for practical subjects could also return.
However, any return of pupils from next Monday will depend on the prevalence of the coronavirus.
Also today: ‘Youngest pupils should not return full-time’
Return of pupils to school: Practical subject guidance
Speaking at the Scottish government’s daily coronavirus briefing this afternoon, the first minister said: “We will look at the up-to-date data and take a final decision on that tomorrow, as we always said we would.
“I am very, very, very keen to go ahead with that, if at all possible.”
Coronavirus: Decision on pupils returning to school imminent
She said the Cabinet - which will come to a decision tomorrow morning - would also consider where it was possible to offer an “indicative timetable” for the next groups of pupils who could return to school.
Data showed that efforts to suppress the virus were “going in the right direction”, she said, although the new strain of Covid-19 was declining at a slower rate.
.@Ross_Greer of the Scottish Greens says there is no point in setting out dates for the easing of lockdown. Instead, targeted actions and when they can come in - such as safety measures in schools - is the way forward.
Latest - https://t.co/MaePKWHuWG pic.twitter.com/j5UTBFgUQS
- BBC Scotland News (@BBCScotlandNews) February 15, 2021
The first minister added: “What is really, really important is that [the return of pupils to school is] not then seen as a trigger for people who are currently able to work from home going back to work or parents deciding to meet up with each other more.
“What was often the risk factor around schools is not transmission inside schools, it’s all of the activity that takes place around schools.”
Chief nursing officer Fiona McQueen also said the new coronavirus variant meant there should be extra vigilance when pupils return to school.
The EIS teaching union is calling for the Scottish government to put the brakes on its plans for P1-3 pupils to return full-time from 22 February, saying that a blended learning approach should be taken in order to make social distancing easier.
Safety First - Secondary Schools Reopening
“Secondary teachers need to be confident that the Scottish Government has put in place all measures necessary to keep people safe” @searson_seamus#SafetyFirst #FollowTheGuidance #ProtectLives pic.twitter.com/m4Cr9QioXP
- SSTA (@SSTAtradeunion) February 15, 2021
