Schools can be a haven for children impacted by virus

It has been over a week since most pupils headed back to classrooms, and already several schools across the country have recorded one or more positive cases of coronavirus in either pupils, staff or people connected to their institutions.

It would be wrong to describe these as school outbreaks, as it’s thought many cases were a result of community transmission, but clearly the focus has been on how safe crowded classrooms are, and whether parents gathering outside school gates without social distancing contributes to community infections.

It’s clear where I am in Edinburgh at least that social distancing is becoming more and more difficult. Pavements are narrow, traffic on the roads appears to have returned to pre-lockdown levels – or perhaps even busier – and people are returning to work.

And the virus is still out there. Look at the clusters linked with bars, house parties, factories and other workplaces.

So, while the reports of new infections may not have arisen from schools themselves, the fact that schools are busy and indoors raises concerns that infections might spread. There is also the possibility that as people see the large gatherings in classrooms as the new normal, they revert to large gatherings outside schools.

What’s more, there have also been concerning reports of families returning from holidays abroad and sending children straight to school when they should have been isolating in quarantine.

What is reassuring, though, is that anywhere that has seen a positive case has been quickly identified and contact tracing has been carried out. This is possible because of levels of testing the Scottish Greens and others have called for, although I’d still like testing to be done more regularly.

I support the calls for caution this week from teaching union the EIS, who wrote to the First Minister asking for more teachers to be recruited and class sizes to be cut. As things stand, senior pupils and teachers are being asked to maintain 2m distance from each other in overcrowded schools where it is impossible.

Teachers are clearly concerned about school safety, so if we are going to prevent a second wave of infections, we need more than a tick-box exercise in advice. Schools need the space and staff to cope, which is one of the reasons I suggested more outdoor learning where possible.

The trade union has also asked for clearer guidance on face coverings. I was glad when the First Minister listened to the evidence and made face coverings mandatory in shops, but the guidance is less clear for schools. Scottish Greens raised this with the First Minister yesterday, and I am pleased that she confirmed the wearing of masks by senior pupils would be considered. It’s clear that this needs to happen quickly.

If, as it seems, physical distancing is simply not possible in our busiest high schools, then we must be looking at other options.

All of these considerations are based on the premise that the return to school is necessary, not just for education outcomes, but for children’s health too.

WE must remember that there are some young people for whom school is the only provider of a regular hot meal. It was encouraging to see half of Scotland’s councils exploit the Eat Out To Help Out scheme to reduce the costs of school lunches, but I’ve been hearing about reduced options at schools which sometimes means hot meals are not being offered. For those children who need this lifeline, that cannot continue into the winter months.

A report from the Children’s Parliament this week showed that lockdown had increased the number of children who said they’d had a more sedentary lifestyle at home.

As well as being a factor in childhood obesity, physical inactivity carries its own health warnings. Without daily walks to school, playing outside and physical education, many children have resorted to spending more time using screens indoors. This can have a direct impact on energy levels and mental health, as well as their social development. Inactivity also carries the potential for long-term problems with health connected to the heart, bones and circulation.

Lockdown has undoubtedly been a distressing time for many. Now more than ever, we need parity between mental and physical health and well funded mental health support services which can cope with a predicted explosion in demand.

As last week highlighted, the pandemic has had a huge impact on our young people. Besides the usual worries about exams, grades and the pressure of schoolwork, they have been hit by isolation and anxiety, along with fears for their loved ones and their own safety.

As we strive to adhere to the guidance that helps suppress the virus, it’s important to remember that we can all play a role in making sure that going to school is as safe as possible.