Scotland's parents told to send their kids to school next week

While primaries and secondaries in a number of local authorities break up on Friday, many pupils, including those in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee are due in class next Monday and Tuesday.

There’s anecdotal evidence that a substantial number of parents - keen to keep down the number of contacts they're exposed to before Christmas - are set to keep their children home.

Earlier this month Education Secretary John Swinney ruled out changing term dates, telling MSPs that being in school "is in the best interests of children".

During Thursday's First Minister's Questions, Nicola Sturgeon was urged to “think again”.

Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie had said Scottish teachers felt “forgotten” and that “little useful learning” would take place next week in any case.

He said: “Yesterday the First Minister tightened advice for Christmas, but is still opting for many schools to stay open for Christmas Eve.

"Teachers are feeling forgotten. I understand the need for pupils not to miss out on yet more education, but the fact is that little useful learning is going to take place in schools next week and if there is then it can be switched online.

"Spreading the virus in schools next week could spread the virus to vulnerable relatives at Christmas, so will the First Minister think again and close schools next week?"

Responding, the First Minister said pupils should have as much time in school as possible.

She said: “When it comes to schools, the most important thing is the education of young people and given that our young people have had a term out of school this year, I think as far as is possible our objective and our priority should be to have children in school for the remainder of the term and to have them in school again as they go back after the Christmas period.

"I think that is important and that does not mean teachers are forgotten or we do not listen to the concerns that teachers have. It is because we listen to those concerns and want to address them that Public Health Scotland has done a lot of analysis in terms of the impact of Covid both on teachers in our schools and pupils in our schools.”

Meanwhile, in some secondary schools, those pupils who do go in are being asked to keep a detailed log of every person they have been within two metres of.

According to TES, parents in Falkirk were told doing so would "assist our partners in the public health team with any contact tracing which may be necessary during the holidays, as a result of your child attending school during the last week of term".

Secondary students will have to keep a "close-contact log" detailed with "the names of all of their close contacts on the way to and from school (including transport), during class, intervals and lunchtimes".

They will be given time to do this in classes and will have to submit their log at the end of each day.

Seamus Searson, general secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association (SSTA), said: "I am surprised that this hasn’t happened before now.

"It should have been introduced when schools came back in August. It would have given the pupils the responsibility to keep themselves safe and take the pandemic seriously. Many pupils feel it is their job to challenge authority and buck the system."

Meanwhile, the NASUWT teaching union is calling for blended learning to be introduced in the areas with the highest levels of Covid when Scotland's schools return in January.

Yesterday, the UK Government announced that there would be a a staggered return to schools in England in January, with some pupils starting classes online.

NASUWT general secretary Patrick Roach called for a similar approach to be taken north of the border.

He said: "It is widely recognised, including by the Scottish government, that the relaxation of the Covid restrictions over Christmas is likely to significantly drive up rates of virus transmission.

"The NASUWT does not accept the statements made [yesterday] by the first minister which seem designed to play down the role of schools in driving virus transmission. We believe there is evidence linking virus transmission to schools and we are concerned that, without further safety measures being put in place in schools, there is the potential to create a 'perfect storm' once schools reopen in January."