Scottish school pupils will be able to return to classrooms on a full-time basis if coronavirus continues to be suppressed, John Swinney has announced.
The Education Secretary told the Scottish Parliament that education facilities will be able to reopen to all pupils from August 11 so long as the spread of the disease “is sufficiently low to provide assurance that we can continue to control the virus”.
Schools have so far been preparing for a blended method of learning, where pupils have a combination of face-to-face teaching in schools and home based work.
It was expected that children and teachers would have to maintain 2 metre distancing, meaning that class sizes would be cut and pupils might only be in school for one or two days a week.
This plane will be the Government’s “contingency” if it is deemed unsafe for schools to reopen without social distancing in August.
Mr Swinney said that progress made suppressing the spread of Covid-19 has allowed the Government to aim for a return to full-time schooling.
He said: “If we stay on track, if we all continue to do what is right, and if we can further suppress this terrible virus, the Government believes that we should prepare for children to be able to return to school full-time in August.
“I must stress, this is the aim that the Government is now working towards.
“However, because it has to be achieved safely, it inevitably remains conditional and dependent upon ongoing scientific and health advice.”
Mr Swinney also announced an extra £100m of funding over the next two years to help those returning to school and make up for learning lost to the lockdown.
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