Polar Star - March - May 2024
Tuesday 19 March 2024
 7.2°C   SSE Strong Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Education / Schools expected to reopen in August

Twenty six of Shetland's 28 schools are said to be affected Unison Shetland says. Photo: Chris Cope/Shetland News

MOVES to reopen schools on 11 August subject to the evidence and progress in suppressing the Covid-19 pandemic have been widely welcomed.

In documents published on Thursday, the Scottish Government said it is “planning for children to return to school under a blended model of part-time in-school teaching and part-time in-home learning”.

Public health measures including physical distancing will be in place at all times.

In a route map the Scottish Government has also laid out how it intends to phase its easing of lockdown measures.

As part of the first phase, school staff will be able to return to schools during June.

There will also be an “increased number of children to access critical childcare provision including the re-opening of child minding services and fully outdoor nursery provision”.

The return to school on Tuesday 11 August, five months after they closed on 13 March in response to coronavirus, means an earlier start of the academic year for local pupils who were only due to return from their summer holidays on 19 August.

Education and families committee chairman George Smith.

Chairman of the Shetland Islands Council’s education and families committee George Smith described the route map as “a very useful document”.

“I welcome the route map. Clearly there will be questions around the detail of it, but in terms of how it sets out the phases and addresses the various aspects of life,” he said.

“Assuming things are moving in the right direction there will be an anticipation of staff being back in school during June for preparation of the next phase.

“There has been an encouragement from the Scottish Government of the need to involve people and to work in partnership, and that is welcome.”

First minister Nicola Sturgeon stressed in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday that changes “cannot be set in stone” as alterations will need to be based on the progress of epidemic.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

 

Theblended’ approach to reopening schools mean children will have time in school with their teachers during the school week and also time at home, where they will continue to access remote online and offline learning.

It will reduce the number of pupils in schools as a whole at any one time to ensure the appropriate physical distancing and other safety measures are adhered to.

Director of children’s services Helen Budge said: “We have been provided with a clearer steer and direction for moving forward.

“We will now develop our planning, referring to the national framework and our own unique local circumstances. We will do all this in partnership with school managers, colleagues in transport planning, building services, health and safety and human resources, and in discussion with local unions.”

Smith added: “We are all aiming for the same thing which is getting back to school but only when it is safe to do so.

“And there will be anxieties amongst parents as to what that means, and I want to reassure them that we won’t do anything here in Shetland unless it is risk assessed and thought to be safe.

“Individual parents with anxieties can talk to head teachers and officers at Hayfield House [children’s services] if that is what they want to do, but ultimately folk will gain confidence in terms of being able to send their children back to school once the detail of how that is going to work come to fruition.”

But there will be significant logistical challenges ahead including public transport, social distancing at school, the number of teachers available and pressure on parents.

“We will need to have considerations about the physical distancing in relation how many pupils can go on a dedicated school bus; that in itself will then determine how many pupils can be at school,” Smith said. “We will then have to consider how to balance the continued learning at home with school time.

“Since closing the schools on 13 March the service has been turned upside down in terms of delivering education.”

The education chairman praised pupils, teacher and parents on how they all had risen to the challenge.

“I have been extremely impressed with the response of our teachers, support staff and children and young people. Teachers have adapted very well to new ways of working, upskilling themselves in the online platform Glow and Microsoft Teams to communicate with their pupils.

“Schools are delivering a range of learning activities suited to all the levels and needs of our learners.

“I am very confident that all our staff will rise to the challenge of delivering education in this blended way, ensuring all pupils receive the highest quality education possible.”

The provision of critical childcare and additional support needs hubs established from the outset of the pandemic will continue to support children of key workers, children with complex additional support needs and vulnerable children and families.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.

Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.

Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has  over 600 supporters  who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.

Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -

  • Bring you the headlines as they happen;
  • Stay editorially independent;
  • Give a voice to the community;
  • Grow site traffic further;
  • Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.

 
Categories
Tags

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

We're committed to ensuring everyone has equitable access to impartial, open and quality local journalism that benefits all residents.

By supporting Shetland News, you play a vital role in ensuring we remain a pivotal resource in supporting the community.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.