FM pledges full-time school as soon as possible
Last updated 15th Jun 2020
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's denying claims that children won't go back to school properly for a year, telling the daily coronavirus briefing the Scottish Government is determined to maximize face to face teaching time.
"Our aim will be to return to normal schooling as quickly as we possibly can, recognising that along the way we must build the confidence of parents, young people and teachers that schools are safe.
"It is absolutely not the case that we are planning for blended learning, with children learning at home for part of the school week, to last a year or anything like it.
"On the contrary, we do not want blended learning to last a single second longer than is absolutely necessary, so we will be working with councils to return schools to normal as quickly as we can.
"We want young people to be back having face-to-face teaching for 100% of the school week as soon as it is feasible.''
The Scottish Government's regular three-weekly reviews of coronvirus restrictions will now include specific consideration of the evidence and data relating to transmission of the virus within schools and young people, she added.
She pledged: "Where that suggests that safety and restrictions can be lifted or eased without putting pupils and teachers at undue risk we will do so.''
Nicola Sturgeon went on to state the Scottish Government would be working with councils to ensure "enhanced support'' is available "for any time that young people do spend learning at home''.
She made clear it was the Government's clear intention'' that exams will go ahead in in 2021.
The First Minister added: We will also be considering carefully how we work to address, mitigate and make up over time any impact of this crisis period on young people's learning.
"Ensuring that our children and young people have the highest quality education and that their life chances are not negatively impacted by what we are all living through right now is of absolutely critical importance.
"I want to give you my personal assurance it is central to my and the whole Government's thinking as we plan and steer this country through our emergence from lockdown.''
No new coronavirus deaths have been reported in Scotland in the last 24 hours, the third time the figure has remained the same since lockdown began.
A total of 2,448 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, no change on Sunday's figure.
The death total previously remained the same on June 7 and June 8.
But the First Minister stressed that deaths are lower at weekends.
A further 29 people have tested positive for the virus and new data means this brings the total number of people testing positive for the virus to 18,030.
There are 870 people in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, a decrease of 94.
Of these patients, 18 were in intensive care, an increase of three.
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