FMQs: Nicola Sturgeon vows to 'move heaven and earth' to return schools to normality
The First Minister has been accused of "dithering" over plans to get pupils back full time
Nicola Sturgeon has pledged to get Scotland’s schools back up and running as normally as she can by the time they are due to return in August.
Speaking at First Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon committed to provide the cash needed by councils to ensure social distancing measures can be put in place in schools.
She also said local authorities should be using “creative” ways to restart face-to-face teaching.
Her comments come just hours after she said that, should the suppression of the virus continue over the summer as it is currently, then schools could return “nearer normality” on August 11.
When asked by Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw in Holyrood to “ramp up” testing through the summer to enable schools to open up fully, the First Minister said: “I will move Heaven and Earth with my ministerial colleagues to get this country in every aspect of our lives back to normal as quickly as possible.
“Nothing is more important in all of that than getting our children's education back to normal and of course making sure we put plans in place to allow children to catch up on missed education.
“I take that responsibility very, very seriously indeed.”
The First Minister added it is also her responsibility to make sure “we get through this crisis as safely as possible”.
Mr Carlaw responded: “France, Germany, Denmark and Ireland are moving Heaven and Earth, this Government is not.”
Ms Sturgeon was also asked if the Scottish Government would commit to fund local authorities to find alternative spaces such as in libraries or town halls for face-to-face teaching to take place.
She said: “I absolutely give the commitments that if that involves additional resources to maximise school time, the Government will step in to do that.”
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard also pushed the First Minister on education, asking for a specific route map to be drawn up for the sector.
He said: “We are in an education emergency.”
Mr Leonard said children “do have a right to education'' as he demanded the Scottish Government “pull out all of the stops to make sure our children return to school safely and full time as soon as possible”.
He added: I'm simply asking for a route map.
The First Minister said: “Young people do have a basic human right to an education.
“But I also think children have a basic human right not to be put at risk of a deadly virus and that is what we have to make sure we don't inadvertently do either.””
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