An education chief has warned the two metre social distancing rule makes full time schooling in August “impossible”.
Stephen McCabe, who leads on education for council umbrella body COSLA, also said it was a “fantasy” to believe the school estate could be doubled.
He added that a “blank cheque” would not be sufficient to get round the two metre curb and provide full-time learning.
McCabe issued his stark assessment as the Scottish Government came under increasing pressure from irate parents.
Schools have been closed for three months due to the pandemic and Education Secretary John Swinney has said they will reopen on August 11th.
However, under the 'blended' learning plan, face to face learning may only hit 50% of normal schooling.
Some councils have proposed schools going back one and a half days a week - proposals that have angered the Government.
A key issue is the two metre social distancing rule, which makes it impossible for all pupils to go back in the same building.
It was announced yesterday that the distance would be cut to one metre in Northern Ireland - an announcement that offered hope to parents.
McCabe, the Children and Young People Spokesperson for COSLA, told a Holyrood committee:
“I am convinced that local authorities are doing all they can within the existing resources, and the constraint they operate in, to maximise the amount of face to face learning.”
However, he warned: “I simply don’t think it is realistic, if we maintain two metre social distancing, to get anywhere near 100%.
“And it’s not just about money. It would take incredible resources that I simply don’t think are available.”
“Going to 100% based on 2 metre social distancing I think is impossible”.
SNP MSP Alex Neil told McCabe his grandparents had been offered one and a half days a week, adding that this was “absolutely unacceptable”.
Neil claimed: “That is not blending education. It’s bleeding education.”
In response, McCabe said of the two metre rule: “It’s impossible for us to provide full time education in that constraint.”
McCabe, who leads Inverclyde council, also addressed calls to vastly increase school capacity
“Money in a sense is not the only issue. If the Scottish Government offered councils a blank cheque, and said ‘it doesn’t matter what it costs, go out there and double the school estate, get every single child back to school full time, with face to face learning in August’, based on two metre social distancing, we couldn’t do it."
He repeated: “Can we get young people back, 100%, to face to face learning by August? No, we can’t, within two metre social distancing.”
Asked about the rule relaxation in Northern Ireland, he said:
“We are very much basing our plans on the 2 metre social distancing rule. Until advice from Government changes, our plans won’t change.
“Clearly if that rule was changed it would make it easier to increase the amount of face to face learning, but at this point in time the advice hasn’t changed.”
