Education Secretary John Swinney will bow to pressure by announcing plans for a return to full-time schooling by August
In a major u-turn, Swinney is expected to say schools should prepare to go back on this basis if progress continues to be made in suppressing the virus.
It is understood he will lay out certain conditions for full-time schooling to resume and announce £100m of extra funding for a back-to-school plan.
Swinney recently announced the government’s plan for schools to go back on August 11th.
However, under the ‘blended’ learning model, face to face learning in classrooms would be on a part time basis and some councils have proposed one day a week.
After a revolt by parents, who believed the plans would damage their children’s education, Sturgeon appeared to contradict Swinney by describing part time learning as a contingency.
The confusion deepened after council leader Stephen McCabe, who leads on education for umbrella group COSLA, said blended learning was still the ‘plan.
McCabe added that the two metre social distancing rule made it “impossible” for schools to go back full time in August.
At a statement in Holyrood, Swinney will say that the progress made in suppressing the virus means full-time schooling is now the aim.
He will say blended learning is a “contingency” and refer to a review of the two metre rule now being carried out.
The plan will depend on infection rates, successful use of test and protect, and measures to protect staff and teachers safe.
