Renfrewshire youngsters will return to the classroom full time after the summer holidays, it has been confirmed.
Education Secretary John Swinney confirmed all those aged five to 18 would return to full-time learning in a statement to the Scottish Parliament today.
The minister, who outlined last month the Scottish Government’s plans to return to normal schooling, said it was now possible because of the continued suppression of coronavirus.
It is a marked shift from the government’s initial plan for “blended learning”, where children would spend two days at school and the remainder of the week learning from home.
Mr Swinney did however warn that schools would revert to the blended model, now dubbed a “contingency plan” should the number of coronavrius cases in Scotland increase substantially.
He told the MPs sitting at Holyrood that Scotland had made “significant progress” since the blended model was proposed in May.
“There are now only 2,000 infectious people in Scotland - a reduction of around 90 per cent since May,” he said.
“There has been a sustained downward trend in Covid-19 deaths. Intensive care cases now stand at a fraction of what they were.
“If we stay on track, if we all continue to do what is right and if we can further suppress this terrible virus, the government believes that we should prepare children to be able to return to school full-time in August.”
Explaining the move towards full-time schooling was “conditional” on ongoing scientific and health advice, Mr Swinney added: “I must stress that this is the aim that the government is now working towards.”
The announcement means Renfrewshire’s 62 schools will welcome children back in mid August, with teachers currently due to complete two in-service days on August 10 and 11.
