Schools in Scotland 'last thing to close' if Omicron variant means more restrictions

Schools in Scotland will be "the last thing we close" if the spread of the omicron variant means tougher restrictions, a senior SNP minister has said.

John Swinney today echoed a plea from Nicola Sturgeon the Scottish Government would do everything it could to keep classrooms open in the coming weeks.

The Deputy First Minister warned the new strain of covid was "galloping" through Scotland with case numbers doubling roughly every two days.

It comes as a teaching union boss called for an early closure of schools for the Christmas holidays to be considered as a way of reducing the spread of omicron.

School pupils have faced massive disruption to their learning due to covid (Getty Images)

Pupils have endured huge disruption to their learning over the last two years thanks to repeated lockdowns.

Swinney said: "We made clear we want to maintain education. That will be the last thing we close, frankly

"We want to maintain schools as young people have suffered so much interruption to their education. So we want to avoid that."

Teaching union boss Larry Flanagan claimed an early schools closure could help "fend off" the worst of an Omicron wave before the festive season.

The EIS general secretary warned more schools may have to close or move to remote learning if they can't be staffed.

"The Scottish Government should consider an early Christmas closure if a firebreak is needed to fend off a new wave," he said yesterday.

Nicola Sturgeon said last week that she would "bust a gut" to keep schools open as normal.

Speaking at a media briefing on Friday, she said: "I can't stand here and say that no class will be disrupted and no school will have periods of disruption - what I'm talking about here is what we had before, which is blanket schools are closed.

"Nobody wants that. I will bust a gut and do whatever - even if people hate me for asking adults to do more than they want to do - to keep schools open in that general sense.

"If some classes are asked to self-isolate as a result of an outbreak, that would serve to ensure the rest of the school can stay open."

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