A teaching union is warning against an “overhasty” return to classrooms as schools prepare to welcome back more pupils next week.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gave the green light to more of the region’s schoolchildren returning to classes
from March 15 unless new evidence forces a rethink.
Pupils in primaries four to seven will be allowed back for the first time this year, as will students in fourth, fifth and sixth years.
The remaining secondary pupils will return full-time after the Easter holidays – although they will spend some time in classes before then.
The move follows the return of kids in primaries one, two and three two weeks ago, with a limited return of senior students who needed to be in school to complete course work.
Jim Halfpenny, of the West Dunbartonshire EIS branch, said the impact of the younger primary pupils being back at school should be assessed before any final decisions are made.
He said: “Teachers are obviously eager to see young people returning to classrooms. They are also very clear that this must be done safely.
“The impact of the return of P1 to P3 needs to be assessed before final decisions are taken on next steps.
“An overhasty return of all pupils to the classroom setting could put at risk the progress that has been made in reducing rates of Covid infection during the lockdown period.”
He said opening schools so close to Easter also presented challenges for staff, adding: “The First Minister has set out a desire for schools to develop a timetable model for the two weeks before Easter with the intention of abandoning it post- Easter, with absolutely no cognisance of the workload pressures which that will create for already exhausted school staff, including teachers who will be focusing on providing additional support to students in the senior phase, currently working towards qualifications under a completely new assessment model.”
He also raised concerns over physical distancing once schools return full-time.
He said: “Worryingly, the announcement by the Scottish Government of a planned full return to schools after Easter would suggest that physical distancing requirements currently in place for senior phase students may be removed despite the scientific evidence of the need for this mitigation. This will place those young people and their teachers at significant additional risk of contracting Covid in the run-in to qualifications and, frankly, seems a reckless approach to be considering.”
West Dunbartonshire council leader Jonathan McColl has previously expressed his wish for local authorities to be given control over the return of pupils.
However, he welcomed the phased return, commenting: “I met with EIS and other trade union reps with the chief executive last week and reaffirmed my position that individual councils are best placed to decide when and where it is safe for pupils to return, but the Scottish Government is clear that they wish to keep control of those decisions for the foreseeable future.
“That said, as infection levels continue to fall and with the excellent work carried out by management, frontline staff and trade unions to make out schools as safe as possible, I am confident that the current plans are suitable and it is appropriate to reopen in a phased way.
“As I confirmed to the trade unions, if we see an issue beginning to develop in any establishment, the council still has the power to take action to close a school where we believe it is necessary for health and safety reasons and we will act swiftly to do so where appropriate.
“Parents and staff should be confident in the measures that have been put in place to mitigate the risks and that we have plans in place to avoid the closure option, but it remains an option of last resort should the situation justify it.”
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