East Dunbartonshire council leaders in plea for schools to remain open

The joint leaders of East Dunbartonshire Council have written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon with a plea to keep schools open.
Council leaders Vaughan Moody (LibDem) and Andrew Polson (Conservative)Council leaders Vaughan Moody (LibDem) and Andrew Polson (Conservative)
Council leaders Vaughan Moody (LibDem) and Andrew Polson (Conservative)

Councillors Vaughan Moody and Andrew Polson sent their letter ahead of the publication of new draft plans for coronavirus restrictions which is due to happen tomorrow (Friday).

The Scottish Government is expected to introduce a new five-tier system with different levels of restrictions applied to different areas based on local infection levels, and if approved by Parliament next week this framework could be implemented from November 2.

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The First Minister has previously stated that the harshest measures under this proposed scheme would be more severe than the English model which prohibits people from socialising with anyone they do not live with.

In their letter to the First Minister, the council leaders express concerns over blended education and digital approaches to learning. They state: “As Joint Leaders of East Dunbartonshire Council, we wish to make the strongest representation to you on  the importance of keeping our schools open to prevent further harm and disadvantage to our children and  young people. 

“It is critical that schools remain open – blended/digital learning cannot and should not replace the wider  benefits of face-to-face teaching and learning. 

“There requires to be a clear case to close schools again as the impact on children and families is high if  schools were to close for an extended period of time. 

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“There would require to be clear evidence of transmission within schools and early years’ centres. Within  East Dunbartonshire, a risk assessment is carried out when there is a positive case. Following Public Health  Scotland Guidance, this is done by the school, supported by officers from Education and Environmental  Health. There have been no cases in East Dunbartonshire, where there has been transmission within the  school or nursery.  

“This Council has implemented a robust risk assessment. This includes the extensive provision of hand  sanitiser in all establishments, enhanced cleaning including day cleaners and physical distancing is  implemented in accordance with the Scottish Government Guidance. All schools have implemented  staggered entry and breaks as an additional mitigation measure. 

“These measures have enabled children to engage in high quality learning in all schools and early years’  centres.  

“The impact of a further extended school closure would be significant in terms of attainment, particularly for  those young people in the Senior Phase, who are studying for National Qualifications.

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“The announcement  that there will be no examination for National 5 requires pupils to undertake assessments. These must be  done within a school environment to ensure the integrity of the qualifications is maintained. Pupils in S5  and S6, who were most impacted last session due to the cancellation of the exam diet, need this time in  school to study for the qualifications next year. This term is a critical time when studying for national  qualifications. 

“Closing the attainment gap has been a key priority and the closure of schools had a significant impact on  children affected by poverty. Their ability to engage in digital learning was less than in more affluent areas.  This was not only due to the lack of a digital device but many did not have suitable conditions to engage in  home learning. 

“There is a programme in place in all schools to address learning loss and to develop digital learning  approaches. If a class or child is required to self-isolate then home learning is provided often using digital  learning. This is for the short time that self-isolation is required but a longer term closure of schools would  impact significantly on children’s attainment as it cannot replace face to face teaching and the engagement  in learning with others in a classroom. 

“The Impact Assessment on the closure of schools showed there was a bigger impact on women, as they  were required to undertake the childcare for children who were not attending school or nursery. It is also  the case that the lockdown had a negative impact on children affected by poverty. The support provided  by schools in terms of health and well-being is significant and this is an important factor that requires to be  taken into account in any decision to close schools. 

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“The risks of closing schools for an extended period of time needs to be weighed against schools remaining  open with the required mitigation measures to make our schools as safe as possible for children and staff. 

“We believe that the mitigation measures are in place to keep our schools open. 

“We believe that our schools must be kept open to ensure that the attainment gap does not widen further,  that our pupils studying for National 5 are allowed to do so, that our Higher and Advanced Higher exams  are not put at risk and that the burden of education is not placed on our parents. “

Speaking on Monday, the First Minister said:  “it is really, really important that we keep schools open as far as we possibly can.

“We know that having schools closed, or even having blended learning is not as good for children as being in school normally so we will strive to keep schools open.”

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