Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament (Virtual) 23 July 2020
23 Jul 2020 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Progress Towards Reopening Schools
That is one of the issues that I suspect will be an on-going feature of our education system in the period ahead. Coronavirus has not disappeared; cases will still emerge, and it is likely that some young people might have to self-isolate as part of efforts to contain the virus’s spread. There will therefore be an obligation on the education system to make sure that those young people are properly supported in their learning at home, so that they suffer no learning loss in any way.
When the overwhelming majority of young people are physically present at school, one of the priorities for the education system will be to ensure that the needs of all young people are met. In some circumstances, when young people are unable to be physically present because of the constraints of self-isolation, we will have to make sure that their education is properly supported.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine Grahame)
SNP
Good afternoon. The first item of business is a statement by John Swinney to update Parliament on progress towards reopening schools. The cabinet secretary w...
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (John Swinney)
SNP
On 23 June, I confirmed to Parliament that the collective efforts of the people of Scotland to suppress coronavirus had enabled us to bring forward our plans...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
We have around 30 minutes for questions, after which we must move on to the next item of business. Members who wish to ask a question should type “R” in the ...
Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Con)
Con
I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of his statement. Given the progress that we have made in tackling Covid-19, the question that many people st...
John Swinney
SNP
Mr Greene has asked four questions. First of all, the Government has made clear that the planning assumption is to reopen schools full time to all pupils in ...
Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the cabinet secretary for early sight of his statement. Schools are due to open in just over two weeks, yet we still have no final decision, councils...
John Swinney
SNP
Our dialogue with local authorities on the recruitment of teachers is under way. We are setting out to local authorities the financial support that is availa...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I have 13 questioners and 20 minutes for them, so the usual mantra applies: there should be short questions and answers, so that everybody gets their shot.
Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Green)
Green
I am grateful for today’s update from the Deputy First Minister. He has confirmed that the routine testing that the Greens called for will not be offered to ...
John Swinney
SNP
On Mr Greer’s final question, the answer is yes. Risk assessments must be carried out in schools to support the resumption of schooling for young people and ...
Beatrice Wishart (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
It is right to prioritise the health and wellbeing of pupils when schools return, as young people might have experienced trauma during lockdown. However, tea...
John Swinney
SNP
We expect the overwhelming majority of those counsellors to be in place by September 2020. However, because of the disruption of Covid to the recruitment pro...
Gail Ross (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP)
SNP
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John Swinney
SNP
I am afraid that, for obvious reasons, we must proceed cautiously with activities that involve large gatherings, such as whole-school assemblies and choirs. ...
Jamie Halcro Johnston (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
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John Swinney
SNP
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Stuart McMillan (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP)
SNP
I welcome the £20 million that has been allocated to support schools with other costs that they will face as they introduce the new health protection and cle...
John Swinney
SNP
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Daniel Johnson (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab)
Lab
Inaudible.—proportion of the existing teaching workforce will be unable to return for the new school year because of shielding and other coronavirus-related ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Did you manage to get all of that, cabinet secretary?
John Swinney
SNP
I think that I caught most of it, Presiding Officer. As Mr Johnson may have heard in the First Minister’s statement earlier today, we expect that shielding ...
Gillian Martin (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP)
SNP
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John Swinney
SNP
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Alexander Stewart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
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John Swinney
SNP
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Emma Harper (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
What support will be available for pupils who might have to self-isolate for two weeks, to ensure that they do not fall behind with their school work and tha...
John Swinney
SNP
That is one of the issues that I suspect will be an on-going feature of our education system in the period ahead. Coronavirus has not disappeared; cases will...
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
There has been a level of inconsistency in the educational offer across schools, which risks increasing the attainment gap. After the cabinet secretary’s mos...
John Swinney
SNP
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John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)
SNP
I have been contacted by peripatetic teachers, who go around different schools and who have a lot of contact with different teachers and with a range of pupi...