Covid in Scotland: Keeping level 4 schools open 'is vital for pupils' wellbeing'

Students at St Columba's High School, Gourock, wear protective face masks as they head to lessons as the requirement for secondary school pupils to wear face coverings when moving around school comes into effect from today across Scotland.PA Media

John Swinney has defended the decision to keep schools open in areas which are being moved to the toughest level of lockdown restrictions.

The deputy first minister said it was "absolutely central" to the wellbeing of children and young people.

It comes as more than two million people are to be placed in level four of Covid restrictions from Friday.

Non-essential shops, pubs and restaurants will be forced to close in 11 areas across central Scotland.

Scotland's largest teachers' union, the EIS, has called for blended or part-time learning to be introduced to reduce levels of infection.

But Mr Swinney insisted public healthcare evidence showed schools were "not contributing significantly" to increased cases.

He told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: "The number of positive cases amongst pupils represents 0.1% of all pupils.

"So that's why I say the schools are not a significant area of transmission.

"The level for teachers is no different to any other workforce in that category - varying between about 4% to 7%."

Covid-19 in schools

  • The number of pupils not in school for Covid-related reasons has been rising steadily since the half-term break, reaching 30,028 on 11 November (that is about 4.4% of the school population)

  • The vast majority of these pupils are self-isolating, rather than sick with Covid. On 10 November, only 758 were away because they were ill

  • The number of pupils off because their parents kept them at home "contrary to public health guidance" is also rising slowly, reaching 2,811 on 10 November

  • Overall, Covid-related absences tend to be higher in secondary schools

  • The most recent data shows that pupils in S5 and S6 are most likely to be off for Covid-related reasons

  • As at 10 November, 630 school staff were absent with confirmed Covid-19 or with symptoms - and a further 1,985 school staff were absent for other Covid-related reasons. This is from a total school staff of 83,000.

Covid in schools - The evidence

The Scottish Government has published the latest scientific evidence around Covid-19 in schools and nurseries.

The paper says there is "no current direct evidence" that transmission within schools plays a significant role in driving increased rates of infection among children but neither is there evidence to suggest otherwise.

It says it is difficult to separate the risk from infection as a result of behaviour outside school and from in-school contacts.

The paper says that the prevalence of infection only began to increase in school-aged children in Scotland in mid-September.

This coincided with an increase in community prevalence across all ages.

The rate of increase in positive cases seen in school-aged children since late August is lower than in other age groups

The paper also says that positivity rate among teachers is between 3% and 7%, the same as other worker groups.

The latest data shows 86% of young people who are out of school because of Covid reasons were isolating because they were a contact.

Safety concerns

The EIS has asked its members in Scotland if they would consider strike action over Covid school safety concerns.

The union is surveying members on the prospect of industrial action as Covid-related absences hit a new high.

Provisional figures published by the Scottish government show that Covid-related pupil absence levels were at 4.4% on 13 November, with 25,685 pupils away from school.

However, there were 30,028 pupils not in school on 11 November for Covid-related reasons - the highest this figure has been since term started in August.

Face masks

Schools in England - where similar lockdown restrictions are already in place - are continuing as normal.

Mr Swinney said steps had been taken in schools to strengthen the physical distancing and face covering arrangements.

"This is at the heart of our advice that we avoid transmission between adults and pupils - and adults and adults - in our schools.

"We have robust arrangements in place to make sure that is the case but we constantly monitor those to make sure that all of the appropriate measures have been taking place."

Meanwhile, more than 400 pupils at a school in Fife are self-isolating after a number of confirmed Covid-19 cases.

The head teacher of Auchmuty High School in Glenrothes confirmed 10 pupils and six staff have tested positive for the virus and that school attendance is down to 50%.

In an online video, head teacher Alan Pithie said it was challenging time but that no new cases had been confirmed so far this week.

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