UNISON Scotland says return to school must be driven by safety not politics

Reacting to Tuesday’s announcement by John Swinney on plans for Scottish schools to return to full-time in August, UNISON’s Scottish Secretary Mike Kirby said: “This is a significant about turn which, given the lack of scientific evidence available at this stage, seems to be driven more by politics than by safety.

“The safety of staff and pupils must be paramount and any return to school must be led by the scientific evidence at that time and be dependent on crucial risk assessments to ensure everyone’s safety.

“Education budgets were already squeezed before the pandemic hit. While the Scottish Government’s pledge of £100m over the next two years to support children with their lost learning is to be welcomed, schools also face increased practical costs to implement the required safety measures. It is vital the Scottish Government steps up and provides local authorities with the additional funding urgently needed to ensure that schools can open safely whenever science shows the time is right.”

Further details are available on the Unison Scotland website:

Return to school must be driven by safety not politics, says UNISON Scotland