HOLYROOD’S Education Committee must remain on standby over the summer recess to scrutinise plans for children to return to full-time schooling, Labour has said.
The party’s education spokesman Iain Gray said there are “unanswered” questions over the Scottish Government’s proposal to have all pupils back in class full-time from August 11.
He has written to the committee’s convener, the SNP’s Clare Adamson, calling for it to consider how scrutiny can be maintained over Holyrood’s summer break.
Gray’s comments came as a survey of 369 teachers revealed only 28% think it will be safe for students to return to their school or college in August. The NASUWT teaching union research also 19% said they have been told more cleaning staff will be taken on – with 27% reporting teachers and/or pupils are being asked to undertake cleaning.
Overall, almost half (49%) of teachers said they do not feel prepared to return to their school or college in August.
The Scottish Government had initially planned for a “blended learning” model to be in place in August but Education Secretary John Swinney said last week that its ambition is now for pupils to be in school full-time.
Gray said MSPs cannot “justify simply waiting until schools are back to see what preparation has been done”.
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