850 extra teachers targeted for reopening of Scottish schools

About 850 extra teachers and 200 additional support staff could be recruited ahead of the reopening of Scottish schools next month.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney - who is also education secretary - told MSPs today that £50 million will be ringfenced to help boost staff numbers in local authorities.

He also pledged £20m to help councils with additional costs of implementing new health protection measures, school transport, enhanced cleaning and other issues associated with welcoming children back to classrooms.

Mr Swinney further confirmed that while distancing will not be required in primary schools, some measures are likely to be introduced in secondaries, where the risk of infection is higher - though only if it does not reduce the capacity of a building.

He says they are also working on guidance where teachers will be encouraged to maintain two-metre distancing rules where possible, but this will not be necessary on dedicated school transport.

A final decision is due to be made on whether to reopen schools next week, but Mr Swinney has come under fire from opposition parties about delays in making that announcement.

Mr Swinney said: "All of the school workforce have a crucial role to play in our education recovery mission, and it is vital that they are supported to do so. The ring-fenced £50m funding to recruit more teachers and support staff will enable schools to intensify support for children and young people as they return to full time face-to-face education and help to mitigate for learning loss. The final numbers will be dependent on the precise mix of staff recruited and the needs of children and young people.

"The £20m funding recognises the extremely valuable work of our school cleaners, facilities management and school transport staff, who are essential to the successful delivery of education in Scotland and to whom I want to pay tribute today.

"I also mentioned in my statement on June 23 that we would be seeking the assistance of the youth work sector in supporting those families and communities who need it most. The sector will receive £3m of investment because it has continued to support and engage children and young people throughout the pandemic, including using digital technology and outreach work to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on children and young people’s mental health, learning and development.

"While this funding should provide local authorities with the assurance they require to progress plans immediately, we will continue to work with Cosla to understand the additional costs associated with the school re-opening guidance that each local authority is facing, and how these can be addressed alongside any loss of learning.

"We are currently developing guidance, with our partners in the ERG, on health mitigations and precautions that will be in place to allow schools to fully re-open in August and a final decision on school re-opening will be announced on July 30."

Jamie Greene MSP, shadow education secretary with the Scottish Conservatives, pressed Mr Swinney on why a decision was not being taken now on schools reopening.

Afterwards he said: "It’s completely unacceptable that, just a few weeks from the supposed reopening, parents still have no certainty over plans.

"Parents are furious and bewildered as to why pubs, restaurants and shops are all open, yet there’s still no final decision on schools.

"John Swinney could easily have provided that much-needed certainty by taking a stand and making a decision on schools already.

"Instead he’s keeping parents, pupils and teachers on tenterhooks by refusing to give the green light until July 30, leaving no time at all to deal with whatever decision is made.

"We also need a cast-iron guarantee from this SNP government that there will be no postcode lottery when it comes to the re-opening of schools in Scotland.

"It is beyond reprehension that children in one part of the country could miss out while others resume their school terms in full."

Scotland's biggest teaching union, EIS, says funding for teachers "is a welcome step".

But he added: "The EIS is clear that more will be needed to ensure that all young people receive the support they require to recover from the impact of the school shutdown and, as well as urging the Scottish Government to consider additional funding, we would encourage local authorities to use some of the flexibility open to them around attainment challenge funding and the pre-allocated monies for the now-suspended expansion of pre-five entitlement to further boost school staffing.

"Being away from the school environment for such a prolonged period will have had a detrimental impact on many young people’s education. Supporting recovery from this traumatic experience must be the top priority for all in Scottish education."

A spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition said: "We welcome the recruitment of new teachers and additional support staff to help cope with the new demands of coronavirus when children return to school next month.

"For those with additional support needs, the impact of returning to school will prove particularly disruptive but we need to go beyond the recruitment of additional support staff alone, which of course helps greatly. What is required is a tailored transition plan so those with ASN get the smoothest possible return to school.

"This requires every teacher or member of staff looking at the individual child, their circumstances and needs and making sure their return to school is as seamless as possible

"That individualised approach might mean going back to school early, having a little more time to figure out what classroom spaces look like or might be about teaching strategies and thinking about how to engage the children."