School reopening in Scotland has been set on 11th August. The study at home policy will be a challenge for many parents whose jobs are essential.
Scotland education secretary John Swinney has called for employers to be flexible enough to allow their employees to be able to help their children to study at home. As the country eases the lockdown restrictions and starts reopening the economy, the country will take step by step measures to reopen schools.
If the cases subside substantially in the next few months and the economy is able to be reopened safely, Scotland has outlined that the schools will reopen on August 11th. Swinney has said there is a possibility that the reopening will be virtual schooling which will involve guidance from parents as students study at home.
However, a hybrid system that combines both online learning and face to face learning is also being considered. The plan that allows students and parents to work at home is not yet clear and this may leave a lot of parents at a disadvantage.
Employers in Scotland urged to consider parents
The government has not addressed instances such as if a parent works of the National Health Service (NHS). This means they can not work from home, as their services are essentials. It also means their children will not be able to receive the required care.
The Scottish government has also not come up with a concrete plan to address this problem. Swinney indicated that it will be up to employers to decide what they will do if such an instance arises when schools finally reopen. However, he urged them to be considerate and flexible in allowing parents to spend time with their children doing homeschooling.
Swinney said they were in constant communication with economy secretary Fiona Hyslop discussing the matter about parents being allowed to stay at home and help with their children’s education. He said they were aiming at a solution that would allow the economy and education to reopen and work harmoniously.
Swinney commended the contact tracing team which had helped greatly in reducing the spread of the virus in the country. The 600 trace and isolate (TTI) team has played a significant role in curbing the spread of the virus in the country.
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