New research has revealed the favourite cuisines of 15 UK cities.
Chinese food is the overall UK favourite after being named the most popular cuisine in Glasgow, Newcastle, Belfast and Plymouth.
239,000 additional searches for Chinese food recipes in April 2020, as lockdown Brits cook their favourite meals at home.
A new study has revealed the favourite global cuisines in 15 major cities in the UK.
The research, conducted by meal kit delivery company HelloFresh, has looked at the search demand for different cuisines in cities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland across a 12 month period.
Of the 15 cities analysed, Chinese food is the most popular in four cities — Glasgow, Newcastle, Belfast and Plymouth — making it the UK’s overall favourite cuisine.
Keen to make their favourite meals at home, chow mein is one of Britain’s best-loved Chinese dishes. On average, there are 5,900 searches for chow mein recipes and 4,400 for chicken chow mein recipes each month.
Italian food is the favourite cuisine in Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield, securing second place in the overall rankings.
Lasagne is Britain’s best loved Italian dish, with 70,000 people searching for a recipe each month. Other classic Italian dishes followed in second and third place, with 54,000 searches for pizza dough recipes and 31,000 searches for spaghetti bolognese recipes.
Mexican, Indian and Japanese food were tied in third place, with each a favourite in two UK cities. Edinburgh and Bristol residents like Mexican food best, while Cardiff and Portsmouth prefer Indian cuisine. People in London and Manchester were found to favour Japanese food.
Mexican dips are the most popular to make at home; in an average month, 42,000 people browse for guacamole recipes online while 21,000 look for salsa recipes.
Chicken curry is the most searched for Indian dish at 23,000 times per month. With 9,700 searches, chicken tikka masala is the curry Brits crave most, while 10,000 people look for how to make a rice-based biryani dish each month.
Of the top three Japanese dishes that Brits want to make at home, 17,000 people search for ramen recipes each month, followed by 4,100 people looking for sushi recipes and 3,600 who want miso soup recipes.
The research also examined where different cuisines are most popular in the UK, including locations outside of the 15 major cities. The district of Hambleton in North Yorkshire likes Italian cuisine the most out of the whole of the UK, while the London Borough of Hounslow has the most fans of Indian cuisine.
With restaurants temporarily closing in lockdown, the number of Brits looking for recipes online skyrocketed in April 2020 compared to April 2019, as people attempted to make their favourite meals at home. In a single month, there were 239,000 additional searches for Chinese recipes, while Spanish recipes and Indian recipes were up 120,000 and 97,000 respectively.
Speaking of the data, HelloFresh commented: “It’s great to see that a range of global cuisines are so popular in the UK and that a growing number of Brits are cooking their favourite dishes at home.
“Lockdown changed the pace of life for many of us, giving us more time to explore our hobbies and interests. For some, this has meant spending more time in the kitchen, developing skills that we can benefit from long after the lockdown has ended.”
View the map in full and find more information about which recipes are most in-demand here.
Pupils whose results were downgraded by the SQA are to receive new grades based solely on teacher estimates.
The SQA’s alternative certification model was put in place after exams were cancelled due to coronavirus (COVID-19). After listening to the concerns of affected young people, parents and teachers over the last week, Ministers are directing the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) to re-issue downgraded awards solely on the basis of teacher judgement, without reference to historical patterns.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney today apologised to the 75,000 young people whose estimated mark was reduced by the SQA and said that the downgraded awards risked ‘young people, particularly from working class backgrounds may lose faith in education and form the view that no matter how hard you work, the system is against you.’
As a result:
Where a teacher estimate was adjusted down by the SQA, candidates will receive the grade the teacher awarded
Candidates whose entries were adjusted up by the SQA will retain the higher grade
The SQA will inform schools of the revised results by Friday 21 August for schools to tell pupils. New certificates will be issued in due course.
The SQA will provide new grades to UCAS and other college and university admissions bodies, and the Scottish Government will ensure enough places at colleges and universities so that all places awarded to young people can be taken up
In order to learn lessons and plan for next year:
Ministers have asked Professor Mark Priestley of Stirling University to conduct an independent review of the events following the cancellation of the examination diet and make recommendations for the coming year. This will initially report within five weeks.
The OECD’s ongoing independent review of Curriculum for Excellence will be asked to include recommendations on how to transform Scotland’s approach to assessment and qualifications, based on global best practice.
Mr Swinney said: “These are exceptional times, and in exceptional times truly difficult decisions are made. In speaking directly to the young people affected by the downgrading of awards – the seventy-five thousand pupils whose teacher estimates were higher than their final award – I want to say this: I am sorry.
“I have listened and the message is clear. They don’t just want an apology, they want to see this fixed and that is exactly what I will now do. To resolve this issue all downgraded awards will be withdrawn. I am directing the SQA to re-issue those awards based solely on teacher or lecturer judgement.
“We now accept that the risk of undermining the value of qualifications is outweighed by a concern that young people, particularly from working class backgrounds, may lose faith in education and form the view that no matter how hard you work, the system is against you. Education is the route out of poverty for young people in deprived communities and we cannot risk allowing that view to take hold.
“The SQA will issue fresh certificates to affected candidates as soon as possible and, importantly, will inform UCAS and other admission bodies of the new grades as soon as practical in the coming days to allow for applications to college and university to be progressed.
“I would like to thank all of Scotland’s children, young people and adult learners for the incredible resilience they have shown throughout the COVID-19 epidemic. We are immensely proud of all that they have achieved. I hope that our pupils now move forward confidently to their next step in education, employment or training with the qualifications that teachers or lecturers have judged were deserved.
“We will look to learn lessons from the process to awarding qualifications this year that will help to inform any future actions. An Independent Review, led by Professor Mark Priestly of Stirling University, will look at events following the cancellation of the examination diet and given the urgency, I have asked for an initial report with recommendations on how we should go forward this coming year within five weeks.”
Mr Swinney faces a vote of No Confidence in parliament on Thursday.
Read Education Secretary John Swinney’s statement to Parliament
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ‘unwavering commitment to strengthen and sustain the United Kingdom’ took a step forward yesterday with the completion of Queen Elizabeth House, the new UK Government flagship hub in Edinburgh city centre.
The hub will house nearly 3,000 civil servants from 11 departments, to deliver a bigger, better and more coordinated service to people and businesses.
The seven-storey, 190,000 square feet, ultra-modern office space, located near Waverley Station in the heart of the capital, is now officially complete and ready for occupation.
This follows on from the official key handover ceremony on 13th June 2019 when the building contractor, Artisan, completed the physical building works, prior to the internal fitting out work commencing.
HMRC has delivered the project. Construction was completed last year and the internal fitting out has now been finished.
The completion was marked by a visit from the Scottish Secretary, Alister Jack. He was joined on a tour of the facility, which includes Scotland’s first dedicated UK Government Cabinet meeting room, by UK Government Ministers for Scotland David Duguid and Iain Stewart as well the Advocate General for Scotland, Lord Keen.
Mr Jack said: “Less than three weeks ago the Prime Minister came to Scotland to reaffirm his unwavering commitment to strengthening the United Kingdom and the completion of Queen Elizabeth House is a further visible and tangible sign of the UK Government delivering on this.
“As we look forward to ensuring our economy can bounce back after coronavirus, and making the most of new global opportunities outside the EU, the case for the Union has never been stronger. It was exciting to tour the completed building and I very much look forward to seeing the UK Government’s expanded and more co-ordinated presence in Scotland deliver even better services for people and businesses.”
The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland (OSSS) and the Office of the Advocate General, will be joined in the hub by other UK Government departments and bodies including HMRC, HM Treasury, Cabinet Office, the Office for Statistics Regulation, the Information Commissioner’s Office, and the Government Actuary’s Department. Additional UK government departments are expected to confirm occupancy in the coming months.
The OSSS continues to work with partners to ensure the building is fully occupied as quickly as possible once COVID-19 conditions allow.
Work is also underway on a Glasgow Hub. The Edinburgh and Glasgow Hubs are ‘a key part of the UK Government’s commitment to delivering excellent public services for people in Scotland, building a strong civil service outside London and leading the way in regional regeneration.’
Just Festival, Edinburgh’s social justice and human rights festival, is set to deliver a carefully curated hybrid of online and live events to celebrate 20th Anniversary.
The free to attend programme will run online and at St. John’s Church, Princes Street from 16th – 23rd August.
Helen Trew, who was recently appointed as the Festival Director for Just Festival, said: “Just Festival has been an important part of the Fringe for many years and, when I took over, I hadn’t expected it to be under the strange and unusual circumstances we all find ourselves in!
“We’d like to extend a special thanks to Helen Foord, CEO of ELE Global and Just Festival Board Member, who has gone above and beyond, volunteering her skill sets to support the delivery of this programme. Her skills and knowledge have been invaluable, and her energy has been amazing.”
ELE Global have volunteered their services to Just Festival, supporting them with all of their digital communications, project management, social media and event promotion.
Helen Foord, CEO of ELE Global, commented: “The Just Festival is an event very close to my heart, and directly linked with our own business values, as it works to challenge perceptions, celebrate differences and encourage dialogue on the key issues of our time.
“During these uncertain times, it’s never been more important for us to unite and support one another, so I have been delighted to offer my team, to help.”
The online programme, based on the theme of ‘transformations’, will draw together a programme of digital events accessible online via Zoom. These virtual events will create an important space for dialogue and platforms for engagement in local, national and international questions of social justice, equality and identity, both from the religious and non-religious perspectives.
The live element of the festival will take place at Cornerstone Centre, St. John’s Church on Princes Street from 18th – 22nd August. Stan’s Cafe will bring the internationally acclaimed ‘Of All The People In All The World’ back to Edinburgh.
In this simple performance installation, artists build small and large mounds of rice representing the political and social realities in the world: one grain of rice for the Queen, twelve grains for people who have walked on the moon, a pile for teachers in the UK, a heap for millionaires in Europe, and a mountain for people fleeing from war and disaster.
Visitors are invited to put their questions and suggestions to the artists, ensuring an ever-changing rice landscape. By making normally abstract statistics tangible and placing them in thoughtful relation to each other, this powerful work of art is witty, shocking and ultimately moving.
Helen Trew concludes, “Despite all of the logistical challenges and physical social distancing restrictions, we decided to carry on and rethink our programme in a way that would best maintain the unique spirit of the Just Festival and create the space for people to gather online to discuss those issues that most affect our lives today with our fantastic range of eclectic and expert panellists.
“This year has brought serious difficulties to our lives, and we are mindful of the insecurity left by the lockdown for many people. As a result, we have decided not to charge for our events however, if you are able, we would appreciate your support through our donation scheme on registration which will enable the Just Festival charity to sustain its work.”
The Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) and CCLA has opened nominations for the 2020 Cllr Awards. The Cllr Awards are the only national awards ceremony to celebrate the achievements of individual councillors across Scotland.
Since 2018, LGIU Scotland and CCLA have been honouring the hard work of councillors that so often goes unrecognised. The Award categories celebrate the varied work of councillors. New categories for 2020 include Covid-19 Hero and Collaborative Working alongside the coveted Champion for Education, Leader of the Year and New Councillor of the Year awards.
Nominations are now officially open until 18 September with the shortlist due to be unveiled in the middle of October. Nominations can be made by anyone who would like to recognise a councillor doing outstanding work for their community.
“The winners will be decided by a panel of judges composed of senior councillors and officers as well as leading stakeholders from across the sector. This year’s ceremony will take place at the end of November. Due to the ongoing health crisis, it will be held virtually with winners announced on the night.
This year’s awards are made possible thanks to the generous support of founding partners CCLA.
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive of LGIU Scotland, said: “Now, more than ever, we need to honour the unsung heroes of local government who are working tirelessly to keep the country afloat during the pandemic.
“This is why we are proud to once again open nominations for this year’s Cllr Awards. It has never been more important that we take the time to recognise the vital work of our councillors.
“We want to hear from as many members of the public, councillors and local leaders as possible about the individuals who are making a real difference in your communities.
“We are always overwhelmed by the quality and quantity of the nominations we receive each year. However, we know that this year’s Awards will shine a light on the highest calibre of nominations yet.”
Scotland’s future workforce will be at the heart of rebuilding the economy following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said.
Announcing £10 million for a range of measures to recruit and retain apprentices, including additional funding for the Scottish Government’s Adopt an Apprentice programme, Ms Hyslop said the funding would help modern and graduate apprentices who are facing redundancy as a result of COVID-19 get back into work.
Ms Hyslop (above) said: “The young people who will make up our future workforce are among those who have been hardest hit by this pandemic. As such, it is crucial that we support them and ensure they are at the heart of our economic recovery from COVID-19.
“This targeted funding will extend the reach of our support for apprentices, including our Adopt an Apprentice programme. Combined with our commitment of at least £50 million for youth employment and the Youth Guarantee, we will ensure no one is left behind.
“Apprenticeships are not only valuable for our young people, they are a key way for all employers to invest in their workforce, and provide the skills the economy needs both now and in the future.
“Our focus is on protecting jobs, creating jobs, ensuring quality jobs and supporting skilled jobs. By taking this action to protect and support skilled jobs now, we will rebuild a stronger, fairer and greener future for Scotland.”
Frank Mitchell, Chair of Skills Development Scotland, said: “This welcome announcement underlines the importance of apprentices to the Scottish economy and the crucial role they will play in supporting individuals and businesses in the recovery from COVID-19.
“We will continue to liaise with the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board and other employer organisations on the development and delivery of employer incentives and subsidies. SDS is also fully engaged with the work Sandy Begbie is leading on the development of a jobs guarantee for young people in order to maximise the use of all available incentives towards the retention and recruitment of apprentices.”
Further immediate investment to support economic recovery from COVID-19 was set out last week by the Scottish Government, with additional funding for workforce training and digital technology announced.
The Flexible Workforce Development Fund, which helps employers upskill and reskill their existing workforce through college courses, will be increased from £10 million to £20 million.
Meanwhile a further £1.5 million will be invested into the Digital Boost programme – almost trebling the capacity of the initiative for the remainder of this financial year.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack visited Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in Redford Barracks yesterday.
The factory makes five million poppies and 15,000 wreaths every year to raise funds for Poppyscotland’s veteran support services. During lockdown the factory staff worked from home, continuing to make poppies for this year’s Scottish Poppy Appeal.
Mr Jack met factory manager Major Charlie Pelling (retired) and many of the former service men and women who work in the factory.
Speaking after his visit, Alister Jack said: “It was a real privilege to visit Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory and meet the former service men and women who produce the famous poppies.
“It was heartening to hear how hard they had all worked to make sure that production continued right through lockdown. Every year Poppyscotland raises much needed money for veterans charities, and I wish them the very best of luck with this year’s appeal.
Charlie Pelling, Manager at Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory, said: “The lockdown has been a very challenging period for us but it is a testament to the professionalism and commitment of our workforce that they adapted to home working so enthusiastically.
“In doing so that have ensured that the millions of poppies needed for the 2020 Scottish Poppy Appeal would be ready in time. While we expect this year’s Appeal to be different due to the ongoing pandemic, it is vital that we continue to have the support of the public, without which Poppyscotland would not be able to continue offering it’s life-changing support to our Armed Forces community.”
Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory, a subsidiary of Poppyscotland, is currently located in Redford Barracks while their permanent premises in Canonmills are refurbished.
Poppyscotland raises money through the annual Scottish Poppy Appeal to deliver support to members of the armed forces community. The charity funds services in advice, employment, housing, mental health, mobility and respite.
Local DJ Jim Henderson – aka DJ Edinburgh – handed over a cheque for £900 to Drylaw Rainbow Club Day Centre’s Jacke Brown yesterday.
Jim staged a ‘Live Aid 2020’ event last month to support the Rainbow Club, who are part of an area-wide network of local organisations who are supporting our community’s most vulnerable people with food parcels and essential supplies during the coronavirus pandemic.
ForeverEdinburgh encourages residents and visitors to share what they love about Edinburgh and invites them back into the city
Campaign is a joint initiative from Edinburgh Tourism Action Group, City of Edinburgh Council and industry partners
Tourism and hospitality industry is one of the worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic
A new initiative to support Edinburgh’s hard-hit tourism and hospitality industry has gone live. The ForeverEdinburgh campaign has been developed by the Edinburgh Tourism Action Group (ETAG), working closely with the City of Edinburgh Council and industry partners from across the sector, including hoteliers, visitor attractions, bars and restaurants, events and festivals and transport.
The campaign aims to maintain Edinburgh’s position as the UK’s top visitor destination outside of London, attracting over 4 million visitors a year and employing 34,000 of the city’s 513,000 residents. Its launch follows the recent relaxation of lockdown restrictions for many parts of the tourism and hospitality sector which has allowed businesses to reopen over the last month.
Edinburgh’s tourism sector has gone from strength to strength in recent years but has seen a very dramatic reversal of fortunes recently. It was only a few short months ago that the key challenge was how to address the concerns around over tourism in the city.
However, the impact of the COVID19 pandemic has hit the city particularly hard and while the relaxation of lockdown rules has seen a boom in staycations in more rural parts of Scotland, visitors remain cautious about visiting city locations and key draws to the city, such as major events, festivals and business conferences have had to be cancelled.
The ForeverEdinburgh initiative aims to ‘inform and inspire’ residents and visitors alike, giving them the confidence to come into the city by communicating the new safety measures in place right across the city, ensuring people feel prepared and reassured.
A new website soon to be launched, will provide information to help people plan their visit responsibly as well as recommend things to see and do and, for those from further afield, where to stay.
Edinburgh residents and visitors will be invited to share what they love most about Edinburgh using #ForeverEdinburgh. From local walks and cycle routes to favourite restaurants or the best place to get a cappuccino, ForeverEdinburgh will inspire people to get into the city again, whether that’s to revisit an old gem or discover a new one.
Local businesses are encouraged to engage with the ForeverEdinburgh campaign and be part of a united, city-wide movement with increased visibility and social engagement through #ForeverEdinburgh.
A digital toolkit with flexible campaign assets designed for easy integration with existing brand and marketing collateral will be available to download at www.etag.org.uk.
Donald Emslie, Chair of ETAG, said: “The impact of COVID-19 and the implications for the tourism sector in Edinburgh are unlike anything we have experienced before. It was clear from the very early days of the crisis that Edinburgh’s tourism sector was going to be particularly hard hit, putting many jobs and businesses at risk.
“It was also clear that a new approach to promoting the city’s tourism offer would be required, making public health issues the top priority to ensure the safety of residents, visitors and those working in the industry.
“A key challenge is also the rapidly changing situation, so rather than create a traditional tourism marketing campaign, the #foreveredinburgh initiative is designed to ‘inform and inspire’ people and importantly create a platform which tourism businesses of all types and sizes can be part of.
“ETAG recently surveyed the city’s tourism sector and this demonstrated that their collective social media reach is over 3 million followers, so working together and harnessing this huge resource to promote the city creates a very strong voice for the city.
“ForeverEdinburgh will also encourage residents and visitors themselves to share what they love about the city, creating a genuine ‘Team Edinburgh’ effort to support the many jobs and businesses that rely on visitor income and contribute to the wider city economy, and so we are hoping as many people as possible will get behind the Forever Edinburgh campaign.”
Adam McVey, Leader of City of Edinburgh Council said: “There is no underestimating how important tourism and hospitality is to Edinburgh, whether that’s in terms of our city’s economy, local businesses and jobs or our residents’ wellbeing and enjoyment.
“We’re lucky to have such an incredibly vibrant and varied offering at our fingertips – in part driven by the high levels of visitors that our beautiful city attracts – and we need to act urgently to provide support to our local businesses and help build the industry back to be as sustainable and resilient as possible.
“At the same time, we have to carefully balance this support with ensuring that Edinburgers can enjoy these businesses safely and without compromising their own health or that of others.
“Like all of our recovery efforts, we’re taking a Team Edinburgh approach to backing and implementing the campaign and we’re confident that by working together we can encourage Edinburgers to rediscover parts of their city safely and fall in love with it all over again. We’ll not only see the buzz that we’ve missed so much return to our streets, we’ll also see a positive impact on our local high streets across the city to boost local business and help protect jobs.”
The ForeverEdinburgh campaign has been created in partnership with Edinburgh-based The Lane Agency, who have an award-winning track record with high-profile destination campaigns across Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Chris Bruce, Director of The Lane Agency, said: “We’ve worked on City of Edinburgh campaigns in the past, however this one was more poignant and important than ever.
“We’ve all experienced eerily silent offices and shops and share a desire to see Edinburgh safely returning to the vibrant, buzzing city we know. It has been a privilege working on a campaign that will reintroduce the city to its residents and visitors.”
Elaine Green, Edinburgh Capital Group, commented: “Edinburgh Capital Group members are delighted to cement their role as reasons to visit Edinburgh by being part of Team Edinburgh’s #ForeverEdinburgh campaign and hope it will encourage locals to get to know their beautiful city better and the array of attractions, tours and events it has to offer.
“Our members are all certified by the UK-wide ‘We’re Good to Go’ scheme and ready to welcome visitors.”
Neil Ellis, Chair Edinburgh Hotels Association, said: “The Edinburgh Hotels Association as a #ForeverEdinburgh partner, is grateful to ETAG for spearheading on this very much welcome and needed campaign for our amazing capital city. Our members stand ready, as they always have, to safely welcome guests from near and far for that no doubt, well-earned city break.
Lyndsay Wilkie, Director, Business Development at The University of Edinburgh who run three hotels and multiple venues across the City, said: “Edinburgh’s tourism and hospitality industry has always been so vibrant and something we are all proud of, which is why it makes it so hard to see the City’s hotels, venues and restaurants so quiet at what would normally be our busiest time of the year.
“That’s why we are delighted to be partnering with ETAG, City of Edinburgh Council and other key industry partners on the #ForeverEdinburgh campaign, as it’s now more important than ever that we come together to showcase what Edinburgh has to offer.
“I know how much energy we’ve put into making our hotels and venues safe for our guests and delegates, and we are lucky that our City has so much green and open space for our visitors to enjoy, this campaign will help us all to tell this story and give confidence to our guests of the future.”
The ForeverEdinburgh campaign is jointly funded by City of Edinburgh Council, ETAG and industry partners. The core objectives of the initiative are to maintain Edinburgh’s position as a top visitor destination, to drive footfall in a safe and responsible way, and ultimately safeguard jobs and businesses right across the city’s tourism and hospitality industry.
TWO surveys by Scotland’s biggest teaching unions have highlighted teachers’ concerns as children return to school this week:
A major study conducted by the EIS, Scotland’s largest teaching union, has confirmed that the majority of teachers retain serious concerns about COVID-19 safety measures ahead of the return of pupils to schools from today.
A total of 29,867 teachers took part in the survey. The clear message from the results is that, while teachers support the decision to reopen schools, they remain unconvinced that sufficient measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of pupils, staff and the wider school community.
Key data from the final survey results includes:
A total of 29,867 teachers completed the survey from its launch on Tuesday 4 August to the morning of Monday 10 August – the largest survey return we have ever had – with 60% expressing support for the decision to reopen schools but a similar figure, 66%, expressing anxiety and a lack of confidence that sufficient mitigations would be in place.
Only 1 in 5 expressed confidence that schools are currently safe – indicating that much more needs to be done to reassure staff that schools are safe to work in.
53% expressed a lack of confidence that an established capacity to test, trace and isolate is in place to support a safe return, with only 28% of teachers being ‘confident or very confident’ of this.
72% of teachers indicated support for the testing for asymptomatic members of staff to help supress the spread of COVID.
63% expressed support for the mandatory wearing of face coverings by senior pupils in classrooms.
65% indicated that enhanced cleaning regimes would make them feel safer in schools.
Commenting on the findings, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said yesterday: “These findings issue a stark warning to local authorities and the Scottish Government ahead of pupils returning to schools from tomorrow.”
“Our survey findings confirm that, even as they return to schools across the country today, Scotland’s teachers are extremely concerned about the risks associated with potential COVID-19 infection in schools.
“This worry will be particularly acute for the significant percentage of teachers identified as being in an ‘at risk’ category (16% of respondents), as well as those living with a family member who is in a high-risk group.
“There is significant concern amongst all teachers on issues such as the large number of pupils in each class, inability to maintain social distancing, and the need for the wearing of face coverings to ensure safety in some circumstances. These concerns grow more acute based on the age of pupils being taught, with secondary teachers expressing a particularly high level of concern over the potential risks of teaching young adults for long periods of time in an enclosed classroom environment.”
Mr Flanagan continued: “The EIS has consistently said that we support the principle of re-opening schools so that teachers can, once again, offer their full support in a classroom setting for pupils. But we have also been consistent in the demand that schools can only re-open to pupils if this is managed in a way that can assure the safety of those pupils, staff and the wider community.
“The very clear message from these findings is that teachers are far from convinced that all necessary steps have been put in place by the Scottish Government and local authorities to make schools safe. This must be addressed now, with pupils returning this week.”
Mr Flanagan concluded, “The EIS will be sharing the results of our survey with local authorities and the Scottish Government, and continuing talks at national and local level to seek resolutions to the concerns raised by our members.
“It is in everyone’s interests for solutions to be found, to ensure that our schools can operate safely as pupils return to the classroom this week.”
A majority of teachers are returning to schools this week without knowing what safety measures their schools are taking to deal with Coronavirus, an NASUWT survey of Scottish teachers has found.
Teachers have been given little or no time to prepare for the return of their pupils and have in many cases not been given basic information about what measures will be in place to ensure the health and safety of staff and pupils.
The majority (67%) of teachers responding to the NASUWT survey do not feel prepared to return to their school/college and the vast majority (87%) feel anxious about returning to their school when it is reopened to all pupils.
The NASUWT survey found teachers in Scotland have not been given assurances on social distancing or the provision of PPE. The survey also highlighted major concerns around the lack of consultation with teachers, especially staff who are at greatest risk from contracting Coronavirus.
A majority of teachers (57%) had not been informed of new arrangements for their school for Monday/Tuesday and the majority (60%) were not consulted on any arrangements for opening and also a majority (65%) were not consulted on risk assessments.
For those who were in extremely vulnerable groups or had characteristics for whom coronavirus would have a disproportionate effect, (69%) had not had any contact from their employer regarding their individual risk assessment.
NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach said: “Teachers need to be given the same level of protection as employees in any other workplaces.
“Our survey has highlighted that teachers have not been given assurances that even basic hygiene measures to help supress the virus, such as paper towels and soap and hot water, will be made available to them. This is deeply concerning and must be addressed immediately.
“We have also heard from many cases teachers who have not been told about the safety measures that will be in place to help prevent virus spread.
“The Scottish Government and school employers have a duty to listen to and address teachers safety concerns and take urgent action to ensure that schools reopen safely this term.”
Jane Peckham, NASUWT National Official Scotland, said: “The fact that almost half of teachers have told us they don’t feel their school will be a safe environment for pupils to return to should be a major cause for concern.
“The majority of teachers tell us they are anxious about returning but assurances about routine testing in schools and rigorous monitoring systems for Coronavirus will help provide reassurance that everything that can be done to keep schools safe is being done.
“School leaders and staff have been working phenomenally hard in very difficult and uncertain circumstances to ensure that they can safely reopen and many pupils and staff are looking forward to returning to school and college.
“But ministers and school employers must do more to reassure parents and the schools workforce that everything is being done to minimise transmission of the virus and that rigourous safety measures and procedures are in place should any outbreaks occur.”
COSLA PRAISES HEROIC EFFORT AS SCHOOLS PREPARE TO REOPEN
COSLA’s Children and Young People Spokesperson, Councillor Stephen McCabe, and Resources Spokesperson, Councillor Gail Macgregor, said: “As schools across Scotland prepare to welcome pupils back this week, we would like to pay tribute to our school staff teams – cleaners, janitors, catering staff, teachers, support staff and youth workers – their response during the COVID-19 pandemic has been nothing short of heroic.
“They have continued to work quickly and effectively in unprecedented circumstances to support and guide children through home learning, whilst striving to ensure pupils could return to their classrooms in safe and timely manner.
“This has been no easy task, and we thank them for their unwavering efforts and dedication during the most challenging of times over the past five months.
“We’d also like to take this opportunity to recognise the support and patience from parents and carers as we all navigated uncertain times following the closure of schools back in March.
“And lastly, to our children and young people – we have continued to be impressed by your resilience and we are sure your teachers are incredibly proud of your attitude and efforts through this pandemic.
“We hope you enjoy returning to your classrooms with your friends and settle back into the routine quickly.”
Edinburgh’s children begin the return to school tomorrow with a phased return to begin on Wednesday 12 August, with all pupils back full-time from Monday 17 August. There are in-service days on Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th (today).
