Councillors in Edinburgh will pay tribute to HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh in a specially convened online meeting on Friday, the the day before the Duke’s funeral.
The meeting, to be held virtually and broadcast live on the City of Edinburgh Council’s webcast channel, will take place at 10am.
The sole item for debate on the agenda is a motion put forward by Lord Provost Frank Ross, Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, which states:
Death of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh – Motion by the Lord Provost
“On behalf of this Council, and the citizens of Edinburgh, I want to offer my deep condolences to Her Majesty The Queen and Members of the Royal Family on news of the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
“Made Duke of Edinburgh on the day of his wedding to Princess Elizabeth in 1947, His Royal Highness has made an immense contribution to the civic life and international reputation of Edinburgh throughout an extraordinary life of public service.
“He demonstrated great appreciation of and support for Scotland’s Capital City and its citizens. Quite simply, he took the name of our Capital across the world and put Edinburgh on the map in so many ways.
“Our strong relationship with the Duke was consolidated at a very early stage when he was presented with the Freedom of the City in March 1949, in recognition of his distinguished role and effort in supporting Edinburgh.
“In 1953, the year of the Coronation, the Duke was appointed Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh and held this position for nearly 60 years until 2010.
“His Royal Highness’s great interest in the benefits of education and belief in opportunities to transform young people’s lives was also reflected in the setting up of the inspirational Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme in 1956.
“We know of course that The Duke himself had, following a life of public service, retired finally from his official Royal duties in 2017, aged 96.
“It was particularly significant therefore that the Depute Lord Provost Councillor Joan Griffiths and I had the pleasure of welcoming both The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh to the Opening of the new Queensferry Crossing on the Edinburgh side of the new Bridge on 4 September 2017.
“This was indeed the last time that the Duke undertook a formal engagement in the City and a highly significant one at that, enhancing transport links and economic development opportunities across the Firth of Forth and the East of Scotland.
“His Royal Highness remained Patron, President or member of some 30 Edinburgh-based organisations and won a special place in the hearts of local people.
“It has been my privilege and honour to serve as Lord Lieutenant for Edinburgh a city where Prince Philip’s legacy will be outstanding and enduring.
“This Council and this City are in mourning today.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the Royal Family at this very difficult time.”
The Council opened a virtual book of condolence on Friday 9 April after Buckingham Palace announced that the Duke of Edinburgh had died, aged 99. Hundreds of comments have already been submitted from all over the world.
Flags at the City Chambers will continue to be flown at half-mast during the period of national mourning.
Voters are being encouraged to check they are on the electoral roll with just over three weeks until the Scottish Parliament Election.
As campaigns get underway and interest in the forthcoming vote begins to mount (Eh? – Ed.), residents are being reminded that they must be registered in order to have their say on Thursday 6 May.
Anyone aged 16 and over including foreign citizens can register to vote in this election.
While most people who registered to vote in the last UK Parliamentary General Election will still be eligible to take part in the Scottish Parliament Election in May, first time voters or anyone who has since moved house will need to make sure they are on the electoral roll ahead of the registration deadline on Monday 19 April.
Nominations for Holyrood candidates closed on Wednesday 31 March. The full list of candidates and parties standing in Edinburgh’s six constituencies and the Lothian region is available on the Council website.
Andrew Kerr, Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for the Edinburgh constituencies and the Lothian Region, said: “This is the final week to make sure you’re registered to have your say on 6 May. No matter where you were born, if you’re aged 16 or over and you live in Scotland you can vote in the Scottish Parliament Election.
“We are keen to continue the enthusiasm demonstrated by voters during the UK Parliamentary Election in 2019 and even our recent by-election in Craigentinny/Duddingston when we had the same range of safety measures in place. Anyone unsure about how to register or where to vote can find more information on the Council website.”
On polling day there will be additional hygiene and distancing measures at polling places to keep voters and staff safe.
These include a fresh pencil for each voter, protective screens for polling staff, one-way systems in some venues and limits to the number of voters in polling places at any time.
“Covid is in retreat in Scotland” – FM Nicola Sturgeon
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at St Andrew’s House today (Tuesday 13 April 2021):
“Lastly, I want to set out, as I indicated earlier, a change to our existing plans.
We have always said we will keep plans under review and accelerate the lifting of restrictions if possible.
Indeed, we are legally obliged not to keep any restrictions in place for longer than they are needed.
Now, it’s important to stress that the improved data, and I’m sure the CMO will underline this, does not allow us to throw caution to the wind – certainly not if we are sensible – but it does give us a bit of limited headroom.
So we have considered whether we can bring forward any changes that will particularly boost mental health and wellbeing. So we focused really on trying as far as possible to give families more opportunities to get together earlier than was planned.
In particular, we have looked at travel within Scotland to see friends and family, albeit outdoors.
At the moment, we cannot leave our own local authority areas except for an essential purpose.
That rule was due to remain in place until the 26 April.
But the data allows us to make a change to this earlier than that.
So, from Friday this week – 16 April – we will all be able to travel anywhere within Scotland for the purposes of outdoor socialising, recreation, or informal exercise.We are also able to relax the rules for meeting people outdoors, again from Friday.
At the moment, a maximum of four adults from two households are permitted to meet outdoors.
From Friday onwards, that will change to a maximum of six adults, from up to six households. So that’s quite a significant relaxation of that outdoor meeting limit.
So in summary from the end of this week, you will be able to meet up with family and friends who live in different parts of the country. Many of those reunions will be long-awaited, and much anticipated.
But please do remember that meetings at this stage, probably until the middle of May, meetings must still be outdoors – not inside our own homes.
And I would aske everyone to please be careful and remember that due to physical distancing, public transport capacity remains relatively limited.
And remember also that travel restrictions for wider purposes – such as leisure, shopping, visiting hospitality premises or staying in tourist accommodation – will remain until 26 April when these places will re-open and all travel restrictions within Scotland will be lifted.
I can also confirm today that we do expect to lift restrictions on travel to and from England and Wales on 26 April – something which I know will be welcomed by many, and perhaps in particular by businesses in our tourism sector.
Now it may still be necessary in future to have temporary travel restrictions to and from places with high rates of Covid.
We will be very serious about mitigating any risk of importing the virus, and particularly new variants of the virus, into Scotland, so we may see some limited travel restrictions in future either within Scotland or between Scotland and other parts of the UK.
But from 26 April, we intend that people in Scotland will be able to travel anywhere across Britain.
Northern Ireland is due to review its restrictions later this week – so we will review our approach to travel there before 26 April and we hope that that can be freed up to.
And travel restrictions to and from other parts of the common travel area – including the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands – will also be kept under review.
We also hope to be able to agree rules for international travel on a four nations basis.
I should stress however, and I know this is difficult, that international travel does remain a significant risk – particularly given the acceleration of spread that we are seeing in many other parts of the world and given the possibility and reality of new variants of the virus being imported into Scotland.
It may be the case that we have to endure restrictions on international travel for a bit longer, as the price we pay for much greater normality here in Scotland.
I know that’s not easy and often when we talk about international travel we talk about holidays, but I’m very well aware that for many people international travel is about seeing families, so we will not keep these restriction in place for any longer than necessary, but it is important right now to protect our progress here so we don’t make the mistakes we perhaps made as we came out of lookdown last time and open up international travel too quickly and then compromise and jeopardise the progress that we have made.
However, back to the positive, from Friday – we will be able to travel more freely within Scotland, and to meet up in larger groups outside.
A week later, on 26 April, the retail and hospitality sectors will reopen.
And then, as the summer progresses, we do expect to see a return to much greater normality.
All of that is positive news. It’s a testament to the success of the vaccination programme, and more importantly it’s down to the sacrifices all of us have made up until now.
I know how tough that has been and how tough it still is, but it is those sacrifices that now make possible the easing of restrictions that lie ahead of us.
But the final point I need to make really relates to that one. It is the truth and the continuing reality that the best way to keep on making progress out of lockdown, is to continue to keep cases low.
Covid is in retreat in Scotland, no doubt about that, but it hasn’t gone away and it won’t simply magically go away. It will come back if we allow it to come back.
So we must still exercise care and caution because we want our progress this time, even if it as not as fast as we want it to be, to be firmly in one direction.
That means continuing to stick to the rules that are in place.
In particular, for now, please don’t meet up with other households in your or their homes. We hope that can be eased from the middle of May.
Continue to work from home if you can for now.
And on any occasion when you do leave the house, and this becomes more important as we start to ease restrictions, remember all of the basis rules:
wear face coverings;
avoid places that are busy; so this weekend if you decide to travel a bit further to see a group of friends or family, if you go to somewhere that’s crowded, come away and go somewhere else.
remember to clean hands;
use two metre distancing
and self-isolate and get a test if you have symptoms.
As i said, these precautions become more important as we open up.
One final point I just want to clarify, which I should have said earlier on the move to six people from six households outdoors, is that of course doesn’t include children under 12. They don’t count towards that limit.
If we all continue to do the right thing, do the sensible thing, enjoy responsibly these easing of restrictions, then there is every reason for us now to be really optimistic that we are on the right track.
So let me end by thanking you again for everything you have done to make all of that possible.
Council Leaders have welcomed the Scottish Government’s latest COVID-19 update, and the easing of some restrictions earlier than expected.
Council Leader Adam McVey said: “I know people across the city will be extremely pleased with the First Minister’s latest COVID update, as am I. So many residents will now be able to visit loved ones in other parts of the country, who they may not have seen for many months, or to gather with more friends and families outdoors, which I know will have such a positive impact on everyone’s wellbeing.
“We’ve all worked so hard over the winter to stick to restrictions, and I know many businesses have had to make real sacrifices to help limit the spread of this virus, so once again I want to thank everyone for their efforts to protect one another during this most challenging of years.
“Of course, with infection rates dropping and an ongoing rapid roll-out of vaccinations, there is much to be hopeful about as we stay on-track in our recovery from the pandemic.
“But, while some of our freedoms are gradually being returned, there’s no room for complacency. There are still rules in place, for good reason, and we must continue to observe these with care if we are to return to the normality that we’ve missed so much, sooner rather than later.
Depute Leader Cammy Day said: Today’s news is to be welcomed and recognises the real need for us to be able to spend more time with family and friends, something I know we have all felt the lack of over recent months.
“Lifting of travel restrictions from England and Wales later this month is also a really positive step for all those missing relatives and friends around the country and will be a huge benefit to all the hospitality businesses and accommodation providers who are looking forward to welcoming visitors back.
“Now, we need to set our sights on recovering safely and sustainably. Though the latest update gives us reason to be optimistic, and will allow us to enjoy spring with one another, we still need to work together to get through this.
“By following the guidance in place around physical distancing, meeting outdoors and continuing good hygiene – as well as looking after our parks and outdoor spaces when we do gather – we can emerge from this healthy and happy.”
The Scottish Government is following a timetable for easing restrictions – indicative dates and further information can be found on their website.
It has been a year like no other. A year when all our services within the Council like everything else had to adapt quickly and decisively. And for many, it completely changed the way they lived and worked (writes Culture and Communities Convener CLLR DONALD WILSON).
You could pick any area of service but I want to highlight the work of our Museum & Galleries service and how the team went virtual, creating online versions of exhibitions, digital lectures, podcasts and coming up with educational programmes that parents and teachers could use at home.
Before Covid-19 our Museums and Galleries had begun to integrate digital platforms, but we’ve seen this evolution accelerated by the pandemic. It’s been a challenging process but our curators and staff have really risen to that challenge.
Of course, we weren’t completely digital for the year and were able to reopen the City Art Centre from mid- September to just before Christmas, and in that time 4 new exhibitions were installed and proved popular with visitors.
Our museums team have engaged really well with schools, with officers running live, weekly art sessions with primary schools to support at home learning. These art sessions are inspired by paintings from the City Art Centre as well as our Edinburgh museum collections such as the Museum of Childhood and encourage children to discuss artworks and objects and to get creative by taking part at home.
The service also delivered an impressive 74 events digitally that would have been run in one of our venues. A series of digital lectures covering topics from Addressing the Legacy of Slavery and Ghosts of Edinburgh Women Who Chose to Challenge for International Women’s Day were watched by over 6000 people.
They were also able to do digital versions of diverse events such as visually impaired tours, BSL signed tours as well as dance, music and choir streams bringing people together from home.
There are also now three City Art Centre digital exhibitions; The City Art Centre is 40 featuring highlights form the collection; Front of House Staff where members of the team selected their favourites form the collection and Edinburgh: Our City featuring paintings of the Capital.
Our online services have been embraced and this is very encouraging as we plan for our service post-pandemic.
When lockdown is lifted and we have access to the ‘real’ and no longer have to make do with the ‘virtual’, I think there is opportunity for a balance between the two. We certainly can’t wait to welcome visitors back but we’ve seen that our digital space can be special in it’s own right and can reach even wider audiences.
Last month it was announced that Museum & Galleries Edinburgh will receive a total of £55,125 from Museums Galleries Scotland’s COVID-19 Development Fund to help create the service’s first Digital Engagement Strategy – supporting and building on the work done during the pandemic to keep connected with local communities and virtual visitors from across the world.
During lockdown, our digital channels have been the primary way we’ve been able to engage with our audiences. Although forced into this situation by the pandemic, we have seen the many benefits and long-term opportunities for this work and are excited to explore what we can do going forward. This has been down to the hard work and dedication of our wonderful Museums and Galleries staff , of whom we are very proud.
This article first appeared in the Edinburgh Evening News
Councillor Adam McVey has outlined the action plan being put in place to prevent repeats of recent anti-social behaviour in the Meadows.
Council Leader Adam McVey said: “Following the appalling scenes at the Meadows last weekend we’ve been working closely with colleagues in Police Scotland to address the issues and put in place an action plan that will drive home the message that this anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated.
“It’s not just about preventing a repeat of what we saw last weekend but also tackling the various issues recently reported in the park and neighbouring streets. Everyone should remember that it’s currently illegal under the Coronavirus regulations to drink alcohol in public spaces.
“This weekend and over the coming weeks there will be additional patrols by our Park Rangers and Street and Environment Enforcement Officers who will hand out black bags, give advice on litter management and if necessary issue fines. There will also be increased presence of police officers and the Council’s CCTV resources to ensure the safety of everyone enjoying the park.
“It’s important that everybody takes responsibility for their behaviour in our parks and considers fellow visitors to the park and neighbouring residents. Our parks have been hugely important to residents of the city throughout the last year and continue to be. We’re determined that the actions of a reckless minority will not spoil it for the majority and through our action plan we’ll ensure the Meadows can be enjoyed safely.”
Council actions include:
The Council CCTV van will be deployed over the course of the weekend to provide a visible deterrent to any anti-social behaviour and to assist in gathering evidence if required.
Mobile CCTV cameras will be deployed to hotspots for street urination and defecation, with signs in place to warn against this behaviour.
The public toilets will continue to remain open until 8pm over the course of the weekend
Park Rangers and Street and Environment Enforcement Officers will be patrolling the Meadows to hand out black bags and advice on litter management. In addition, enforcement action will be taken (in the form of Fixed Penalty Notices) where littering offences are witnessed.
There will be increased street cleansing teams in the Meadows to carry out more regular litter picking. Regular inspections of the litter bins will take place throughout the day and additional emptying will take place if required.
After three years of planning, community-led Bruntsfield St. Oswald’s took ownership of the historic church and hall known as St. Oswald’s from the City of Edinburgh Council on 31 March.
The B-listed building on Montpelier Park was left vacant in February 2018 when Boroughmuir High School relocated to its canal-side site. The purchase was enabled under the Community Empowerment Act 2015 and supported by a generous grant from the Scottish Land Fund.
David Urch, Chair of Bruntsfield St. Oswald’s, said: “We are delighted to have brought St. Oswald’s into community ownership and would like to thank all our members and supporters, the Scottish Land Fund, the Community Ownership Support Service as well as the City of Edinburgh Council for making this possible.
“Our work now turns to transforming this historic building over the next year into a vibrant place for children, their families and our wider community to participate in a broad range of activities and events.”
Councillor Rob Munn, Finance and Resources Convener, the City of Edinburgh Council said: “As we start to move out of lockdown, it’s really encouraging to see fantastic projects like this going ahead.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the building brought back to life when it opens, filled with local families, the elderly and carers being offered valuable services in their local community.
“It’s so important that we give local people a say on the facilities they need for their area and this is one of four community asset transfers which are taking place over the next few weeks. Well done to the local people for making this much-needed project happen.”
The building is expected to open to the public in 2022 after a period of extensive refurbishment.
Work towards the reopening of Dean Path and Damside Bridge will begin next month, the City of Edinburgh Council has confirmed. The path and bridge have been closed since early 2016 following a landslip.
It is estimated that the construction work on Dean Path will take approximately 26 weeks which will see a completion date around the end of October 2021.
Repair work for the nearby Damside Bridge is also scheduled to begin next month.
Works will include:
Clearance of debris and vegetation on the slope
Repair and reinstatement of the footpath located along the Water of Leith affected by the land slip
Remedial landscaping
Installation of external drainage
Culture and Communities Convener Cllr Donald Wilson said: “The ongoing pandemic has had a great impact on the construction work necessary for the re-opening of the Dean Path.
“We are delighted to be moving forward with the project and that work will begin shortly. Its restoration will return a key section of our off-road paths network which I know will be welcomed by the many people who enjoy using it – including myself for running!”
Culture and Communities Vice Convener Cllr Amy McNeese-Mechan said: “It’s fantastic to see this project progressing, which will see a key route restored to the area, benefiting walkers, runners and cyclists.
“As the works on the path and bridge get underway, I want to take the opportunity to remind those nearby to take workers’ safety into consideration when passing the site. Please remember to stick to the ongoing guidance to keep us all safe.”
From Sunday (11 April), Sunday afternoon parking controls will be in place in the city centre (zones 1-4).
These apply every Sunday from 12.30pm to 6.30pm:
all parking places, loading places and single yellow lines in zones 1 to 4 inclusive
all greenway (red line) stopping restrictions, parking places and/or loading places in zones 1 to 4 inclusive
Parking charges and permit controls will apply in all parking places where existing controls are in place on Monday to Saturday.
The usual weekday and Saturday restrictions still apply.
Any existing 24-hour restrictions or parking places, such as double yellow lines, disabled parking places or car club parking places will be unaffected and will continue to operate in the same way.
Why introduce controlled parking?
On Sundays the city centre can be as busy as any other day, but with far fewer parking controls. Managing parking
helps buses and other transport move through the city centre effectively and safely
improves access to the city centre for residents and visitors alike
provides a safer environment for anyone walking, wheeling or cycling.
Issues from not having parking controls include:
congestion caused by cars parked on kerbs, leading to delays to public transport and general traffic
fewer loading opportunities causing delivery problems for shops and businesses
difficulty for pedestrians crossing roads or at places where vehicles park on the footway
difficulty for people with mobility impairments, both those who rely on public transport (access to bus stops is often impeded) and car users (a blue badge confers no meaningful advantage when parking is unrestricted and available spaces are far fewer)
poorer conditions for cycling, with almost all on-road cycle facilities rendered unusable by parked cars
free parking on a first come first served basis means that people commuting by car, for example to work in city centre shops, can occupy street space that could be more effectively used by visitors / customers
no reserved space for residents
Use the city council’s address search or interactive map to find out about Controlled Parking Zones and Priority Parking Areas in Edinburgh.
Sunday parking restrictions in Zones 1 to 4 were approved in February 2020 by the Transport and Environment Committee.
The City of Edinburgh Council and its partner Novoville are proud to announce the release of Novoville Shared Repairs, a new app dedicated to improving the condition of property in co-ownership in Edinburgh, and all of Scotland.
Born out of the Scottish Government’s CivTech Accelerator programme, Novoville’s Shared Repairs helps private homeowners carry out the maintenance and repairs of shared (common) areas in their tenement, or housing block. The often lengthy and onerous common repairs process can be managed from the app from start to finish.
The free Novoville app, which is available on Google Play and the App Store, allows users to create their ‘virtual tenement’ and report a repair or maintenance issue to fellow proprietors. Then, app users can hire contractors that are members of Edinburgh’s Trusted Trader scheme. Receiving quotes and recording of votes is also fully supported.
Steve Richardson, Director of Scotland Trusted Trader, said: “This is going to be a massive benefit for those looking to organise shared repairs, backed up with the reassurance that Trading Standards vetted members are being used from Edinburgh Trusted Trader.
In order to further expedite the payment process and simplify the process, Novoville Shared Repairs allows app users to create a dedicated e-money account for their tenement with FCA-regulated partner, Modulr. It is no longer necessary to create a traditional treasurer account with a bank or building society in order to gather funds and pay them out to the chosen contractor.
The app is designed to help users carry out repairs in compliance with the Tenement Management Scheme of the Tenements Act (Scotland) 2004. Furthermore, it speeds up decision-making, eliminates much of the complexity and friction associated with coming to an agreement amongst owners, and increases transparency between all participants.
Before the official launch, nearly 50 stairs in Edinburgh have already created their ‘virtual tenement’ in-app through word-of-mouth alone.
Commenting on the app’s release, Fotis Talantzis, CEO of Novoville said: “We are proud to support one of the UK’s greatest architectural assets, the built environment in Edinburgh, with our Shared Repairs app.
“The CivTech programme where it all started was a tremendous experience, and we are very happy that the City of Edinburgh Council decided to continue to support and fund the project afterwards. We have got tons of ideas to take it from there and we’re looking forward to continuing to work with Edinburgh, for Edinburgh and Scotland at large.”
Cllr Rob Munn, Convener of the Finance and Resources Committee at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “A tremendous amount of work has gone into producing this app and it’s fantastic news that it’s now available for people to use.
“There are around 170,000 tenement flats and other shared buildings with multiple owners in Edinburgh and a lot of these buildings are still in need of urgent repair. This app will make it much easier for owners to get together and take responsibility for their buildings.
“I’d like to thank our staff for recognising the need for this product and rising to the challenge using the Civtech Challenge to produce this innovative app with Novoville.”
Joan Griffiths, Vice Convener of the Finance and Resources Committee at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “As a city we’re already leading the way in this area and our Shared Repairs Team is doing a fantastic job supporting people who live in shared buildings helping them through the steps they need to take to carry out repairs to their properties properly.
“We’re a member of the Parliamentary Working Group looking at the issue nationally and I’m sure there will be interest in the app outside Edinburg as well.”
Nearly all pupils will return to full-time school when the Easter holidays end. However, children who are on the shielding list are advised to stay at home until 26 April, in line with advice from the Chief Medical Officer. All other pupils, will return to school once the summer term starts.
Strict 2 metre physical distancing between pupils in secondary schools will be removed and schools will consider how they can strengthen other mitigations.
Following the national expansion of lateral flow testing, twice-weekly tests are available for all school staff in primary, secondary and special schools and for secondary school pupils.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “This I know, will be a huge relief to many children and young people – and of course to many parents and carers.
“I know though that the return to school, particularly for older pupils, will cause concern and anxiety – to pupils, to parents and of course to teachers and others who work in schools. So let me give an assurance that we will continue to give paramount consideration to safety.
“The return to school will involve the removal, where necessary, of strict 2m physical distancing between pupils in secondary schools – but we are asking schools to consider how they strengthen other mitigations. Twice-weekly lateral flow testing is already available for all school staff, in primary, secondary and special schools and also for all secondary school pupils and I would encourage as many staff and pupils as possible to make use that testing.
“We will, of course, continue to study and assess the data, in order to quickly identify and limit any outbreaks that do arise, and make sure that we are also learning from them. For now, let me thank everyone who is working to make this return to school possible. For many teachers and school staff, I know, this has been the hardest year of your professional lives. I am very grateful for the way in which you have adapted to such difficult circumstances.”
Edinburgh’s education leaders have welcomed confirmation from the Scottish Government that schools will fully reopen in Edinburgh on Tuesday 20 April.
All pupils will be back in school on that day except for those shielding who are advised to return on Monday 26 April, in line with the advice of the Chief Medical Officer.
Cllr Ian Perry, Education, Children and Families Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This is the news that families of our high school pupils have been looking forward to hearing and it’s great that they have confirmation their children will be back in school full time after the Easter holidays.
“There’s been excellent home learning involving our young people, teaching staff and parents taking place but everyone knows there’s no better place for children than being back in school with their peers and learning face to face.”
Cllr Alison Dickie, Education, Children and Families Vice Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: I’m delighted that our young people will be back in school after the school holidays.
“These are really challenging times for many families and it’s so important for children’s learning and development that they’re back in school where they belong.
“We will make sure our schools continue to be safe learning and teaching environments for all our young people and staff by following the latest health advice.”
The First Minister’s confirmation that there will be a full pupil return post-Easter is of little surprise but the EIS continues to urge great caution.
The removal of physical distancing between pupils, particularly older pupils, represents a heightened risk that more pupils will be infected and the larger numbers in classrooms also creates more risk of airborne transmission, which is why face coverings remain important, including the provision of medical grade face masks for staff.
Whilst some Councils have made progress in relation to monitoring and improving ventilation, others have dragged their heels.
EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “The full return of pupils needs to be treated with great caution. It will undoubtedly lead to an increase in school Covid outbreaks which will require to be dealt with quickly, particularly for senior pupils who will be in the final stages of their qualification work.
“If we had made more progress on the EIS demands of ventilation, vaccination, and facemasks, we would be in a stronger position. Improving such mitigations is still possible.
“Notwithstanding their concerns, however, teachers will be keen to engage positively with pupils to support their well-being and their progress in learning. There will be a particular challenge for senior pupils as lockdown has squeezed the time available for the alternative certification model.”
