A new package of support materials for teachers and staff will embed anti-racism and race equality into all aspects of school life.
Education Scotland’s resource will ensure children and young people see language, content and imagery that reflects the diversity of culture, identities, and experiences, including their own.
This week saw the publication of guidance from anti-racism charity the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights and a teacher toolkit published by Scotdec, one of Scotland’s Development Education Centres, both of which will further support teachers in embedding anti-racism across the curriculum.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Racism of any form has no place in Scotland which is why embedding anti-racism into the ethos and practice of our education system is imperative.
“This new Education Scotland guidance builds on existing resources available and was developed in collaboration with a range of young people, education practitioners and organisations with lived experience of racism and expertise in addressing it.
“Our schools and our curriculum seek to promote and inspire a sense of belonging, inclusion and social justice for learners, practitioners and the wider community. Having an education system that provides an opportunity for anti-racism learning, debate and leadership is crucial in our attempt to eradicate racism in wider society.”
Education Scotland Chief Executive and HMI Chief Inspector of Education Gayle Gorman said : “It is essential that all our children and young people develop an understanding of the world around them and how it has been shaped, as well as an appreciation of the contribution made by people from a range of cultures and identities.
“Our new resource will support the profession to teach and build a society which advances equality and actively rejects and challenges racial discrimination. We hope that our whole-school approach to race equality and anti-racism will help children and young people develop as responsible global citizens.”
The city council is to launch a recruitment drive to boost the Capital’s schools with scores of new permanent teaching and pupil support roles available.
Adverts will go live in the coming weeks offering permanent positions for around 70 teachers and approximately 30 pupil support assistants to work in schools across Edinburgh as the city continues to recover from the pandemic.
Councillor Ian Perry, Education Convener, said: “We know all teaching staff have been under enormous pressure during the pandemic and this extra funding is extremely welcome.
“I’m really pleased to say that we can push forward and use this much needed funding now so anyone interested should look out for our adverts to recruit for around 70 additional teachers and approximately 30 pupil support assistants in permanent roles in the coming weeks.
Councillor Alison Dickie, Education Vice Convener, said: “There’s no greater opportunity than helping to make a direct difference to the lives of our children and young people, and our teachers and pupil support assistants do that every day.
“After what has been the most stressful of times, this is a chance for us to employ more staff to work with our amazing and resilient pupils across Edinburgh, and to support the very best of educational and life outcomes for them.”
The jobs will be advertised through myjobcotland and the Council looks forward to welcoming the new recruits to their new school communities during the 2021/22 academic year.
Targeted funding to recruit 1,000 new teachers and 500 pupil support assistants in the next academic year has been announced today by Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville.
The additional £50 million will support COVID-19 education recovery as schools return to full time face-to-face learning. The announcement meets another commitment for the first 100 days of this government.
In addition, £65.5m permanent funding will be allocated annually to councils from 2022-23, which will help remove barriers to councils employing these additional staff on permanent contracts and meet the local needs of children and young people.
Ms Somerville said: “Our vision for COVID recovery and our priorities for Scottish education remain unchanged. Recruiting more permanent staff will be one of the cornerstones of recovery alongside the health and wellbeing of pupils and staff intensified support for reducing inequity, and enabling the highest quality of learning and teaching.
“The £50 million funding will allow councils to recruit more teachers and pupil support assistants next year. Looking further ahead, the additional £65 million annual funding delivered as part of the local government settlement will support councils to recruit these additional staff on permanent contracts.”
COSLA Spokesperson for Resources Councillor Gail Macgregor said: “This additional baselined funding is a welcome resource as we progress into education recovery. Prioritising the educational, as well as, health and wellbeing needs of our children and young people is essential for us all.
“Having the ability to recruit both teachers and support staff with certainty is one part of how we can ensure Councils can deliver the most effective experience for all.
“We do however, look forward to continuing to work with Government to address broader recruitment and retention needs that supports the delivery of high quality education to all.”
Since the start of the pandemic 2,700 additional teachers and support staff have been recruited through £190 million from the Scottish Government.
The government’s commitment to recruit 3,500 additional teachers and pupil support assistants during this Parliament, including this 100 days commitment, is over and above those already recruited using this funding.
Extended school days should focus on children’s play, socialisation and wellbeing, say educational psychologists
Educational psychologists are urging the government to re-think the way it approaches the so-called ‘catch up’ programme for children in schools, with a focus on play, socialisation and wellbeing as opposed to just adding more hours of lessons to the timetable.
With an extended school day being suggested as part of the Covid recovery plan, members of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Educational and Child Psychology are advocating for a holistic approach to learning within these hours, saying that this is an opportunity to re-set our priorities for our children and their education.
They are also highlighting the need for school to be the heart of the community, with the opportunity of longer school days providing safe spaces for children to play, socialise, and engage in activities such as music, crafts and sports.
Vivian Hill, vice-chair of the DECP said, “If the school day is to be extended, it’s important is that we don’t just fill those extra hours with more and more formal teaching sessions.
“It is about developing a balanced offer and recognising that learning is a dynamic process. We urge the government to use this as an opportunity to re-set the approach we take to education and our children within schools.
“Children don’t have to be sat at desks in a classroom to learn, giving them space to play sports, paint, try different crafts, and socialise will all lead to learning and the development of important life skills.
“We have an opportunity now to re-think what we view as ‘good outcomes’ for children. By having schools as the centre of the community they can be used to help tackle social inequalities and give all children access to the resources and support they need.
“For example, for children who have no safe spaces to play outside at home, having access to the school playground to play football with their friends would be invaluable. For children living in overcrowded accommodation it could give them space to read and do their homework, or find their passion such as music or other forms of art.
“If we create the right environment for our children to thrive, then good academic achievement will be a by-product of this. These plans must be psychologically informed, and children must also be consulted on what they want and what they need to thrive. It is important as well that these services are properly resourced, we cannot expect teachers to just do more and more after an incredibly difficult 15 months.”
‘In too many schools verbal and physical abuse against teachers is going unchallenged’
Violence and verbal abuse of teachers is at risk of becoming normalised in some Scottish schools, teachers are warning, exacerbated by the rise of so-called ‘restorative’ approaches to pupil behaviour management which are eroding teachers’ authority and making them equally culpable for pupils’ behaviour.
Members of NASUWT Scotland-The Teachers’ Union are warning that the poor implementation of restorative behaviour schemes is putting both the learning of pupils and the welfare and safety of teachers at risk.
Restorative behaviour programmes typically centre on the use of restorative conversations between teachers and pupils to address incidents of poor behaviour, in lieu of other sanctions.
While the NASUWT does not necessarily disagree with the principle of such schemes, the Union is concerned that in too many schools the way such schemes are being implemented is effectively making teachers responsible for pupils’ behaviour and allowing school managements to abdicate their responsibilities for addressing pupil behaviour.
NASUWT Scotland members will call for clear guidelines to be introduced for all schools to support teachers in maintaining discipline and protect them from violence and abuse at the Union’s Scotland Annual Conference, which will be held virtually tomorrow (Saturday).
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said: “In too many schools verbal and physical abuse against teachers is going unchallenged.
“There is a growing culture in schools of ‘blame the teacher’ rather than holding pupils accountable for their behaviour and this is being aided and abetted in some cases by the misuse and abuse of restorative behaviour policies, which are becoming synonymous in too many cases with no punishment or sanctions for unacceptable behaviour.
“While good behaviour management policies encourage pupils to reflect on their own behaviour, they also have in place clear and consistently enforced sanctions for verbal abuse or physical violence and make clear to all pupils that such behaviour will not be tolerated. Evidence shows that positive pupil behaviour stems from a whole school approach where managements lead and support staff in maintaining good discipline.
“No teacher should go to work with the expectation that they will be either verbally or physically abused. All teachers are entitled to dignity at work and a safe working environment.
“Teachers are being disempowered by the failure of government to ensure that across the country, behaviour policies are supporting teachers in maintaining high standards of discipline.
“It’s about time the Scottish Government made strong and unequivocal statements about the rights of teachers to a safe working environment, and took action to ensure that these rights are being delivered.”
Teacher back at school after covid-19 quarantine and lockdown, disinfecting desks at break time.
The pay offer made to Scotland’s teachers and associated professionals is “completely inadequate” and “fails to recognise the value of teachers to Scotland”, says Scotland’s largest teaching union.
The EIS also expressed its frustration at the slow rate of negotiations on the teachers’ pay claim, which was submitted in December last year. The lengthy delay in the employers initially responding to the teachers’ pay claim, together with slow progress in subsequent discussions, meant that Scotland’s teachers did not receive a pay settlement by the scheduled implementation date of the 1st of April.
No improvement was made at a negotiating meeting held yesterday, with employers sticking to their pay offer which averages a little over 1% if it were to be distributed on a universal basis amongst Scotland’s teachers.
EIS Salaries Convener Des Morris said, “The value of Scotland’s teachers has been clearly highlighted throughout the current pandemic, where teachers have worked extremely hard to support young people in quite unprecedented and extremely challenging circumstances.
“The level of public and political praise for teachers has been extremely high during this time, with frequent statements highlighting the value of teachers to the country throughout lockdown and the essential role that education will play in supporting the national recovery from the Covid pandemic. In this context, the pay offer that has been made to teachers – which would represent a real-terms pay cut for the majority of teachers – is completely inadequate.”
Mr Morris continued: “Last December, the teachers’ side of the SNCT (Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers) submitted a very measured claim for a pay settlement of between 3% and 5% for Scotland’s teachers.
“Now, more than 3 months later, we are looking at an offer from employers for a 1% pay settlement for the majority of teachers. This sub-inflation level pay offer would result in an effective pay cut for Scotland’s teachers – hardly an appropriate recognition of the important role that teachers have played throughout the pandemic and the vital role they will play in the national recovery from Covid.
“The offer is also divisive, offering different pay settlements for teachers based on their grade of post – something that the EIS will never accept.”
Mr Morris added, “The difference between the offer made to Scotland’s teachers and that made recently to the country’s NHS workers is glaring.
“Our NHS colleagues are absolutely deserving of a fair pay settlement that properly recognises the vital work that they do – but Scotland’s teachers and, indeed, other public sector workers also deserve to have their vital contributions property recognised.
“The pay offer that has been made to Scotland’s teachers is inadequate and divisive, and therefore completely unacceptable.”
A series of new measures aimed at driving down coronavirus (COVID-19) rates in Scotland have been announced.
Current restrictions, including the ‘stay-at-home’ requirement, are set to remain in place until at least the end of February and schools will continue to be closed to most children for the rest of this month.
Nurseries and Primaries 1 to 3 are, however, now scheduled to return full-time on 22 February, subject to final confirmation two weeks from now that sufficient progress in tackling the virus has been achieved.
In an update to Parliament the First Minister confirmed that a managed quarantine system for anyone who arrives directly into Scotland regardless of which country they have come from will be introduced as soon as practicably possible.
In addition to guarding against the increased importation of new cases, access to testing to find cases and interrupt transmission already taking place in Scotland will be stepped up:
from the middle of February, routine testing of healthcare workers will be expanded to cover patient-facing primary care workers such as GPs, dentists, optometrists and pharmacists, as will testing for all patient-facing staff who work in hospices
from later this month, regular testing will be offered to support the return to schools and nurseries. Senior phase secondary school students, and all staff in primary, secondary and special schools, including school-based ELC staff, will be able to benefit from routine at-home testing two times a week
certain workplaces where the risk of transmission is greater and which provide essential or critical services, such as those within the food processing and distribution sectors and staff within emergency service control rooms, will also be supported to introduce routine workforce testing
targeted community testing will continue to be expanded – so that testing is available to people locally, regardless of whether or not they have symptoms
from mid-February tests will also be offered to all close contacts of people who have tested positive for COVID-enabling Test and Protect teams to identify their contacts and track, and break further, chains of transmission
In order to promote people’s ability to self-isolate when necessary, financial support will be significantly expanded to include all workers earning the Real Living Wage or less, as well as those in receipt of a council tax reduction because of low income.
The £500 Self-Isolation Support Grant will also be extended to people who cannot work because someone they have caring responsibilities for is asked to self-isolate.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “As levels of the virus continue to fall in Scotland, it becomes ever more important that we stop the virus from being imported again. The threat of new variants is real and we must be ever-more vigilant.
“That is why we intend to introduce a managed quarantine requirement for anyone who arrives directly into Scotland, regardless of which country they have come from.
“We want to work with the UK Government to avoid travellers sidestepping restrictions and arriving in other parts of the UK before travelling to Scotland, however the most effective approach to prevent this and to stop new variants being imported is for the UK Government to introduce a compulsory quarantine for anyone travelling into the UK from overseas.
“Since we still have work to do these measures will not be introduced this week and more detail will follow shortly.
“We believe that targeted community testing can play a particularly valuable role in communities where prevalence is starting to rise rapidly which is why we have expanded our testing programme to identify cases and break chains of transmission.
“Lockdown is starting to slow down the virus. But we also need to pick up the pace in our vaccination programme. We are doing that and will accelerate the programme further over the next fortnight – providing that we have sufficient supplies of the vaccine – as we work towards being able to vaccinate 400,000 people a week by the end of the month. We are making rapid progress in protecting those who are most at risk from COVID-19.”
On schooling, the First Minister added: “I am acutely aware of the pressure school closures is putting on working parents and on family life more generally.
“Our room for manoeuvre, given the current state of the pandemic, is limited. But the government is determined to use every inch of headroom we have to get children back to school.
“Based on the advice of our expert advisers, if we all agree to abide with the lockdown restrictions for a bit longer so that our progress in suppressing the virus continues, we can begin a phased, albeit gradual, return to school from 22 February.”
The EIS has responded to the First Minister’s statement on a planned phased return for schools, welcoming the planned roll-out of regular testing for staff and students – but warning that virus levels must fall ‘substantially’ before the plans for a phased return for pupils can be confirmed.
Commenting, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “Clearly, any school return remains contingent upon continued progress on community suppression of the virus and that is not a given so we need to see infection levels coming down substantially before the return date can be confirmed.”
Mr Flanagan continued, “Whilst a phased return is a more cautious approach, we are surprised that the First Minister did not discuss the need for physical distancing amongst P1-P3 pupils, given that she clearly stated the new variant impacts on all age groups, whereas previously younger children seemed to be less directly involved in transmission than adults.
“The EIS believes that a blended learning model, i.e. implementing physical distancing, would be a safer strategy to deploy and we would need to see strong scientific evidence to justify the Government’s approach. Frankly, in the absence of such evidence this model creates unnecessary risk for staff and pupils.”
On the planned rollout of testing for school staff and some secondary pupils, Mr Flanagan added, “The availability of regular testing for staff is something the EIS has called for, so that is welcome, as is its extension to senior phase pupils which will offer some reassurance to their families.”
“The EIS also notes the limited number of senior pupils able to return at any one time, but this must be organised in a way which explicitly enables physical distancing amongst pupils.”
Responding to the First Minister’s COVID-19 update concerning a phased return to schools in Scotland, GMB Scotland Senior Organiser for Public Services Drew Duffy said: “Yet again the Scottish Government failed to acknowledge the role of school support staff in the response to COVID-19.
“This morning over 1,000 of our members in support staff jobs, including cleaners, caterers, and pupil support staff, wrote to the First Minister asking her to strengthen school safety guidelines and the implementation of them across our thirty-two councils.
“This afternoon’s statement said little to these workers, despite the fact support staff are most at risk against the backdrop of more virulent strains of COVID-19 because many continue to work in our schools throughout this lockdown.
“We need full consultation with Ministers on a consistent approach to worker safety in the phased return of schools. That’s the only way we are going to give these forgotten key workers some badly needed confidence their safety is a priority for this government.”
Education leaders in Edinburgh have welcomed the phased return of school pupils announced by the Scottish Government.
Cllr Ian Perry, Education, Children and Families Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I know many families across the city will be pleased to hear that a phased return to schooling will be in place by the end of the month.
“Our teaching staff are doing a tremendous amount of great work with home learning but we all know there’s no better place for our children than being back in school with their peers and learning face to face.
“Our schools will now work really hard to put plans in place so P1 to P3 pupils and some senior phase pupils can return on February 22 which will hopefully be confirmed by the Scottish Government in two weeks time.
“In the meantime home learning will continue and we hope to be to welcome more pupils back to school in the coming months as long as the virus continues to be suppressed.”
Cllr Alison Dickie, Education, Children and Families Vice Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “These are extremely challenging times for families and no one can underestimate the impact the pandemic has had especially for those struggling at home.
“Everyone’s mental health and wellbeing is really important so it’s welcome that early years, childcare and P1 to P3 pupils will be back in school where they belong in a few weeks time.
“Supporting the children who need it most is vital and I’m glad they will continue to attend their schools as we all work together to get through this. With the number of positive cases coming down in Edinburgh and the rollout of the vaccination programme we hope even more pupils will be able to come back to school when it is safe to do so.
“We will continue to follow the latest Scottish Government and health advice in ensuring our schools continue to be safe learning and teaching environments for all our young people and teaching staff.”
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “I appreciate only too well the burden being placed on many families as they navigate this COVID pandemic. I am also acutely aware of the need to maintain teaching and learning wherever possible. In doing so, the health and wellbeing of our children, young people and staff is paramount.
“My priority has been to ensure a safe return for children and young people to school and nursery as quickly as possible. That is why the steps that have been announced today are guided by the advice of the Chief Medical Officer and public health experts.
“Children and young people will begin a gradual, phased return to classrooms supported by a testing regime and enhanced guidance. A sense of caution underpins the plans unveiled today, but this is essential as we work to return to full time teaching in schools.”
Hundreds of teachers who are new in post, or working in pastoral or child protection roles, are to be offered support to manage the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Education Scotland and the General Teaching Council for Scotland have partnered with social enterprise organisation KnowYouMore who will provide coaches for the new online one-to-one sessions. Sessions are already being offered to headteachers as part of a support package funded by the Scottish Government last September.
The new programme now includes support for more than 500 teachers in their first four years of post-probation to discuss any personal or professional pressures they are facing as a result of delivering remote learning.
Education Secretary John Swinney, said: “COVID-19 has placed unprecedented strain on school staff and none more so than those who have pastoral care and child protection responsibilities ensuring the emotional welfare of our children and young people as we recover from the pandemic.
“The teacher support package I announced last year will complement the existing professional training and support already taking place for staff in schools across Scotland. Teachers need to be part of a supportive online community and have the space to stop and think about issues that are causing concern.”
Gayle Gorman, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Education Scotland Chief Executive, said: “Education Scotland is fully committed to ensuring the education workforce feel supported and I’m delighted this next phase of our coaching and mentoring offer is available more widely.
“We have found that it really benefits teachers to know there is someone with a listening ear who are there for them. Our 1:1 coaching and mentoring sessions for Headteachers have proved a really popular way of supporting their wellbeing and now the offer is also open to post probation teachers, teachers new to role and those with pastoral responsibilities. I would encourage more practitioners to sign up.”
Ken Muir, Chief Executive, of the General Teaching Council for Scotland, said: “GTC Scotland is pleased to be working with our partners in education to deliver this important coaching to support hard-pressed teachers who are doing all they can to maintain quality learning in challenging circumstances.
“In addition to this coaching, GTC Scotland itself has invested heavily in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of education professionals and will continue to do so throughout the pandemic.”
Now lockdown lessons are firmly underway again Barnardo’s is launching a website to help teachers support their pupils who may be experiencing mental health and wellbeing issues.
Called Barnardo’s Education Community (BEC) the site is aimed at teachers, lecturers and staff working in the education sector.
Its aim is to be a ‘one stop shop’ where educators can go for trauma-informed resources, support and advice about how to help children and young people cope with any issues they are experiencing.
Crucially there is also a selection of resources for education professionals with a focus on both their wellbeing and that of their department.
These will help them deal with the immense strain they are under in managing their own experiences, while also coping with the impact of secondary trauma through supporting children and young people.
Visitors to the site, which launches today (January 21), will find useful materials about how best to support pupils who are experiencing feelings of loss, grief and bereavement, including the impact of trauma, because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Funding for the BEC came from a generous grant from the Westminster Foundation, which has made £12.5m of funding available since the start of the pandemic to charities and community organisations tackling the repercussions of coronavirus.
But the website will not stop when the lockdown restrictions are relaxed. Instead the content within BEC will be continuously evolving to meet the ever changing needs of children, young people and educators.
A key part of this evolution will be the ‘community of practice’ section of the site where visitors will be able to take part in facilitated and peer-led discussions about current and emerging topics.
These discussion forums will provide the opportunity for education professionals to discuss and share best practice at a nationwide level.
And people who participate in these discussions will also be helping shape the site and its content because the Barnardo’s team will be creating resources to help educators deal with these emerging issues.
Uniquely, on top of all this, BEC includes free access to video, webinar and audio training on the resources, as well in-person training where necessary.
Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said: “As a former teacher I know just how difficult it can be to support children who are struggling with challenges at home or a history of trauma.
“In the age of COVID this is so much harder, with many children falling behind in their learning during the lockdowns, facing anxiety and mental health problems, and worrying about their parents’ jobs or their grandparents’ health. On top of all this teachers are facing huge pressures personally and professionally.
“This is why I’m delighted to be launching Barnardo’s Education Community today, with vital health and wellbeing resources to support educators at this uniquely difficult time.
“I’d urge everyone to treat this as your community. Take part in online discussions with your peers and bookmark the page on your browser so it is always there when you need help.
“And if there are any resources you need but cannot see on there already then get in touch and we’ll work on creating them for you. The goal is for the site to be constantly evolving to meet your needs.”
The Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor, who Chairs the Westminster Foundation, said: “We may not know for some time the true extent of anxiety and trauma that children are experiencing through the pandemic, but we do know that changes to education have placed teachers and families under immense strain as they try to support children adapt or come to terms with the negative consequences of Covid.
“We also know that lockdown learning has a greater impact on the more vulnerable children in society as they face the real possibility of poor mental health compounding their existing disadvantages.
“We shouldn’t assume that education professionals can simply react to this without any extra help, on top of the many existing challenges they face. I’m proud the Westminster Foundation’s support has helped create the Barnardo’s Education Community and hope it will become a vital resource to everyone in the education sector.”
Restrictions tightened due to spread of new variant of COVID-19.
Scotland will significantly tighten protections against Coronavirus (COVID-19) to prevent the spread of the new, highly contagious strain of the virus.
Following confirmation that the new variant of COVID-19 spreads substantially more quickly, the First Minister announced that Scotland needs to act now.
To keep people safe, the First Minister announced:
the planned easing of restrictions around Christmas will be limited to Christmas Day itself, and not the previous 5 day window that was planned
legal household limits will still apply – a maximum of 8 people from 3 households – however advice is to minimise the numbers. Where possible, people should celebrate the festive period at home in their own household and meet with others outdoors
other than for specific exemptions, travel between Scotland and the rest of the UK will not be legal
travel within Scotland will be allowed on Christmas Day
from Boxing Day, all of Scotland will have Level 4 restrictions applied, including the closure of non-essential retail and hospitality. The only exceptions will be Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, and the other island communities where restrictions have been reduced in recent weeks, who will be placed in Level 3
from Boxing Day, in line with existing law, travel across local authority boundaries between areas in Level 3 or 4 will not be legal other than for specific exempt purposes
The First Minister also set out new plans for the return of schools in the New Year. Teachers will return to work as planned and children of key workers and the most vulnerable children, will return to schools as planned.
For the majority of pupils the holiday period will be extended until 11 January and learning will begin online from then until at least 18 January.
All these measures will be kept under regular review.
The First Minister said: “Last week it was confirmed that a new variant of the virus had been identified in the UK, and I advised Parliament that a small number of cases of it had already been identified in Scotland.
“While further analysis is required to establish this one way or another, we already have a concern that this strain may be driving what appears to be faster transmission in some hospitals and care homes.
“That’s why we have decided to act and to act firmly.
“Firstly, we are asking everyone to redouble your personal efforts in sticking to the rules and following FACTS.
“Secondly, we intend to maintain a strict travel ban between Scotland and the rest of the UK. This will remain in place throughout the festive period. We simply cannot risk more of this strain entering the country if we can possibly avoid it.
“Thirdly, we now intend to change the law to allow mixing indoors in a bubble on Christmas Day only. The household limits will still apply – a maximum of 8 people from 3 households – is the law. But the advice will be to minimise numbers as far as possible.
“My message is stay home, stay safe and enjoy Christmas. That is in your own interest and the interest of everyone you love.”
First Minister @NicolaSturgeon has announced Scotland will significantly tighten protections against Coronavirus to prevent the spread of the new, highly contagious strain of the virus.
Speaking about beyond Christmas, the First Minister said: “To limit, as far as we can, the risk of this strain spreading further than it has within Scotland, we intend to apply Level 4 measures to all of mainland Scotland for a period of three weeks from one minute after midnight on Boxing Day morning.
“The only exceptions will be Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, and the other island communities where we have reduced restrictions in recent weeks, who will go into Level 3 but with strict restrictions on who can travel to and from those islands.
“The situation the new strain presents means that until we are sure it is firmly under control – until we are sure we are not facing the same situation as the south of England today faces, we must slightly change our plans for the way our schools work.
“Schools still open next week will close as planned – we are not changing that. They were then due to reopen from 5 January with all councils areas back by the 7.
“Instead of that, here is what we are going to do – for the children of key workers – such as nurses in our hospitals – schools will open and stay open as normal. They will also open as normal for the most vulnerable children.
“All teachers will also return to work as scheduled and planned. For the majority of pupils, however, the holidays are being extended until 11 January. Starting on that date, learning will be online until at least 18 January.
“After that, assuming we are confident we have the virus under control we will aim to reopen schools more fully but at least until then, schools will go online only other than for the children of key workers and the most vulnerable.”
Following the First Minister’s statement, confirming a three week Tier 4 lockdown in Scotland from Boxing Day, Rhea Wolfson of the GMB Scotland Women’s Campaigns Unit said:“The Scottish Government can’t wait until mid-January to roll out workplace testing for home carers – they need to find a way to bring this forward immediately.
“We can’t have 14,000 home carers in Scotland, supported only with PPE, working through a lockdown prompted by a more transmissible strain of COVID-19.
“Failure to act now to protect these key workers and their service users would be an exacerbation of the negligence they have already endured.”
EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: “The EIS welcomes the decision to delay the return of pupils after the Christmas break until January 11th and that for the vast majority of pupils for this return to be to an online platform, with only the children of key workers and vulnerable children being in school.
“With a large number of schools already closed for the break, this late decision will once again create planning challenges for teachers but schools are much better prepared for remote learning than was the case in March. Given that the EIS has been calling for a ‘firebreak’ around the Christmas break, we view this announcement as being the correct one.
“It would make sense for those schools which are still open to move immediately to remote platforms.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson had earlier given a statement at the coronavirus press conference:
Good afternoon, I am sorry to report that the situation has deteriorated since I last spoke to you three days ago.
Yesterday afternoon, I was briefed on the latest data showing the virus spreading more rapidly in London, the South East and the East of England than would be expected given the tough restrictions which are already in place.
I also received an explanation for why the virus is spreading more rapidly in these areas. It appears this spread is now being driven by the new variant of the virus, which we first learned about earlier this week.
Our advisory group on New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats – NERVTAG – has spent the last few days analysing the new variant.
There is no evidence the variant causes more severe illness or higher mortality, but it does appear to be passed on significantly more easily.
NERVTAG’s early analysis suggests the new variant could increase R by 0.4 or greater. Although there is considerable uncertainty, it may be up to 70% more transmissible than the old variant.
This is early data. It is subject to review. It is the best we have at the moment, and we have to act on information as we have it because this is now spreading very fast.
The U.K. has by far the best genomic sequencing ability in the world, which means we are better able to identify new strains like this than any other country.
The Chief Medical Officer last night submitted our findings so far to the World Health Organisation and we will continue to be totally transparent with our global partners.
There is still much we don’t know. While we are fairly certain the variant is transmitted more quickly, there is no evidence to suggest that it is more lethal or causes more severe illness. Equally there is no evidence to suggest the vaccine will be any less effective against the new variant.
Our experts will continue their work to improve our understanding of the variant.
So we are learning more about this variant as we go.
But we know enough already to be sure that we must act now.
I met ministers on the Covid Operations Committee last night and again first thing this morning, and Cabinet met at lunchtime to agree the following actions.
First, we will introduce new restrictions in the most affected areas – specifically those parts of London, the South East and the East of England which are currently in tier 3.
These areas will enter a new tier 4, which will be broadly equivalent to the national restrictions which were in place in England in November.
That means:
Residents in those areas must stay at home, apart from limited exemptions set out in law. Non-essential retail, indoor gyms and leisure facilities, and personal care services must close.
People must work from home if they can, but may travel to work if this is not possible, for example in the construction and manufacturing sectors.
People should not enter or leave tier 4 areas, and tier 4 residents must not stay overnight away from home. Individuals can only meet one person from another household in an outdoor public space.
Unlike the November national restrictions, communal worship can continue to take place in tier 4 areas.
These measures will take effect from tomorrow morning.
All tiers will continue to be regularly reviewed in line with the approach previously set out, with the next formal review point taking place on 30 December.
Second, we are issuing new advice on travel.
Although the new variant is concentrated in tier 4 areas, it is nonetheless present at lower levels around the country.
We are asking everyone, in all tiers, to stay local.
People should carefully consider whether they need to travel abroad and follow the rules in their tier.
Those in tier 4 areas will not be permitted to travel abroad apart from limited exceptions, such as for work purposes.
Third, we must, I am afraid, look again at Christmas.
As Prime Minister, it is my duty to take the difficult decisions, to do what is right to protect the people of this country.
Given the early evidence we have on this new variant of the virus, and the potential risk it poses, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you we cannot continue with Christmas as planned.
In England, those living in tier 4 areas should not mix with anyone outside their own household at Christmas, though support bubbles will remain in place for those at particular risk of loneliness or isolation.
Across the rest of the country, the Christmas rules allowing up to three households to meet will now be limited to Christmas Day only, rather than the five days as previously set out.
As before, there will be no relaxation on 31 December, so people must not break the rules at New Year.
I know how much emotion people invest in this time of year, and how important it is for grandparents to see their grandchildren, and for families to be together.
So I know how disappointing this will be, but we have said throughout this pandemic that we must and we will be guided by the science.
When the science changes, we must change our response.
When the virus changes its method of attack, we must change our method of defence.
As your Prime Minister, I sincerely believe there is no alternative open to me. Without action, the evidence suggests infections would soar, hospitals would become overwhelmed and many thousands more would lose their lives.
I want to stress we are not alone in this fight – many of our European friends and neighbours are being forced to take similar action.
We are working closely with the devolved administrations to protect people in every part of the UK.
Of course there is now hope – real hope – that we will soon be rid of this virus.
That prospect is growing with every day that passes and every vaccine dose administered.
The UK was the first country in the western world to start using a clinically approve vaccine.
So please, if the NHS contacts you then get your vaccine – and join the 350,000 people across the UK who have already had their first dose.
Yes, Christmas this year will be very different, but we must be realistic. We are sacrificing our chance to see loved ones this Christmas, so we have a better chance of protecting their lives so we can see them at future Christmases.
As sure as night follows day, we will beat back this virus.
