Coronavirus guidance for schools tweaked ahead of pupils’ return

The Scottish Government has updated its guidance for schools but a teaching union has criticised the ‘weak’ measures for improving ventilation.

The Scottish Governmnet has updated its guidance for schools (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Wire)

Coronavirus guidance for schools will be slightly updated for when pupils return in the new year, with an increased focus on ventilation and keeping different groups of children apart.

The government is advising schools to group pupils in an attempt to minimise contact and the potential spread of the virus and discourages large group gatherings such as assemblies.

However, the updated grouping guidance will not be applicable for pupils on transport to and from school because of “significant operational difficulties”.

Existing measures such as face coverings, physical distancing for teachers and testing will be retained, but the guidance aims to reduce the “blanket isolation of whole classes” with fewer children being told to self-isolate.

Of the 26 mitigations set out for schools during the course of the pandemic, changes are being encouraged in six areas and should be implemented “as soon as is practicable from the start of the January term”.

The government wants “proportionate reintroduction” of three measures, including restrictions on school visitors and school trips, while three area are set to be strengthened – including self-isolation guidance for both adults and children.

In the event of a “significant outbreak” at schools, further restrictions should be imposed by local health protection teams.

Ventilation guidance has been updated to state that all state schools should have access to CO2 monitoring, although it notes this “may not be a useful indicator of good ventilation in certain circumstances”.

Suggesting that every classroom or play area should be monitored for at least one full day per week, the guidance adds: “Sufficient monitors should be made available for use to enable ongoing decision-making by staff about balancing ventilation (including by opening of doors and windows) with temperature during the winter months, taking account of changes in weather conditions.”

Teachers and school staff should also be given support from councils to “make judgements around the extent to which windows and doors need to be opened” during the winter, according to the new document.

Explaining the restrictions on adults attending schools, the guidance warns that parent councils should not take place on the school premises, although visiting teachers, healthcare workers and Scottish Qualification Authority staff should still be allowed to enter schools.

Following the change of self-isolation rules, the whole household, including children, should isolate for 10 days if they have been in close contact with someone infected by any strain of Covid-19.

According to the guidance, Test and Protect contact tracing will identify high-risk contacts at school and tell them to isolate and get a PCR test.

Low-risk contacts should still be informed, although self-isolation is not required and letters will be sent “that advise them to take certain mitigating actions”.

It’s more important than ever that safety measures already in place in schools are strictly followed

Shirley-Anne Somerville, Education Secretary

Commenting on the changes, Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Throughout the pandemic, our priority has been to keep our children, young people and staff safe. These changes reflect the threat presented by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, and they will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

“The updated guidance has been informed by advice from the Advisory Subgroup on Education and Children’s Issues and senior clinicians, based on the latest public health assessment of the situation, with input from the Covid-19 Education Recovery Group.

“In addition to the changes, it’s more important than ever that safety measures already in place in schools are strictly followed.

“These include physical distancing, one-way systems and the correct use of face coverings.”

General secretary of the NASUWT teaching union Dr Patrick Roach said: “The publication of further guidance requires the provision of additional time and resources for schools to ensure that appropriate and effective systems are in place in response to the Omicron variant.

“The weak guidance on ventilation will be of particular concern to teachers and school leaders, given the strong scientific evidence indicating the need for more investment to be made in the provision of CO2 monitors and air purifiers.

“Encouraging uptake of twice weekly asymptomatic testing among pupils does not guarantee that these tests will be undertaken.

“Funding from the Government for additional onsite testing for pupils would be a more effective way of ensuring that all pupils are regularly tested during this period of high Covid prevalence.

“It is difficult to square the enhanced measures on self-isolation that were recently introduced for the general population with the introduction of a ‘voluntary’ exemption from self-isolation for workers in schools.

“The government must explain how they will ensure that teachers who should be self-isolating are not placed under pressure to return to the workplace prematurely, which could put others at risk.”