Physical distancing 'impossible' in Edinburgh secondary schools

Even using extra buildings would mean just half pupils could return

Edinburgh schools are due to reopen on Wednesday August 12

A FULL return to school in Edinburgh would be impossible if physical distancing is required among secondary pupils, senior sources in the council have warned.

Education Secretary John Swinney has advised distancing if possible, but many Capital high schools are too full to allow it.

And one insider said detailed contingency plans already drawn up for Edinburgh - which would only allow 50 per cent of pupils to be in school at any one time - would mean a two-month delay while extra buildings are prepared, as well as a bill of £50 million a year and pupils studying at home on computers for half the time.

A total of 47 buildings around the city, including libraries, community centres and church halls, have been identified as places that could be used to accommodate pupils if two-metre distancing is required.

Some could be occupied at short notice, but others would need to be adapted at “substanital cost”.

The insider said: “Some of the buildings need additional toilets, some need alterations, more furniture. To make it happen it would take two months.

“Altogether it would cost £30m up to December - that would include a lot of building work - but the bill for a year would be £50m or £60m - and you would still just have 50 per cent in school at any one time, so it would need blended learning, kids working at home on computers as well.”

The scientific advice given to the Scottish Government earlier this month suggested physical distancing would not be needed for primary or secondary pupils, although two metres should be maintained between staff and pupils.

But last week Education Secretary John Swinney said secondary schools should take “a practical approach” to maintaining distancing between pupils where possible. He suggested schools could manage the flow of pupils and staff within buildings and adjust the layout of classrooms “subject always to this not reducing capacity within the school”.

But Edinburgh EIS secretary Alison Murphy told the Evening News at the weekend: “It can’t be a case of ‘Do it if you can, but if you can’t don’t worry’. If it’s right for some children, it’s got to be right for all.”

Latest figures show 11 per cent of Edinburgh’s schools are overcrowded, compared with five per cent nationally.

The insider said: “If you look at Castlebrae, Wester Hailes Education Centre and Craigroyston, they’re not full - you could do physical distancing there. But places like James Gillespie’s and Boroughmuir are pretty full and you just couldn’t do it.

“If you’re saying there has to be distancing and you want to go back to full-time education, in Edinburgh it would be impossible to do it because we don’t have the buildings.

“If it was 50 per cent and blended learning that would have been possible because we have 47 buildings that could make it happen but full-time is just not possible.”

The EIS said last week a phased return was essential when Edinburgh schools reopen on Wednesday August 12 to avoid chaos in the classroom.

The insider said that was now likely to happen, at least in secondary schools, with a third of pupils going back on each of the three days of the first week and the full school returning on the following Monday.

“There are going to be one-way systems, washing facilities and other changes to the buildings so it’s probably sensible to have smaller numbers in to take them through that.”

Schools are also likely to introduce staggered lunchtimes and starting and finishing times to reduce contact between different year groups.

Ventilation has been highlighted as a way of helping to combat any spread of Covid-19. But the union has said there could be problems because some classroom windows are deliberately designed not to open very far. The insider said there was a plan to provide air filter machines and officials were currently checking how many classrooms would need them.

The Scottish Cabinet is expected to give the go-ahead on Wednesday for a full return to school across Scotland from August 11.

John Swinney told MSPs yesterday: “It is both a moral and educational imperative to support our children and young people back into school as soon as we know it is safe to do so.”

He said guidance had been agreed for the safe reopening of both primary and secondary schools, including specific “mitigation” measures.