Scottish pupils will return to school full-time in August

All pupils in Scotland are expected to be back in the classroom full-time by August 18, with schools reopening from August 11, the First Minister has announced.

Pupils were sent home in March as the country locked down in a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

With pupils having been away from school for almost five months, she said some councils may adopt a phased approach to the return.

At the height of the pandemic, the Scottish Government proposed schools initially returning part-time, with pupils splitting their time between class and home. But continued suppression of the virus means a full-time return is now possible.

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The First Minister said: "It is a moral and educational imperative that we get children back to school as soon as is safely possible.

"In fact, a key reason for our cautious approach to lockdown over the last two months and over the next few weeks, is a determination to drive the virus down and keep prevalence low, so that schools can reopen in August.

"I am therefore pleased to confirm today that schools will return from  August 11.

"Given how long children have been out of school, some local authorities may opt for a phased return over the first few days.

"But we expect all pupils to be at school full-time from  August 18 at the latest."

More to follow...