Schools could see change in restrictions as Covid-19 variant poses serious concern The First Minister has warned Scotland will need to do more to slow down the virus as vaccinations are rolled out. Nicola Sturgeon said tough decisions were ahead as she announced plans to hold a Scottish cabinet meeting tomorrow.
Education secretary John Swinney has now confirmed The Education Recovery Group will meet. He said the group will consider current advice for schools and early learning. Important update from FM @NicolaSturgeon. The Education Recovery Group will meet tomorrow in advance of Cabinet to consider the current advice in relation to schools and early learning. https://t.co/DajRTK1NPq John Swinney (@JohnSwinney) January 3, 2021
‘We must act quickly and decisively in the national interest’ – what Nicola Sturgeon said about the rapid increase in Covid cases
Nicola Sturgeon has said Scotland faces a race between the new faster spreading strain of Covid-19 and the vaccination programme, warning that quick and decisive action may be required to stop the spread.
Sunday, 3rd January 2021, 12:56 pm
The Scottish Government is to reconvene on Monday after concerns were raised by how rapidly the new strain is spreading.
The Cabinet is expected to be recalled on Monday morning to discuss any additional measures that may be required to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Is the answer to create an emergency ministry of education housed in Ottawa? Unequivocally, no.
As I document in my book, Canada stands alone globally as a country without a national department of education and this should continue. Elementary and secondary education is one of the few areas that Ottawa has steered clear from, and this has been to Canada’s advantage.
However, there are practical steps that should be taken towards improving our educational systems.
As some researchers have argued, collecting identity-based data would help to better identify and address barriers and problems faced by specific groups of students. For example, data collection in Toronto revealed achievement gaps between students based on race and income in pubic schools.
This is higher than Saturday’s confirmed increase of 2137 new cases. The daily test positivity rate is now at 15.2% – up from 10.8% on Saturday. No further deaths were recorded on Sunday as the register offices are closed over the public holidays. As of December 31, 4578 people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died. The Cabinet is expected to be recalled on Monday morning to discuss any additional measures that may be required to stop the spread of coronavirus. In a series of tweets, Sturgeon said: “The rapid increase in Covid cases, driven by the new variant, is of very serious concern. “The steep increases and severe NHS pressure being experienced in other parts of the UK is a sign of what may lie ahead. So we must take all steps to slow spread while vaccination progresses.
Teachers in East Lothian have voted to declare a formal dispute against East Lothian Council (whose headquarters at John Muir House are pictuered) after an EIS ballot TEACHERS in East Lothian have voted overwhelmingly in favour of declaring a formal dispute with their employer over failure to provide a safe working environment for staff considering the continuing threat from the Covid-19 pandemic. A voter turnout of 53 per cent of local association teachers saw 86 per cent support the move to a dispute. They will now engage in talks with East Lothian Council to urgently address members’ concerns around health and safety.