Question reference: S5W-32355
- Date lodged: 7 October 2020
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Current status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 October 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether teachers who were previously shielding should be working in classrooms in (a) Glasgow and (b) Scotland, in light of Glasgow City Council's Executive Director of Education writing to schools to highlight an “extraordinary number of cases where teachers have tested positive for COVID-19”.
Answer
The guidance which was prepared to support the return to school, includes advice for those who are considered to be clinically vulnerable and extremely clinically vulnerable (shielding). In line with the position on shielding, the guidance indicates that those who were formerly shielding can return to work in schools, and that an individualised risk assessment should be undertaken. The guidance on special considerations for certain groups is available from https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-preparing-start-new-school-term-august-2020-version-3/pages/3/
As the guidance outlines, risk assessments should consider measures that can be taken to lower the risk of transmission amongst staff and pupils in all parts of the school.
The decisions on where teachers and school staff who have previously been shielding are deployed are for individual schools and local authorities, in line with their responsibilities as employers, following individualised risk assessment.