Scottish Government to decide on schools return, not UK

Nicola Sturgeon said the call will be made in discussion with local authorities.

Scottish Government to decide on schools return, not UK Getty Images

The Scottish Government will decide on a “safe timetable” for the reopening of schools in Scotland and not the UK Government, the First Minister has said.

Nicola Sturgeon assured people the call will be made in discussion with local authorities and will see parents and pupils “properly informed along the way”.

She had been commenting on a tweet by the Welsh Government, another devolved administration, which had responded to a Sunday Telegraph article on Twitter.

The report claims Prime Minister Boris Johnson was targeting a June return for primary schools in England, if the rate of infection continued to remain slow.

“The Welsh Education Minister will announce when Welsh schools will reopen, not the UK Government,” the Welsh Government clarified.

Sturgeon added on her Twitter account: “Same for Scotland. Scottish Government – in discussion with local authorities – will decide safe timetable for re-opening schools.

“And we will keep pupils, parents and the public properly informed along the way.”

Schools in Scotland have been closed since Friday, March 20, as part of measures to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.

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