Scotland confirms no extension to school Christmas holidays
There will be no extension to Scotland's school Christmas holidays, the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills John Swinney has confirmed.
Given many schools break up very close to Christmas, there had been talks about potentially shutting schools on 18 December and reopening them again on 11 January, but there had been concern about the impact on teaching time and the difficulties it could cause parents.
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills John Swinney said: “Being in school is in the best interests of children and our priority remains to ensure schools are safe, and open. I want to thank school leaders, teachers and school staff for their outstanding commitment to education that has enabled children and young people to learn safely in school since August.
“The advice I have received from public health officials, and the COVID-19 Sub-group on Education and Children’s Issues, is not to alter Christmas and New Year holiday dates.
“We also know vulnerable children may be at greater risk if they are out of school for an extended period, and I am mindful of the impact an extension to school holidays would have for working parents. For these reasons I do not see a clear rationale for changing term dates and disrupting children’s education."
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