Announcement on schools returning expected today

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to confirm a planned return to school for staff and pupils on 11th August.

It follows the end to the summer break, which came after months of disruption to education due to the pandemic.

A country-wide closure of schools led to pupils having to be educated in their homes.

Scottish government ministers signed off a schools plan on Wednesday, which was expected to be announced to ministers yesterday as this newspaper was going to press.

Last week local representative of the Educational Institute of Scotland Matthew Moss insisted that, while everyone wanted to get children back into their classrooms, it had to be done safely.

Chairman of the council’s education and families committee George Smith said safety of staff and pupils was first and foremost.