Parents call for guaranteed standards of home-learning for self-isolating pupils

PARENTS are calling for a national learning-at-home plan for children having to self-isolate rather than leaving them to rely on what individual schools can provide.

The 50/50 campaign group says that during lockdown there were huge differences in what level of interaction and online learning schools provided.

And they want the Scottish Government to set minimum guaranteed standards to prevent some pupils being disadvantaged if they have to learn at home again.

The group wrote to the Scottish Government but they were not happy with the reply because current work on a national e-learning platform will only be for “senior phase” S4-6 pupils.

50/50 says leaving the provision for other self-isolating pupils down to individual schools’ own digital learning strategies will lead to “unequal access to education”.

Spokeswoman Sarah Chisnall said: “This simply isn’t good enough from the Scottish Government.

“Young people are already having to self-isolate. We need a national online learning platform for all children now, and not just for the senior years.

“We need minimum standards and guaranteed contact with teachers for every child in Scotland. It should not be down to individual teachers, schools and parents to pick up the pieces.

“We know some schools have no plans in place for learning at home. If they had to lock down tomorrow, we could be right back where we were in March, with a huge disparity between what schools are able to provide for at home learning. That is unacceptable.”