Falkirk Council education chief gives back to school update

Robert Naylor was responding to the accusation from members of Falkirk Council’s Labour group that parents locally have not been given enough information about back-to-school arrangements.

He told councillors: “”It’s been suggested that there is a communication gap – and I’m not clear it is what people want to know that they don’t yet know because we’ve certainly done our best to make sure that we’ve informed people as widely as we possibly can.”

However, he did promise that by tomorrow (Friday) at the latest, Children’s Services would publish a list of FAQ’s that would answer all of parents questions.

Parents who have individual queries about children with medical conditions will be “high on the priority list” for schools when staff return on Monday.

The director was speaking to Falkirk Council’s emergency executive to update members on the latest details regarding school transport, hygiene measures and school lunches – all of which information is now on the council’s website.

At first, pupils will be given ‘grab bags’ for their school meals as the guidance still warns against too many children gathering in one space – which rules out the traditional school lunch as well as assemblies.

However, he said he hoped that this would be reviewed quickly.

The director also reported that 44 extra cleaners have been recruited as well as more teachers and more support for learning staff.

The SNP’s education spokesperson Councillor Adanna McCue praised the way Mr Naylor and his team had handled a situation that had changed very quickly.

But, she added: “I want to acknowledge that it has been a very frustrating time for parents but the important thing was not to give false information.

“That’s why there has been an outcry about a possible lack of information but we’d rather wait and put out good information than something we’d have to retract, which has happened as we go through this journey.”

She pointed to what was happening in Aberdeen, where the city has returned to lockdown amid a spike in coronvirus cases, and said:” We are nervous and rightly so.

“Parents are concerned and that’s why it’s important for parents to know what is happening.”

Labour councillor Joan Coombes said she had great sympathy with education staff who are doing their best in hugely difficult circumstances.

She strongly criticised the Scottish Government’s refusal to allow Falkirk to go ahead with the two-week long soft start that had been agreed at a previous meeting.

She said: “I feel the pain of officers and the administration because without doubt this is an embarrassing situation where a council’s unanimous decision has been overturned by the Scottish Government.

“We should have the decency to say that’s what happened.

“The government should either trust local authorities to do their job or take control.”

She told Mr Naylor : “I told parents that if they had any questions to email me – and by the end of the day I had over 100 emails.

But while he admitted the situation had been hugely challenging, the director refuted the accusations that communication had been a problem.

Mr Naylor said: “I don’t recognise what it is you are raising – we have communicated directly with our parents about the return so they know and they have known since summer about the date of the 11th.

“The detail about what’s going to happen next week was done as quickly as possible.”

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