Anxious parents face wait on schools reopening in August

John Swinney has held on to his job after surviving a no-confidence vote over the pupil grades scandal. He was kept in post after securing the support of the pro-independence Scottish Greens.

schools began to reopen yesterday – with many pupils, parents and teachers still expressing anxiety over Covid-19.Only Borders and some Shetland schools reopened to pupils, with the vast majority of Scots children heading back today.All pupils will return by next Tuesday. Fears have been raised about how well-prepared teachers are to deal with mitigating  the spread of the virus.

Get the stories that interest you straight to your inbox every day with our personalised newsletterScotland has recorded 52 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours.It brings the pandemic total for the nation to 19,079 cases.But there have been no coronavirus deaths announced by the Scottish Government since July 16.

coronavirus transmission is lost, according to Scotland's national clinical director. Jason Leitch urged parents to be "cautious" but not "overly worried" about the return of pupils to class, which is to begin across the country from Tuesday.

He said: “I’m really happy to be able to support Scottish Refugee Council and all the work they do helping refugees rebuild their lives in Scotland.“We are hoping the items attract plenty of attention and raise lots of money.”Louise McGovern from Scottish Refugee Council said: “We are delighted to work with Lewis on this fundraiser, his support has been amazing, and we know his huge fan base will be thrilled to be in with a chance to meet him at a UK gig next year.”

TikTok baby prank. More than 14,000 people have liked the viral clip after Stewart McGonigle captured the stunt on camera.

furious backlash by pupils and her own SNP colleagues. The First Minister admitted teenagers gathered in the middle of Glasgow were "entitled to be angry" but said they should rely on an appeals process.

Nicola Sturgeon has warned pubs and restaurants face tougher laws to ensure they collect contact details from all customers in case of a virus outbreak. The First Minister did not rule out bringing in new legislation to beef-up existing rules on how licensed premises in Scotland can operate safely during lockdown.

fish and chips using root beer and a microwave.The celebrity chef filmed his reaction to the clip, which shows amateur cook Michelle, who goes by the username @jchelle36 on the social media site, share her recipe which involves using root beer and sugar.He then shared it with his fans on his own official TikTok account under the hashtag #Ramsayreacts.The Scot hilariously squirms as Michelle, who previously went viral for her terrible method for making tea, shows how she makes the classic British

schools  could be "a catalyst to a resurgence" of  coronavirus  if the Scottish Government's guidance is not strengthened. Mr Swinney says schools are still on track to open on August 11.

Scottish Government funding. Low income parents in Scotland can access three separate cash payments for their child up until school age. The Best Start Grant includes three one-off grants: early learning paymentschool age payment The payments are part of the Scottish Government’s package to support families in receipt of certain benefits, including Universal Credit, Income Support, Housing Benefit and Tax Credits, to help at key stages in a child’s life.

August 11th.She said she expected all pupils to be back full time from August 18th at the latest.The decision was made following scientific evidence and advice on safety.Every school will have to carry out a risk assessment and put in place enhanced hygiene and cleaning arrangements.Get all the top Scottish politics news sent straight to your Inbox by signing up to our Politics newsletter.We cover Holyrood, Westminster and local councils, with a current focus on how our governments are handling

Get the stories that interest you straight to your inbox every day with our personalised newsletterNicola Sturgeon has confirmed Scottish schools will reopen from August 11.The First Minister said she expected all pupils to be back in full time education from August 18 at the latest.In a statement to Holyrood this lunchtime, Ms Sturgeon confirmed classrooms would re-open in full rather than adopting a "blended" learning approach, which had once been proposed.Every school will have to carry out a

schooling.Speaking at the Scottish Government’s coronavirus briefing on Wednesday, she said the decision is unlikely to go in the "opposite direction".However, she refused to reveal the cabinet decision before making the formal announcement to the Scottish Parliament tomorrow.Speaking after discussions with ministers, Sturgeon said: "I'm duty-bound to announce these decisions to Parliament and I’m going to do that at the risk of getting into trouble from the Presiding Officer."She added: "I

Do you have a coronavirus related story? Email [email protected] daily briefing will begin at 12.15pm this afternoon as Nicola Sturgeon will update Scotland on the latest coronavirus figures. Yesterday saw no recorded hospital deaths for the 12th day in a row with four new positive cases.

Child Benefit is usually paid every four weeks either on a Monday or a Tuesday, however, there is a bank holiday next week which may affect some payments. When a benefits payment falls on a bank holiday, it is usually paid on a different date.

Swinney is confident pupils will be in class full-time when schools start to reopen from August 11. The SNP education secretary gave his latest progress update one day before the Scottish Government take a decision.