We are only weeks away from the third school session where COVID will be hanging over the education of our young people. In many walks of life, we saw people working together to support each other and in the education system that was no different. Schools and families did their best to provide learning in the most challenging circumstances. Despite some positive stories, the pandemic has increased the ingrained inequalities in our society and highlighted real structural issues with the Scottish education system. Many of these issues were not new and shockingly the Scottish Government have been unwilling or too slow to react (the SQA exams fiasco being just one example). Like many other teachers, I have been utterly frustrated at the lack of leadership shown by the SNP in an area of policy they claim to treat as a priority.

It may take years to fully assess the impact that the pandemic has had on the long term prospects of Scotland’s school pupils however we know that everything must be done now to support them. There should be no more disruptions to their learning and I fully support Scottish Labour’s plan to pandemic proof our education system. Our young people have been through enough and they deserve better!

Please sign and share the petition linked here.