Vast majority in poll back Scottish schools partially reopening, but more agreed with closure

The decision to partially reopen schools in Scotland has been widely backed by the majority of Scots, a new poll has found.

The partial return of schools has been backed by a majority of Scots

However, the move was not backed as strongly in the survey as the decision to shut schools in their entirety – bar key worker children – in January.

The poll, undertaken by Savanta ComRes by The Scotsman, interviewed 1,002 adults aged 16 or over online between February 4 and 9.

Scottish pupils in P1 to P3 and those in early learning and childcare are likely to return to full-time schooling on February 22, the First Minister announced earlier this month.

Older pupils in the senior stage who require access to schools to help complete national qualifications will also return in a staged manner from that date.

The return will be twinned with an expansion of testing for school workers, including teachers and senior pupils.

A total of 58 per cent of Scots back the move to reopen schools, while 17 per cent oppose it, the poll shows.

One in five Scots (19 per cent) said they neither supported nor opposed the move, while another 6 per cent said they didn’t know.

This level of support is lower than when schools were shut in January – a move backed by 72 per cent of Scots and opposed by just 11 per cent, with 17 per cent stating they held no opinion or did not know.

There has, however, been a slight increase in the number of people saying more should be done to support parents, with those saying not enough is being done rising from 31 per cent to 34 per cent.

Chris Hopkins, associate director of Savanta ComRes said: “While three quarters supported the decision to close schools until the start of February when we asked in January, fewer, although still more than half, support the phased return of pupils, likely beginning on February 22.

"There is a slight a drop in the perception that the Scottish Government has provided enough support to parents impacted by school closures in the last month, and if the return of pupils to schools is delayed anymore, the impression that the government is not on the side of parents and families may increase.”

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