Question reference: S5W-34548
- Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 14 January 2021
-
Current status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 28 January 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with universities regarding the return of students; what COVID-19 testing is in place for their return; how many students it anticipates will return, and what its advice is to university students who are currently preparing to return to their (a) university and (b) private student accommodation.
Answer
The Scottish Government continues to engage regularly with the college and university sectors, NUS Scotland, trade unions and student accommodation providers on a range of matters, including the return of students to campus.
Following the First Minister’s announcement on 8 January that the planned staggered return of students at the start of the new term would be extended, we published revised guidance for colleges, universities and student accommodation providers on 15 January, which sets out more detail on the staggered return and the measures institutions and accommodation providers should take to ensure the safety and wellbeing of staff and students. An FAQ is also available for students on the Student Information Scotland website.
Our revised guidance makes clear that during the current period of lockdown restrictions, any university education that can be done online must be done online. Our advice to all students is not to return to term-time accommodation until they have been told by their institution that in-person learning is starting. Campus and student accommodation may be open but only for students who have remained over the winter break and other exceptional returners, where their attendance is critical and time-sensitive to their course or assessment and cannot be delivered remotely or postponed, essential placements or student wellbeing. The guidance is explicit that numbers returning to college and university must be kept to an absolute minimum and the Scottish Government will work with the college and university sectors to monitor the numbers returning.
We are building on our experience of providing rapid-result asymptomatic testing to some categories of students before the winter break. For term 2, two rapid-result tests will again be offered to students changing household – the first on arrival, the second three days later. Testing will also be available for students who have remained in college or university accommodation over the holiday period.