Face masks in schools: Wales recommends coverings in secondaries - Sky News

The Welsh government has recommended the use of face coverings in communal areas of secondary schools where social distancing is not possible.

The new guidance also applies to pupils over 11 on school transport, along with college students and staff.

It will require schools and local authorities to carry out risk assessments of their sites to determine if the two-metre rule cannot be maintained.

A joint statement by health minister Vaughan Gething and education minister Kirsty Williams said: "The current advice from the Chief Medical Officer for Wales is that face coverings are recommended for all members of the public over 11 years in indoor settings in which social distancing cannot be maintained, including schools and school transport.

"We will amend our operational guidance for schools and FE to require settings and local authorities to undertake risk assessments of their estates to determine if face coverings should be recommended for their staff and young people in communal areas.

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"This will also include school and college transport."

Mr Gething had asked a scientific advisory group to consider the current coronavirus guidance for the nation's schools, which are due to return next week.

More from Covid-19

That came hours before Boris Johnson reversed advice that pupils should not wear face masks in English secondaries, amid growing pressure from headteachers, teaching unions and medical experts.

Meanwhile, a teaching union questioned if the UK government was following scientific advice or "prioritising political expediency" following the U-turn.

Union chiefs had previously urged clarity on wearing masks and sought reassurance for pupils, staff and parents ahead of schools reopening next week.

PM: We're following WHO advice on masks in schools

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Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said: "It is deeply regrettable that the government has failed to heed concerns until the last possible moment.

"The latest announcement on face coverings raises serious questions about whether the government is seriously following the scientific advice or is simply prioritising political expediency in order to meet the prime minister's wish to ensure that every school reopens fully at the start of term come what may.

Minister defends U-turn on masks advice

"This latest government U-turn will raise questions about the statement issued by the UK's chief medical officers last Sunday that there is a low risk of coronavirus transmission in schools."

The chief and deputy chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said in a joint statement on Sunday that children have an "exceptionally low risk of dying" from COVID-19.

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2020-08-26 15:16:21Z
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A-levels and GCSEs: Boris Johnson blames 'mutant algorithm' for exam fiasco - BBC News

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has blamed a "mutant algorithm" for this summer's exam results fiasco.

"I am afraid your grades were almost derailed by a mutant algorithm and I know how stressful that must have been," Mr Johnson told pupils at a school in Leicestershire.

Replacement grades caused chaos and required changes to some results.

In the fall-out from the exam problems, the Department for Education's permanent secretary has stepped down.

The National Education Union called Mr Johnson's comments "brazen" and accused the prime minister of trying to "idly shrug away a disaster that his own government created".

Mr Johnson had been empathising with the problems of young people during the pandemic - including the "mutant algorithm" for exam grades.

"I'm very, very glad that it has finally been sorted out," he told pupils.

The prime minister said education was the "great liberator" and the biggest risk for young people was not Covid-19 - it was "continuing to be out of school".

A statement on the departure of the Department for Education's permanent secretary, Jonathan Slater, said "the prime minister has concluded that there is a need for fresh official leadership" at the department.

The role as the department's most senior civil servant will be taken on in an interim basis by Susan Acland-Hood.

This follows the stepping down of Sally Collier as head of the Ofqual exam watchdog for England.

Both departures followed the high-profile problems caused by replacement grades for A-levels, GCSEs and vocational qualifications for exams cancelled in the pandemic.

This focused on an "algorithm" which was accused of producing unfair results - which after a U-turn was replaced by teachers' estimated grades.

Geoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union, said: "It is abundantly clear that things have not gone well at the Department for Education and Ofqual, culminating in the debacle over this year's GCSE and A-level grades.

"But it is pretty unsavoury that civil servants appear to be carrying the can while ministers remain unscathed."

• PANORAMA: Home isn't always a safe place, especially in lockdown
• GOOD TROUBLE: Your new drama obsession - can these girls make it in LA?

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2020-08-26 15:05:52Z
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Face masks in schools: Wales recommends coverings in secondaries - Sky News

The Welsh government has recommended the use of face coverings in communal areas of secondary schools where social distancing is not possible.

The new guidance also applies to pupils over 11 on school transport, along with college students and staff.

It will require schools and local authorities to carry out risk assessments of their sites to determine if the two-metre rule cannot be maintained.

A joint statement by health minister Vaughan Gething and education minister Kirsty Williams said: "The current advice from the Chief Medical Officer for Wales is that face coverings are recommended for all members of the public over 11 years in indoor settings in which social distancing cannot be maintained, including schools and school transport.

"We will amend our operational guidance for schools and FE to require settings and local authorities to undertake risk assessments of their estates to determine if face coverings should be recommended for their staff and young people in communal areas.

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"This will also include school and college transport."

Mr Gething had asked a scientific advisory group to consider the current coronavirus guidance for the nation's schools, which are due to return next week.

More from Covid-19

That came hours before Boris Johnson reversed advice that pupils should not wear face masks in English secondaries, amid growing pressure from headteachers, teaching unions and medical experts.

Meanwhile, a teaching union questioned if the UK government was following scientific advice or "prioritising political expediency" following the U-turn.

Union chiefs had previously urged clarity on wearing masks and sought reassurance for pupils, staff and parents ahead of schools reopening next week.

PM: We're following WHO advice on masks in schools

:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said: "It is deeply regrettable that the government has failed to heed concerns until the last possible moment.

"The latest announcement on face coverings raises serious questions about whether the government is seriously following the scientific advice or is simply prioritising political expediency in order to meet the prime minister's wish to ensure that every school reopens fully at the start of term come what may.

Minister defends U-turn on masks advice

"This latest government U-turn will raise questions about the statement issued by the UK's chief medical officers last Sunday that there is a low risk of coronavirus transmission in schools."

The chief and deputy chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said in a joint statement on Sunday that children have an "exceptionally low risk of dying" from COVID-19.

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2020-08-26 15:11:15Z
52781019845623

A-levels and GCSEs: Boris Johnson blames 'mutant algorithm' for exam fiasco - BBC News

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has blamed a "mutant algorithm" for this summer's exam results fiasco.

"I am afraid your grades were almost derailed by a mutant algorithm and I know how stressful that must have been," Mr Johnson told pupils at a school in Leicestershire.

Replacement grades caused chaos and required changes to some results.

In the fall-out from the exam problems, the Department for Education's permanent secretary has stepped down.

The National Education Union called Mr Johnson's comments "brazen" and accused the prime minister of trying to "idly shrug away a disaster that his own government created".

Mr Johnson had been empathising with the problems of young people during the pandemic - including the "mutant algorithm" for exam grades.

"I'm very, very glad that it has finally been sorted out," he told pupils.

The prime minister said education was the "great liberator" and the biggest risk for young people was not Covid-19 - it was "continuing to be out of school".

A statement on the departure of the Department for Education's permanent secretary, Jonathan Slater, said "the prime minister has concluded that there is a need for fresh official leadership" at the department.

The role as the department's most senior civil servant will be taken on in an interim basis by Susan Acland-Hood.

This follows the stepping down of Sally Collier as head of the Ofqual exam watchdog for England.

Both departures followed the high-profile problems caused by replacement grades for A-levels, GCSEs and vocational qualifications for exams cancelled in the pandemic.

This focused on an "algorithm" which was accused of producing unfair results - which after a U-turn was replaced by teachers' estimated grades.

Geoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union, said: "It is abundantly clear that things have not gone well at the Department for Education and Ofqual, culminating in the debacle over this year's GCSE and A-level grades.

"But it is pretty unsavoury that civil servants appear to be carrying the can while ministers remain unscathed."

• PANORAMA: Home isn't always a safe place, especially in lockdown
• GOOD TROUBLE: Your new drama obsession - can these girls make it in LA?

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2020-08-26 14:52:22Z
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Boris Johnson admits face mask U-turn inspired by 'sensible' Scottish decision - The Telegraph

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1. Boris Johnson admits face mask U-turn inspired by 'sensible' Scottish decision  The Telegraph
2. 'Nonsense': Boris Johnson rubbishes claim he is planning to QUIT as PM in six months  Daily Mail
3. Boris Johnson spotted running with celebrity personal trainer as he continues post-COVID fitness drive  Sky News
4. The Tory party has been hollowed out and filled with Boris Johnson's vanity  The Guardian
5. Is Boris Johnson's time as PM drawing to a close?  The Independent
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2020-08-26 13:17:03Z
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Coronavirus in Scotland: First deaths after positive test for six weeks - BBC News

Two new deaths following a positive test for coronavirus have been reported in Scotland for the first time since 16 July.

It brings the total number of deaths in Scotland under this measure to 2,494.

Meanwhile, the National Records of Scotland (NRS) has also reported six deaths where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate last week.

The deaths were registered between 17 and 23 August, bringing the total to 4,222 by this measure.

Four of the deaths were in a care home and two were in a hospital, according to the NRS.

Giving her daily update on coronavirus, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs the two deaths on the daily figures were a reminder that coronavirus was still a "threat" in Scotland.

"I think all of us have become used to hearing news of no deaths under these daily figures," Ms Sturgeon said.

"These two new deaths today are of course devastating for those who will be grieving the loss. But they should also be a reminder for all of us that the threat of Covid hasn't yet gone away".

The two deaths are of patients who tested positive for Covid-19 within the past 28 days.

Scotland's Covid-19 deaths following positive test

Scotland's first coronavirus death was reported by NHS Lothian on 13 March.

The number of daily deaths following a positive test peaked at 84 on 15 April, with 83 deaths also reported on 29 April and 6 May.

But the number has been mainly declining since early May and the figure has not increased at all for six weeks.

The NRS death figures are higher because they count all death certificates that mention Covid-19, even if the person has not been tested for the virus.

They include cases where the person has tested positive for the virus, and where it is suspected but not confirmed.

Ms Sturgeon also reported that there had been 67 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Scotland in the last 24 hours.

Six more people are in hospital, bringing the total to 249, and two people are in intensive care.

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2020-08-26 12:45:00Z
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Gers figures: Scotland's public spending deficit rises to £15.1bn - BBC News

Scotland spent £15.1bn more on public services than it raised in taxes last year, according to Scottish government statistics.

This public spending deficit was £2bn higher than the previous year, and represented 8.6% of the country's GDP.

The figures cover the financial year to 5 April 2020, so do not reflect the full impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The deficit for the UK as a whole rose from 1.9% of its GDP to 2.5% for the same period.

The statistics also estimated that Scotland raised £308 less per person than the UK average in taxation, while public spending was £1,663 per person higher in Scotland.

• Read the full Gers report
• What is Gers and how is it calculated?

The figures were contained in the annual Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (Gers) statistics which have become a key battleground in the independence debate in recent years.

They are compiled by Scottish government statisticians free of political interference, and estimate spending that "benefits the people of Scotland" by the Scottish government, UK government, and all other parts of the public sector in Scotland.

It also estimates the total amount of taxation raised in Scotland, including a proportional share of UK government taxes.

PA images

Where is public money being spent in Scotland?Source: Gers

What does the report say?

The report estimated that a total of £81bn was spent by the public sector in Scotland last year - about £2.5bn more than the previous year.

Meanwhile total revenues were put at £65.9bn, which was an increase of 0.7% and the highest on record.

But revenues from the North Sea oil and gas industry dropped by £642m to £724m, which the report said reflected a fall in the oil price towards the end of the year.

North Sea tax receipts brought in about £11bn a decade ago.

The report says that its figures include the "initial impacts" of the coronavirus pandemic - but warns that the impact will be greater next year.

What has the reaction been?

The Scottish government's finance secretary, Kate Forbes, said the pandemic had "fundamentally changed the fiscal landscape".

She added: "We are now witnessing an unprecedented health and economic crisis.

"Countries across the world, including the UK, have increased borrowing to record levels and, as we emerge from the pandemic, high fiscal deficits will inevitably be one of the consequences.

"An independent Scotland would have the power to make different choices, with different economic budgetary results."

'Massive setback'

But the Scottish Conservatives said the figures were a "massive setback for SNP plans for separation" and showed that being part of the UK was "more valuable than ever" to Scotland.

The party's finance spokesman, Murdo Fraser, said Scotland's public spending deficit was now higher than its health budget of £13.8bn.

He said: "The SNP and Nicola Sturgeon herself used to hail Gers figures as all the evidence Scotland needed to separate from the UK.

"Now, nationalists will spend the day denying facts from their own government."

His comments were echoed by the UK government's Scottish secretary, Alasdair Jack, who said the "Union dividend" was worth £1,941 for every person in Scotland.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said the figures showed that Scotland's deficit had increased even before the full economic impact of coronavirus were felt.

He added: "With billions draining from the Scottish economy in the event of separation, Scotland would be thrust into years of savage and unrelenting austerity."

The Scottish Greens said the statistics showed that the "old economic system" had failed, and that "independence must come with a determination to build a future for all in a new greener Scotland."

And the Scottish Liberal Democrats said the "eye-watering" figures "really drive home just how economically valuable the partnership across these isles is".

---

Every part of the UK is out of kilter. Three parts are reckoned to be net contributors: London, south-east England and the east of England.

Scotland is one of the net beneficiaries, but the notional deficit per head is lower than Northern Ireland, Wales and the north of England.

Its tax take per head is close to that of the UK average, which indicates the economy has been performing nearly as strongly as the UK one. Scotland's spending level per head is significantly higher than the UK figure.

So why does this matter so much in Scotland but not elsewhere? Probably because Scots are debating whether to become independent or not.

Next August, Gers will look very different. The UK, Scotland and every other country are facing enormous deficits, from lower tax and higher spending, and the damage from having to tackle coronavirus and recession is likely to be felt for several years to come.

These figures are acknowledged by most people, on both sides of the debate, as the starting point for a discussion about the affordability of public services and welfare benefits if Scotland's budget were to stand alone.

But they only show the starting point if Scotland had become independent last year, and before any changes could be made to tax or spending.

With a deficit of 8.6% of total output - well above a sustainable level - many of those early decisions would be difficult.

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2020-08-26 10:41:15Z
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