By Democrat reporter
Hundreds of people who use schools for leisure and sports activities are being left out in the cold by West Dunbartonshire Council.
Covid 19 is the main reason for this, members of the Council were told this week in a short report from the local authority management.
PE, for example, is offered to school pupils outdoors only at schools such as Our Lady and St Patrick’s in Bellsmyre, Dumbarton, with further guidance awaited from the Scottish Government regarding the provision of PE indoors.
All schools reopened full-time in August in line with and stringently following the Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland guidance.
And the main focus for Educational Services continues to be on maintaining the delivery of education, learning and attainment to children and young people and ensuring daily contact with our most vulnerable families.
The update adds: “This core service delivery is comprehensively supported by the Facilities Management team which in line with Scottish Government guidance has adopted an enhanced cleaning regime in all schools to ensure the health and safety of all school staff and pupils. This provision has required additional resources within the service.
“Currently indoor lets to community groups cannot be accommodated due to the impact and potential disruption to the enhanced cleaning programme which takes place both during and after the school day.
“In addition, Facilities Management employees who supported outdoor lets including school pitches pre-Covid are now providing resilience in relation to enhanced cleaning and other staffing issues and are therefore not available.
“Educational Services and FM will continue to review the provision of community lets within educational establishments and will contact community groups as soon as lets can be accommodated in line with national guidance and while ensuring the health and safety of all employees, pupils and community groups.”