More ventilation and less wood chopping needed to keep classrooms covid safe 

By Lucy Ashton

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton today challenged First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to drop her “baffling adventures in woodwork” and to recognise the value and need of ventilation devices in every classroom, after unveiling that covid rates in Edinburgh schools have quadrupled.

Mr Cole-Hamilton revealed that in the four weeks between January 1^st and February 4^th 2022, there have been 6,709 Covid cases in Edinburgh’s schools. That is nearly as many cases as the 7,382 cases recorded in the four months between August 16^th and December 31^st 2021.

Last week Scottish Liberal Democrats revealed a leaked report commissioned by Edinburgh City Council which showed all but two schools surveyed in detail failed CO2 threshold tests amid concern about the ventilation in classrooms, while also highlighting that the Education Secretary announced the government is going to spend £300,000 chopping the bottom off doors on 2000 classrooms where airflow is poor.

Mr Cole-Hamilton, left, said:  “It is clear we are preparing for a life beyond face masks in our schools, on one hand, that is very welcome for both well-being and school cohesion. 

“However, teaching unions have expressed some anxieties, after all, air quality in Scottish classrooms is still a cause of significant concern.

“We learned this week that in Edinburgh’s schools alone, Covid infection rate has quadrupled since Christmas. Schools are still on the frontline of this pandemic.

“Teaching unions and health and safety bodies believe that fitting HEPA air filter units in every classroom could reduce infection and CO2 levels.

“Instead of the First Minister’s baffling adventures in woodwork, I ask her to recognise that the installation of air cleaning in every classroom will drive down infection and boost attainment.”