Monday March 30th 2020
Dalkeith High School is one of the 9 schools being used as hubs across Midlothian.
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp
Learning hubs set up to support more than 400 children of key workers in Midlothian will remain open during the Easter holidays, it has been confirmed.
Midlothian Council has opened nine hubs across the county to support frontline workers after schools across Scotland were shut.
And they have said the hubs will stay open throughout the Easter school holidays, which were due to start from Monday, April 6.
In total 441 children of key workers have been offered places in the hubs.
The local authority identified category one workers as health and care workers directly supporting COVID response and associated staff, health and care workers supporting life-threatening emergency work, as well as critical primary and community care provision, energy suppliers, and staff providing childcare/learning for other Category 1 staff.
Saltersgate School, Dalkeith, has remained open to support pupils with severe and complex needs and senior students attending other schools who have complex needs are being supported.
The council said: “The fewer children travelling to school and the fewer children in schools, the lower the risk that the virus can spread to vulnerable people in the community.
“Our hubs will care for a limited number of children: who are vulnerable; whose parents are critical to the pandemic response and cannot be cared for at home.”
Midlothian Council’s chief executive Grace Vickers described all her staff’s efforts to keep services going as “absolutely heroic”.
And she said she had been proud of the community who turned out to applaud NHS staff last night as part of a nationwide thank you.
In a message to staff on Friday, she said: “Your efforts have been absolutely heroic and I am so pleased that we have been able to help so many people over the course of the week.
“Thank you to everyone who took part in last night’s applause for the NHS which took place at 8pm – I have never heard my neighbourhood clapping so loudly. Fantastic to know that we are all here to support our NHS, helping them to save lives.”
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