Written Question · S6W-06355 · Session 6
Further to the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills to the Education, Children and Young People Committee on 28 Janua…
The question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills to the Education, Children and Young People Committee on 28 January 2022, what it means when it states that 2% to 4% of learning, teaching and play spaces have “so far” fallen into the problematic category; whether work is therefore still ongoing to establish whether there are more spaces that fall within this category, and whether it will provide an account of the margin for error.
The answer
Local authority feedback indicates that all learning, teaching and play spaces in Scottish schools and ELC settings have received CO2 assessments and, at a point in time (in the most part before the October holidays 2021), around 2-4% (around 2,000) of those spaces had been problematic. Problematic spaces are defined as those having consistently high CO2 readings (above 1500ppm) despite basic mitigation measures being implemented.
Following the assessment, local authorities will have then taken remedial action and therefore we would expect the issues in those problematic spaces to have been addressed.
However, ventilation is a complex issue requiring, among other things, ongoing monitoring and management. For example, changes in room use or weather conditions can result in assessments of air quality changing over time, requiring fresh remedial action.
Our guidance makes clear that all learning, teaching and play spaces should be assessed at least once per week. The Scottish Government has agreed formal reporting requirements regarding the number of remaining problematic spaces with local authorities. We will provide an update to the Education, Children and Young People Committee in due course, subject to receipt of local authority returns.
Following the assessment, local authorities will have then taken remedial action and therefore we would expect the issues in those problematic spaces to have been addressed.
However, ventilation is a complex issue requiring, among other things, ongoing monitoring and management. For example, changes in room use or weather conditions can result in assessments of air quality changing over time, requiring fresh remedial action.
Our guidance makes clear that all learning, teaching and play spaces should be assessed at least once per week. The Scottish Government has agreed formal reporting requirements regarding the number of remaining problematic spaces with local authorities. We will provide an update to the Education, Children and Young People Committee in due course, subject to receipt of local authority returns.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S6W-06355 by reference.