John Swinney's statement on Scottish schools reopening – in full

For that reason, while it has been critical to suppress the virus, we have been clear that these closures cannot go on for a minute longer than necessary.

We want Scotland’s children back in school full time as soon as possible and as soon as it is safe to do so.

That ambition is shared within the Education Recovery Group – our partnership with local government, unions representing teachers and other school staff and parent representatives.

Presiding Officer, today I want to set out the government’s ambitions for when that full-time return to school might be.

When I published the Strategic Framework from the Education Recovery Group report on 21 May, we had a clear expectation that the outlook on coronavirus was bleak.

At that point, there were around 20,000 people in Scotland who could transmit the infection. On 21 May, 1,318 people were in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, including 51 in intensive care. Tragically, over the course of that week 230 people passed away from the virus.

And, not only was that position bleak, but at that time the majority view of our scientific advisers was that physical distancing would be necessary if schools were to open. Blended learning was developed therefore to restore some form of face-to-face education against that outlook.

Working through the Education Recovery Group we built a plan – a plan based on making the very best of the very difficult circumstances that we expected to face.

It was a contingency plan that was and is necessary. And, for the last month, councils and teachers have been working hard to enact that contingency.

Presiding Officer, even while we took this work forward we continued to make the point that we did not want to see blended learning implemented for a moment longer than necessary.

Now, thankfully, the picture looks more positive.

Since May, because of the efforts of our fellow citizens to stay at home, we have seen Scotland make significant progress.

There are now only around 2,000 infectious people in Scotland – a reduction of around 90 per cent since May. There has been a sustained downward trend in Covid-19 deaths. Intensive care cases now stand at a fraction of what they were.

If we stay on this trajectory – which cannot be taken for granted – by August the position will be even better. That is good news.

That means we are now able to update our planning assumptions.

If we stay on track, if we all continue to do what is right and if we can further suppress this terrible virus, the government believes that we should prepare for children to be able to return to school full-time in August.

I must stress, this is the aim that the government is now working towards. However, because it has to be achieved safely, it inevitably remains conditional and dependent upon ongoing scientific and health advice.

Presiding Officer, this will be part of a wider approach. If we continue to make progress at the rate we envisage, by August it is possible – though of course by no means certain – that we may have successfully achieved, or be well on the way, to phase four of the Scottish Government route-map.

I have to be honest with Parliament and admit that when we prepared our plans back in May, I frankly could not have imagined that we would be where we are now.

It is this more positive outlook that allows the Scottish Government to make this change of planning assumption for schools.

But it is a change born out of the hard work and sacrifice of people in every part of the country, sticking to the guidance, staying at home and suppressing this virus. In particular, we should highlight the many people who as parents have supported their children while continuing to hold down jobs and caring commitments.

It is a change born of the actions of our citizens.

They delivered it.

Now it falls to the Scottish Government, our local government colleagues, teachers and school staff to build on it.

I want to commend the work of local authorities and school and early learning and childcare staff across Scotland for the way in which they have responded to this emergency. They have worked tirelessly to protect the interests of our children and young people – through our childcare hubs, ensuring ongoing provision of free school meals, delivering remote learning and planning for the next term.

I know they will continue to rise to the challenge as we get ready for the next school year.

Presiding Officer, that is the good news. But I must emphasise the importance of Scotland staying on track if we are to make it a reality.

And we must be clear that blended learning is a contingency that we may still need to enact.