Scotland's papers: Anger at online teaching 'postcode lottery'
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The Scotsman says Nicola Sturgeon has been challenged to publish a timetable for the full return of children to schools amid concerns over a “postcode lottery” in online learning for pupils in lockdown and the impact of “blended learning” on the attainment gap. The paper says in a series of bad-tempered exchanges at First Minister’s Questions, Ms Sturgeon was heavily criticised over her government’s plans for returning children to school in August with a mix of home and in-school learning to cope with social distancing.
The Edinburgh Evening News reports that council officials have told parents that pupils in Edinburgh will only get two days in school per week if the two metre social distancing guidelines are not relaxed or if the Scottish government provides £30m of new funding.
The Herald leads with a report that social care workers in Scotland are more than twice as likely to die from Covid as colleagues on the NHS frontline. The paper says the mortality rate from the virus among healthcare workers is also lower than the average for all working adults aged 20 to 64.
In the Scottish edition of The Times, the economist behind Nicola Sturgeon’s fiscal blueprint for independence predicts that Scotland’s economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic will be the worst in the developed world.
The Daily Mail leads with the same story, with the SNP advisor warning that Scotland is facing the worst economic crash of any developed nation in the world.
There's "fury" at the idea of the government "axing" the pension triple lock on the front page of the Daily Express. The paper says pensioners "could lose £1,900 a year".
The Daily Telegraph's lead story is a warning from the Prince of Wales of the "potentially devastating" impact of the pandemic on young people. Prince Charles says the problems children face today are worse than in the mid-1970s, the paper reports.
Ruth Davidson has been urged to explain why she attacked the integrity of a well-respected public health official, according to The National. The paper says the former Scottish Tory leader accused Devi Sridhar of compromising her position on the return of Scottish schools because she had been leaned on by SNP ministers.
Boris Johnson is spending £900,000 on a Union Jack paint job for an RAF aircraft to help jet ministers abroad, according to the Daily Record. The paper says the makeover to transform the RAF Voyager aircraft from grey to sporting a Union Jack-inspired red, white and blue on the rear of its fuselage and up the fin was confirmed by Downing Street.
The Sun features a TV interview with Barbara Windsor’s husband who says she will have to move to a care home. Scott Mitchell, 57, revealed his 82-year-old wife’s Alzheimer’s has worsened in an interview with Ross Kemp for a programme about dementia.
The Glasgow Times reports that "angry thugs" clashed with asylum rights protesters in George Square. Six men were arrested after violent clashes in the city centre last night.
The Courier leads with research that says half the charities in Tayside and Fife believe they could run out of cash reserves within just six months, while one in five fear folding altogether. The findings came from research commissioned by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations which asked organisations about the impact of the pandemic.
The P&J reports on a jobs boost for Fraserburgh as work begins on a massive offshore wind farm. The paper says about 100 jobs will be created.
The Aberdeen Evening Express says new figures have revealed Woodside in Aberdeen has the highest death rate across the north and north-east from Covid-19 and falls within the top 20 highest death rates in Scotland.
The Evening Telegraph has a story about an injured thief asking police to give him a lift home.
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