EDUCATION chief Carrie Lindsay has reassured parents over measures being taken to keep their children safe when schools return.

Fife Council's executive director for education and children's services sent a letter to families last week after many raised concerns as the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area's 17 primary schools and Beath and Lochgelly High Schools are now set to welcome pupils on August 12.

The Scottish Government announced last week that it was planning for all schools across the country to re-open full-time in August with no social distancing.

In an effort to allay any worries over health and safety, Ms Lindsay wrote to parents and carers on Wednesday last week to state that Fife Council would be following the latest scientific and public health advice to keep children safe.

She said: "We have been asked to re-open schools to all of our children and young people from August.

"For many of you this news will be very welcome, but I understand it brings with it questions about how this will work and how we make this safe for everyone.

"The announcement was made on the basis that the cases of COVID-19 continue to fall and therefore I understand the advice has changed regarding children and physical distancing.

"Now that children and young people are no longer expected to keep a two-metre distance in school when they return, we will be looking at other ways to manage any potential spread of the virus when our children and young people come back to school.

"I would want to reassure you that any re-opening of schools will be made taking account of the most up to date scientific and public health advice".

Ms Lindsay added: "We have already carried out risk assessments on all our schools to make sure they were as prepared as possible for the re-opening in June.

"These will now be reviewed, making any necessary adjustments to accommodate a return for all of our children and young people to school.

"In the meantime, the huge amount of planning put in place for blended learning will still be there if we need to put that in place at any point in the future, either across Fife or for individual schools or school clusters.

"I want to thank you all for the support you have shown so far, and for your help in getting us to a place where we can begin to look at a full return to school.

"I’d ask you to stick to the advice that is being given in the meantime, to help us keep the virus at bay and let our children and young people return to school, see their friends and continue their learning journey."