Police could challenge children who break new Covid laws by walking to school together
Scottish children are breaking the law if they play with two or more friends from different households in their free time but they can mix in unlimited numbers in school, under SNP regulations that came into effect on Monday.
The regulations stipulated that all children must be counted towards the two-household limit Nicola Sturgeon has introduced for gatherings to try and stop the spread of coronavirus.
But they included a specific exemption for schools, which pupils are attending with no social distancing from each other in classrooms, corridors and playgrounds.
This means that children must stay apart from more than one friend outside of school gates, including walking to and from school, but are permitted to mix freely when they are there.
Nicola Sturgeon insisted that "these apparent inconsistencies are the essential trade-offs" required to keep schools open by curtailing transmission of Covid-19.
Police Scotland said there would not be routine patrols outside of schools but officers would "engage" with pupils if they saw them flouting the new rules.
But an influential parents' campaign group said the new regime was "extremely complicated" and expressed concern that "scaring the bejesus" out of children could be required to get them to socially distance outside the school gates.
Jo Bisset, of Us for Them Scotland, questioned what "extreme fear" would have to be instilled in youngsters to get them to stay away from their friends outside of school.
The regulations brought into law Ms Sturgeon's decision last week to follow Boris Johnson by limiting gatherings to six people.
Unlike in England, children under 12 are not counted towards the limit but the First Minister also restricted gatherings to two households. There is no household limit south of the Border.
The regulations contained exemptions for places of childcare, education or training and worship and university halls of residence. House moves, funerals and marriages are also allowed to involve more than six people from two households.
In addition, organised activities that are held outdoors are also exempt, a category that appeared to include grouse shooting and stalking on Scotland's sporting estates.
The First Minister introduced the new restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings as coronavirus cases surged in Scotland to a four-month high.
Ms Sturgeon reiterated that she was seeking further advice on whether it was possible "in some limited circumstances" to exclude children from the two-household limit "and we will report back on that as soon as possible."
Asked whether it was realistic to ask pupils to stay apart outside school when they are mixing inside, she said her niece had posed her a similar question and admitted it was "not easy for people to understand".
She said: "These apparent inconsistencies are the essential trade-offs we need to make. It's about restricting our household interactions in other ways and in other settings that we try to protect the ability of our young people to be at school.
"The more outside of school settings all of us are limiting interactions, the more chance we've got of being able to keep schools open."
A Police Scotland spokesman said: "Our officers won’t be routinely patrolling outside schools or in play parks, but where they see people who are clearly in breach of the regulations, then they will engage with them in line with the consistent approach we have taken since the start of this public health emergency.”
Meanwhile, the Scottish Government announced a ban on visiting other households has been extended in Glasgow, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire.
An early assessment of the clampdown in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area suggested it is slowing the increase in cases but the virus infection rate continued to be above the national average. However, it is too early to evaluate the impact in Lanarkshire, where restrictions were imposed on Friday.
