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The Scottish Conservatives leader warned parents are “being let down” by Scotland’s education secretary John Swinney and the SNP leader. He tweeted: “Nicola Sturgeon said that education is her top priority, but the facts and figures just don’t stack up. My inbox is full of rightly angry parents who are being let down by John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon. The SNP are failing our children.”

Ms Sturgeon has faced criticism over plans for pupils to only return for part of the week when schools reopen on August 11, with the rest of their learning done at home.

The proposals could see some children spend just one day a week in the classroom.

Public health expert Devi Sridhar, who has advised the Scottish Government on coronavirus, called for schools to “reopen as normally as possible” in August with youngsters back five days a week if coronavirus cases are low enough.

The Edinburgh University professor tweeted: “If Covid-19 numbers can be brought low enough in Scotland by 11 August (under 20 confirmed cases) & with appropriate ‘test and protect’ policies, my personal view is that schools should re-open as normally as possible (kids back full-time & able to play/interact together).”

Responding to Ms Sridhar, the SNP leader insisted schools may be able to open with “nearer normality” depending on how far the virus has been suppressed.

She said: “Right now (like other UK nations), we must plan for a school model based on physical distancing.

“But as @devisridhar says, if we can suppress virus sufficiently & have other measures in place, nearer normality may be possible. It’s why we must stick with plan to suppress.

“We’ll be guided by evidence & won’t compromise safety (we still don’t know everything about this virus).

“And we’ll work with parents, young people & teachers to build confidence.

“All countries grappling with these tough issues – @scotgov determined to do right for children.”

Scotland’s Education Secretary prompted a furious reaction from parents on Sunday when he warned it was “unlikely” that education would return to normal in the next academic year.

Mr Swinney said it was because “we’ll have to maintain the social distancing approaches for some considerable time to come”.

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But on Monday Ms Sturgeon denied that the blended learning system could last for all of the next school year.

She said: “It is absolutely not the case that we are planning for blended learning, with children learning at home for part of the school week, to last a year, or anything like it.”

Lindsey Watt, one of the Scottish Government’s International Council of Education Advisers, insisted the Scottish Government has planned for the “worst-case scenario” with its blended learning proposals in an appearance on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme on Thursday.

She said: “The Scottish Government issued guidance based on scientific advice and international experience on how school communities could return to their buildings after Covid-19.

“Lots of people, including the International Council, the Education Recovery Group, parents, local authorities, have been consulted on how that might look.

“At the forefront of all of these meetings it was the health and safety of Scotland’s children, school staff and local communities that were given the highest priority.

“If infection rates are kept low over the summer I believe that there are high hopes we may return to nearer normal levels of attendance in August, and I believe that is what the Scottish Government wants.

“We can be reassured that everyone in Scottish education is working together to get the bairns back into school.”

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