And Education Minister Tracey Vallois has not ruled out schools opening during the summer but said the current plans remained for schools to reopen on 5 May. This, she said, was dependent on health advice.
Children have been off school for a number of weeks because of the Covid-19 outbreak – but some are still able to attend school if their parents are deemed to be essential workers.
Teachers are still setting work for pupils and keeping in touch with them online.
Children’s Commissioner Deborah McMillan has backed a summer extension for schools to remain open, but believes this should be more for support services rather than placing added pressure on children to catch up on work.
She has also said she is carrying out a survey to better understand the needs of children coming out of lockdown.
She added: ‘For some children being off school for the lockdown won’t impact them, but it will affect others and the support needs to be there for those children.
‘It won’t be business as usual when we come out of this. Children and young people will need help to manage mental-health issues and other things.
‘I’ve spoken about schools being open in the summer holidays but what I meant by that was not for children to have added pressure to catch up on work.
‘It should be for support services and for children to have the support they need coming out of this.
‘We need to plan this now. A multi-disciplinary approach is crucial to support pupils, parents and staff.
‘We also must ask children and young people what help they need.’
Senator Vallois said the current school closures were due to be lifted next month, but that multiple scenarios were being planned for.
She said: ‘At the moment it is back to school on 5 May, but that all depends on the health advice. If that changes we will need to elongate the school closures, but it is too early to say at the moment.
‘It is much easier to close a school than it is to reopen one, and planning is going on for a number of different scenarios.
‘We are going to have to be very, very careful about going back to school. We will have to look at the data, look at who has been tested and the contact tracing.
‘Summer holidays are still on the table but that all depends on how long the lockdown goes on for.’
