Moray education staff praised after 'difficult and challenging' term
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
WITH Covid restrictions tightened as the country moves into 2022, Moray Council's education committee chairwoman has praised all those involved with the region's schools for helping keep children safe.
Councillor Sonya Warren (Buckie, SNP) described last term as a "difficult and challenging" one which came to an end as new rules were announced designed to stem the tidal wave of omicron cases threatening to overwhelm the NHS and to help protect the elderly and more vulnerable.
She said: "Everyone has had to work really hard to keep our schools safe environments to allow our children and young people to keep going to school and continue with their learning.
"The education team have worked increasingly hard to keep the schools open as absences rise.
"Heartfelt thanks is due to everyone that has contributed to achieving this, our staff, including our cleaners and janitors have often gone above and beyond what is their normal job to enable this to happen.
"Parents and family have also made a huge contribution to sticking to the guidance and helping to protect others which is vitally important when we are in a public health emergency."
Councillor Warren went on to note that the near normality in the run up to the festive season which had been hoped for earlier in the year had frustratingly not come to pass
She continued: "It was another very unusual run up to Christmas, with families missing the hugely popular Christmas shows and nativity plays, which are some of my favourite events in the calendar.
"Buckie High School also had to cancel their festive social events to comply with the guidance. It's so unfortunate that these restrictions happened at that time of the year but we all have a responsibility and duty to protect others in the community.
"My grateful thanks goes to everyone who puts themselves at risk daily to provide essential services, not just the education teams but the shop workers, the bin men, home carers, NHS workers and utility workers, to name a few. They certainly deserve our thanks and respect for what they do.
"It's never to late to help support them by getting your vaccination or booster jab and following the current recommendations and socially distance. Be kind and think of others.
"Let's all hope for a better 2022."
