Parents across Scotland are refusing to send their children back to school after hundreds of schools received a bomb threat on Monday morning, prompting evacuations and closures.
Although pupils had not yet returned following the October break, staff working during in-service days were told to go home. Police Scotland has said the incident is being treated as a hoax, with more than 300 calls received, but the investigation remains ongoing.
Parents demand answers
Schools and nurseries confirmed they would reopen to pupils today, but many parents said they would not allow their children to return while the investigation remains open.
Amber Hamilton, from Edinburgh, said: "Schools and nurseries are back open today after the threats made yesterday. Whether yesterday's threats turn out to be a hoax or not, they cannot simply be brushed under the carpet and forgotten about. Parents deserve answers, transparency and reassurance that the correct steps have been taken to protect our children. We are expected to send our children back to school and nursery and carry on as normal, but how can parents feel reassured when there has been so little communication?"
She called on the Scottish Government to address parents about the safety measures that will be put in place to protect children during such events. She added: "As parents, we need to stand together, speak up and demand answers. This is not about spreading fear or causing panic; it's about asking the right questions and making sure our children's safety is taken seriously. Why have we not heard more from the Scottish Government about this situation?"
Parents keep children at home
Donna Ferguson, from Milngavie, said she had written a letter to her child's school expressing her concerns. In the letter, she said: "I remain extremely concerned about the situation and, as a parent, I do not currently feel that I have received enough firm reassurance to feel comfortable sending my children into school. Given the unforeseen situations and incidents that have been happening across the country recently, which you can appreciate have already heightened our concerns as parents, this latest situation has understandably added to those worries. I hope you can understand why I feel I need to be completely reassured about the safety of my children before sending them back. For the time being, I have therefore decided to keep them at home until I feel there is clearer and more definitive advice regarding the situation and the safety measures being put in place. I am not taking this decision lightly. I simply want to be confident that every appropriate precaution has been considered before sending my children back into school."
Maxwell McCallum, from Leith in Edinburgh, said: "My kids will not be going to school - they can't even say what safety measures have been put out. I'm not risking my kids' lives." Amy White, also of Leith, said: "It's more than likely a hoax but my children's lives aren't worth that gamble. Until it's confirmed a hoax and no longer being investigated, my children will be off."
Council and police response
Around 148 Glasgow schools received the threatening messages, with some evacuating before later returning. Some teachers in Inverclyde decided to work from home as a result of the threats. Nurseries in Stirlingshire remained open as normal.
Glasgow City Council confirmed it is continuing to work with police to look into the matter, and that children's safety remains their top priority. North Lanarkshire Council said it was "working closely with Police Scotland" over the calls, saying its schools "have well-established procedures for dealing with these type of incidents" and that they would be remaining open.
Edinburgh education convener councillor James Dalgleish said: "While I'm obviously relieved that this has been confirmed as a hoax, I'm hugely frustrated that someone would target schools and young people in this way – causing unnecessary disruption right across the UK. With it being an in-service day here in Edinburgh, the impact on our pupils was thankfully more limited but that doesn't take away from the stupidity of this person's actions. I am, however, reassured that our procedures were properly followed and that, as far as possible, we were able to put alternative arrangements in place."
Threats to hundreds of schools in Northern Ireland are also not being treated as viable. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said they are treating the threatening emails sent to hundreds of schools as a hoax, and that the message originated from outside the UK.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Police Scotland received more than 300 calls after threatening messages were sent to a number of schools across Scotland. These messages are being treated as a hoax. Officers and staff from Police Scotland's Cyber and Fraud Unit are carrying out extensive enquiries to establish the source. For information about specific schools, contact your local authority."
The Scottish Government said it was informed about the threats. A spokesperson said: "We are aware threatening messages have been sent to a number of schools across Scotland and elsewhere in the UK. Police Scotland is investigating and treating (them) as a hoax."
Last month, a male youth was charged in connection with malicious communications after a hoax school bomb threat in East Kilbride. Police Scotland were alerted to the message that was posted by an anonymous social media account. The force said "subsequent online messaging" claimed explosives had been hidden at Calderglen High School. Officers swept the area with specialist resources - including sniffer dogs - at the time, but nothing of concern was found.
