Coronavirus infection rates in Scotland’s school-age population exploded at the end of last month and into 2021, with senior pupils most at risk.

Newly-released data will fuel fears over the spread of a more transmissible strain of Covid-19 as youngsters complete their first week of remote learning since the start of term.

Schools are closed until at least February 1 under plans aimed at containing the disease.

A review of arrangements is due to take place within days.

But Education Secretary John Swinney has warned that re-opening at the start of next month will be a “tall order”.

He said: “The government will look at these questions at the Cabinet on Tuesday and the first minister will give an update to parliament, but the virus is still at a very high level in general within society and we took the view that we had to have the level of community transmission suppressed to enable us to protect the NHS.”

The week ending January 3 saw the percentage of children and young people testing positive rocket to record levels across all age groups.

Infection rates were highest among those aged 16-17, reaching 302.5 cases per 100,000. The general population figure was 268.5.

Rates were lowest among those in the 2-4 and 5-11 age groups, sitting at 73.1 and 102.1 respectively.

The trend has sparked anxiety over the educational welfare of secondary students as they prepare for the alternative assessment process which was announced following cancellation of National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams.

Minutes for the January 6 meeting of the Advisory Sub-Group on Education and Children’s Issues state that there is “increasing concern” for senior phase pupils, as well as recognition of the need for a “long-term strategy” to support them.

Members also highlighted the importance of thinking about “ages and stages, and not to take a blanket approach to school re-opening”.

The minutes say it “may be possible to re-open primary schools and ELC first, if the data suggests that these remain relatively safe in terms of transmission of the new variant”.

Glasgow Times: Pupils are at the end of their first week of remote learning since the start of term.Pupils are at the end of their first week of remote learning since the start of term.

Larry Flanagan, General Secretary at the EIS union, stressed the need to consider a blended learning approach.

“Clearly schools can only re-open when it is safe to do so and that means achieving an R figure significantly below 1 as well as being able to move out of lockdown arrangements,” he said.

“A significant factor is the new variant which seems to infect young people as much as adults and to be much more highly transmissible.

“The most recent figures for Scotland reveal that infection levels amongst school age individuals have rocketed to their highest levels since the pandemic started.

“Having pupils in school, therefore, with no physical distancing becomes highly problematic and it may be that schools will have to reopen on a blended learning approach for a period of time, ie part time attendance to allow physical distancing in the class.”

He added: “Transparency around the emerging evidence on the new variant is critical.

“Vaccine roll out and pro-active testing are also important elements in how schools might re-open physically.”

There are also indications that fears over the new strain of Covid-19 prompted worried parents to take matters into their own hands towards the end of last term.

Data shows a big spike in non-Covid-related pupil absence from mid-December, particularly among secondary-age young people.

Eileen Prior, executive director of parents’ organisation Connect, said: “As well as growing concerns about rates in England, the new variant and about virus rates in some Scottish local authorities, parents and young people would also have been hearing about suspected, or actual, cases in their communities and in their schools.

“On top of this, the teachers’ unions were calling for remote learning and the possibility of closing schools and nurseries early for Christmas was being widely discussed.

“In this frightening and unsettling context, it is not surprising if some parents became so anxious that they decided to keep their children and young people at home.”