Good morning, Welcome to Tuesday's newsletter from The Scotsman. It's an important day for Scottish parents, we're due for a major update on schools. Before we begin, f you value what we do and want to support trusted Scottish journalism, please consider taking out a digital subscription with us from just £3 a month. Subscribers get access to hundreds of news stories a week, special offers, puzzles and much more. Try us out today here. What next for Scottish schools? Parents across Scotland will be holding their breath today to find out if the phased reopening of schools on Monday goes ahead. Nicola Sturgeon is due to address parliament this afternoon and will announce whether the plan for some schools to open on 22 February will go ahead. The Scottish Government has repeatedly said that its main priority is to keep schools open wherever possible due to the negative impact the closure has on children and young people. Here's what we expect her to say and when the announcement will come Family who were first travellers to be put into quarantine now told they can leave hotel due to ‘error’ A father and daughter who were among the first international arrivals to check into one of Scotland's quarantine hotels were told they could leave – just hours later – because of a loophole. Since Monday, people flying directly into a Scottish airport on international flights have to self-isolate for 10 days in a quarantine hotel room. Chun Wong and his eight-year-old daughter arrived at Edinburgh Airport from the United States via Dublin, and were escorted straight to a quarantine hotel. Yet that didn't last long after an "error" was discovered. Nicola Sturgeon's special advisers accused of 'pumping out blatant propaganda' Special advisers to Nicola Sturgeon have been accused of breaching the Scottish Government’s code of conduct due to partisan social media posts. The First Minister has been urged to act after the party submitted a dossier of evidence they claim shows seven special advisers breaking the rules set out in the code of conduct. Special advisers are hired by the First Minister to work with the government, with their salaries paid for by the taxpayer. Read the full story here. EXCLUSIVE: 'No legal advice' on draft indyref2 bill despite potential 'wildcat' referendum SNP ministers have not sought nor received any legal advice on their draft independence referendum bill that could pave the way for a potential ‘wildcat’ poll, it has emerged. A Freedom of Information request confirmed to The Scotsman the Bill has not been checked by external or civil service lawyers. A separate request confirmed the Scottish Government had received legal advice on the general topic of the legality of a second referendum, but officials decided it was not in the public interest to disclose the details and have kept the information secret. Read the full story here We're passionate about holding those in power to account and greater transparency from authorities. You can support our efforts from just £3 a month with a digital subscription. Thanks for reading, more headlines are below, Sam Shedden |