Guidance to ensure that children who are too ill to attend school can continue to receive an education was issued to all local authorities by the Scottish Executive last week. Education authorities are now under a duty to make special arrangements for sick children to receive an education outside school. Deputy minister for education and young people Nicol Stephen said, 'It is vital that children who are unable to attend school because of long-term ill-health are not forgotten, and that wherever possible they are kept in touch with the work of their class and their classmates.'