One in 20 children off school due to Covid as absentees rise by 100,000 in a fortnight

The number of pupils absent due to Covid has risen
PA Wire
Anna Davis @_annadavis25 January 2022

One in 20 children were absent from school due to Covid last week, new figures reveal.

Around 415,000 state school pupils did not attend school on January 20 for Covid-19 related reasons – a rise of 100,000 in two weeks, and the highest number of absences this academic year.

The snapshot figures published by the Department for Education mean 5.1 per cent of all state school pupils were off on January 20 – up from 3.9 per cent the fortnight before.

This includes 322,000 pupils with a confirmed case of coronavirus and 52,000 pupils with a suspected case.

The overall attendance rate in state schools is now 87.4 per cent, down from 88.6 percent on January 6.

The figures released on Tuesday also show that around nine per cent of teachers and headteachers were absent due to Covid on January 20 – up from 8.6 per cent previously.

In total, 24 per cent of all state schools had more than 15 per cent of their teachers and school leaders absent on January 20, compared with 18 per cent at the start of term, and eight per cent at the start of the academic year in September.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Schools are still seeing significant levels of disruption due to Covid, with both pupil and staff absence very high. Covid absence figures for pupils are the worst they have been this academic year.

“Schools are struggling to keep things running with nearly 10 per cent of their staff off on average – but for some this is much higher.  Our members are repeatedly telling us that they are having to drop everything to find cover and that just keeping things going is a challenge.

“School leaders and their teams are doing a brilliant job but they are still very much in the eye of the Covid storm and there is no escaping the fact that it is having an impact on education.

“This disruption is putting huge pressure on students in exam years. The government needs to look again at its plans and do more to reassure students that exams can be fair and will take into account differences in missed learning.

“If exams do go ahead, the decision to publish performance data this year must be reversed – it is clear that it would be a reflection of the impact of the pandemic on students and schools, not fit for the purposes of accountability.”

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “The passing of the first two full weeks of the spring term have seen attendance deteriorate further in our schools, with even more students and staff away from the classroom.

“Of particular concern is that almost one in ten of our teaching staff are away from work. As well as the impact on affected staff themselves, this also poses significant issues for leaders in trying to ensure they can continue to provide education for all pupils, including through the use of expensive and scarce supply staff. They need much more help from the government to meet the mounting costs they face.

“The government’s unexpected announcement last week that face coverings are now no longer recommended in classrooms, and from Thursday in communal areas, reduced the defences available to schools to control the spread of Covid-19.

“The contingency framework guidance continues to be that face coverings can be retained or reintroduced on the advice of local public health officials and the Department for Education in an individual school or across a local area if there is sufficient concern about Covid-19 infection rates in that area. While no one wants to see face coverings worn in schools for longer than is necessary, it is right that this should continue to be an option where public health officials believe it will help to stop local outbreaks.”

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