Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT,
said: “The desire to get back to normal is overwhelming. With the
impact in schools remaining more acute than the rest of society
the government will need to explain in clear and unambiguous
terms why they think the lifting of all restrictions should apply
to schools at this point. It is imperative that the government
generates public confidence in the approach to restrictions in
schools.
“It would be naïve to think that lifting the requirement to
self-isolate will end the disruption in schools. The current
reality is that we’re seeing very high numbers of pupils and
staff, particularly at primary, catching and becoming ill with
Covid. Whilst thankfully for most people, the symptoms appear to
be relatively mild, large numbers are still unwell enough to have
to miss school, not because of the requirement to self-isolate,
but because they are simply not well enough to be in school.
Whilst this change may, in some cases, reduce the amount of time
pupils and staff are absent for, it won’t stop those absences
altogether.
“School leaders and parents will also need clarity from public
health advisors about when pupils and staff do still need to stay
at home. For example, current NHS advice says that children who
have been absent with a sickness bug should stay away from
schools for two days after their symptoms have gone. It would
seem very strange to have a lower bar for Covid than some other
illnesses. Absolute clarity of messaging will be required here.”
