The Department for Education has finally released data on the
impact of coronavirus on the school workforce in “Attendance in
education and early years settings during the coronavirus
(COVID-19) outbreak” (1).
The dataset includes the number of teachers and school
leaders, teaching assistants and other staff absent with a
confirmed case of coronavirus.
Using this data we have been able to calculate an
estimate for the rate of coronavirus infection amongst school
staff.
The data shows that there are much higher COVID rates
of infection amongst teachers and other school staff than for
the general population. This finding is in contradiction to
the reassurances regularly given by the Department and by
Public Health England, including by Dr Jenny Harries
giving evidence to the Education Select Committee this
morning.
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On average the rate of COVID infection is 1.9 times
higher amongst primary and secondary teachers than the
general population. It is 2 times higher for special school
teachers.
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For teaching assistants and other staff, the rate of
COVID infection is three times higher in primary schools
and almost seven times higher in special schools.
The Government has been collecting this information
since early October.
Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the
National Education Union, said:
“These shocking figures raise further very serious
questions about the handling of coronavirus in
schools.
“What investigations have the Department for Education
made into these figures?
“Why have the ministers repeatedly told school staff
and the public that there was no reason for concern when
these figures indicate that there should have been real
concern about the much higher COVID infection rates of
teachers and other school staff?
“Why did ministers deny clinically extremely vulnerable
staff the right to work from home?
“Why has it taken ministers so long to release this
data?”
"What mitigating measures will ministers now
propose?"
Editors Notes
Sources:
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https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak
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Teachers and school leaders chart https://www.dropbox.com/s/s296cg8lao10udl/coronavirus_teachers_20210119.JPG?dl=0
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Teaching assistants and other staff chart
https://www.dropbox.com/s/u7jh4crn0ebekpe/coronavirus_ta_other_staff_20210119.JPG?dl=0
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Spreadsheet https://www.dropbox.com/s/8aw4wf0do36xktm/coronavirus_rate_school_staff_20210119.xlsx?dl=0
