Commenting on attendance levels in education and early years
settings to 24 June, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of
the National Education Union, said:
"The continued sharp rise in Covid-related pupil absences risks
leaving plans for the end of the school year in tatters. New
figures show that 6.2% of secondary pupils and 4.5% of primary
pupils were not in school on 24 June due to suspected or
confirmed Covid, exposure to positive cases or school/bubble
closures. These figures have quadrupled in just two weeks and
will be significantly worse in areas with high case numbers. If
absences continue to increase, some parts of the country will see
schools in de facto rota operation before the end of term.
"Pupils have missed so much valuable face-to-face education in
the past 15 months, and it is heart-breaking that so many will
now miss end of year trips, transitions to new classes or
schools, and a chance to say goodbye to friends and teachers. The
NEU has consistently called for the reinstatement of masks in
classrooms and mass testing, but once again the Government is
reacting late to a crisis rather than anticipating and trying to
prevent one.
"NEU members have worked tirelessly all year to continue
children’s education in the most trying circumstances and are now
being exposed to the virus once again due to Government inaction.
2.5% of teachers and 2.4% of support staff were absent for
Covid-related reasons on 24 June, up from 0.9% and 0.7% two weeks
previously. Again, figures will be much higher in harder-hit
parts of the country, and many of these education professionals
are facing daily exposure to the virus without the double
vaccination that would give them adequate protection against the
Delta variant.
"The Government are once again asleep at the wheel. Schools and
colleges follow guidance in good faith and suffer the
consequences of doing so. There are more stringent measures that
could be brought in right now, and it is a mystery as to why
continues
to do nothing.
"The Government are pursuing a policy of compulsory masks and
much greater mass testing in areas with the highest number of
cases. Like with the tier system, everywhere will eventually fall
under these regulations and so it would be much better if the
Government made this a national policy now."
