Kate Green responds to figures showing 208,000 children were out of school on 14 October

Kate Green MP, Labour's Shadow Education Secretary, responding to figures showing 208,000 children were out of school on 14 October, said:

“Hundreds of thousands of children are again out of school, compounding the damage to education and development seen during the lockdown closures of the last two years. 

“Labour has been urging the government to get a grip, introduce the ventilation measures that Sage recommended over a year ago and start harnessing community pharmacy and vaccination centres to get jabs out to teenagers who want to protect their family and friends.

“The Conservatives' negligence is keeping children out of class and risking their future opportunities, while their woeful tutoring proposals show no ambition for children’s recovery.”

Ends

Notes to editors

• 208,000 children were out of school again:
• • 81,000 pupils with a suspected case of coronavirus,
  • 111,000 pupils with a confirmed case of coronavirus,
  • 5,000 pupils absent from open settings due to attendance restrictions being in place to manage an outbreak,
  • 11,000 pupils absent from open settings due to isolation for other reasons,
  • Fewer than 500 pupils were absent as a result of school closures due to COVID-related reasons. (Gov.uk)
• Just one in 16 school children are set to receiving tutoring from the Conservatives’ failing National Tutoring Programme this year.

• Just 524,000 of the 8,338,597 state pupils in England are due to receive tutoring in 2021/22.
• Randstad National Tutoring Programme Contract:https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/bd5a89d8-5c1e-4ffa-808e-e0f6623e4a16