1 in 5 secondary pupils in England absent from school as Covid disruption reaches ‘crisis point’

The latest government education attendance figures show that 22 percent of secondary students in England missed their classes last week, as schools face worsening disruption due to the coronavirus outbreak.

In response to the findings, the National Education Union (NEU) warned that the situation has reached a “crisis point” and requires immediate action from the government, as more than 900,000 pupils are unable to attend school due to Covid-19.

Overall secondary attendance fell from 87 percent on November 5 to 78 percent a fortnight later. The data shows that, on average, one in 10 pupils were out of school due to Covid concerns, with the majority sent home due to potential contacts, rather than because individuals tested positive for coronavirus.

The leader of the ASCL head teachers’ union, Geoff Barton, supported the NEU’s assessment of the attendance data, stating that “the reality behind these figures is that many schools are experiencing disruption on a monumental scale and are desperately trying to cling on to the end of term.”

The Department for Education defended its coronavirus management policy, praising how most schools had managed to remain open throughout the term, despite lockdown, and that online learning has been established for pupils who are self-isolating, to ensure their learning isn’t impeded.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!