The number of children in state schools in England who were absent last week because of Covid has more than tripled in a fortnight.
The Department for Education (DfE) reported on Tuesday that 202,000 pupils were off school on 17 March because of the virus, a dramatic jump from 58,000 two weeks earlier when attendance was described as returning to normal.
159,000 pupils were off with a confirmed case of the Covid last week, up from 45,000 on 3 March, with a further 16,000 absent with a suspected case of coronaviruses, up from 6,000 earlier in the month.
Covid related absence increased from 0.7% to 2.5% in state schools in England. The government wants to see attendance return to pre-pandemic levels.
The latest figures show that almost one in 10 teachers and schools leaders are off on 17 March, up from 5.8% two weeks earlier. Schools were struggling to get supply cover for those missing last week, with about 48,000 teachers and 60,000 teaching assistants absent.
The figures are in line with what the members of the National Association of Head Teachers have been telling them. In line with the rising numbers nationally, covid cases have been spiking in many schools over the past week or so.
The government needs to remind people that even though the legal requirement to isolation has been removed, there is still a duty to take appropriate action to reduce the spread of Covid.
The government cannot allow Covid to rip through schools. We need a plan for how to live with Covid for the long term that is focused on keeping levels low and reducing disruption.
Many schools are still teaching the specifications as there has been so much disruption over the two years of exam courses.
Over 99% of schools have been open this term thanks to the hard work of teachers and school staff, according to the DfE. We are moving to living with the virus and managing it, while maintaining good ventilation and hygiene, and continuing to use vaccines to build the population's wall of protection.
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