1600 students in North Yorkshire absent due to Covid before Christmas
That was on just one day before the Christmas break
Last updated 17th Jan 2022
At least 1600 students were absent in North Yorkshire on just one day before the Christmas break because of Covid-19.
According to recent figures, it means only 86% of the county's pupils were attending class on December the 16th.
The Education Policy Institute claims the high rate of children out of school across the country continues to be a concern as more pupils catch Covid.
Natalie Perera, chief executive of the EPI think tank, said:
“Our research has shown an association between pupil absence and higher learning losses, so the high rate of pupils out of school continues to be a concern.
“The Government must closely follow pupil absences this term and consider whether additional financial support to help pupils avoid further learning losses is needed.”
She added that staff shortages are likely to persist for some time due to the high level of infection in the general population.
As face-to-face teaching returned after the Christmas break, staff are beginning to see the growing pressures of "working tirelessly to ensure classrooms are safe", said an DfE spokeswoman.
She went on to say:
“We are supporting schools through encouraging former teachers to come back to classrooms and extending the Covid workforce fund for schools that are facing the greatest staffing and funding pressures.”