News podcast: ‘Draining’ online classes and Covid tests

The Tes news team discuss the daily rapid Covid testing in schools, new data on infection rates, and the difficulties of online lessons

22nd January 2021, 6:50pm

Catherine Lough

Join the Tes news team as explore why the Department for Education’s controversial plan to use daily rapid Covid testing - to keep close contacts of confirmed cases of the virus in school - has been put on hold this week.

And we also hear how teachers have now thankfully been pledged a “clear two weeks” notice before any schools reopening date, by education secretary Gavin Williamson.

We look at some fascinating new data on why Covid cases in primary schools have a greater impact on teachers than those in secondary schools, as well as how it is “highly likely” that Covid rates among teachers are higher than the wider adult population according to new analysis.

And we also hear about first-hand stories of how “utterly draining” it has been for teachers delivering online learning.

Plus, there’s some strong reaction to unfair stereotyping of physics teachers among the profession.

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