Gavin Williamson has said he is working with the health secretary, scientists and public health experts to “relax Covid measures in schools” following concerns over whole class bubbles being told to isolate.
The education secretary made the comments after statistics published by the Department for Education (DfE) earlier today revealed that one in 20 pupils was off school for Covid-related reasons on Thursday.
School leaders have said they fear the government does not have “a grip” on the situation, and have called for local public health officials to be given more freedom.
Isolation: Four-fold rise in Covid school absence in a fortnight
DfE: School isolation rules likely to end in autumn
Covid: Schools told to plan for more remote learning
Mr Williamson said this afternoon: “The vast majority of children and young people are in school but I am aware that, sadly, a minority are experiencing disruption at the moment.
“While pupils who are self-isolating are being immediately provided with high-quality remote education, we know that the best place for children is in the classroom.
“That is why I am working with the health secretary, alongside scientists and public health experts, to relax Covid measures in schools in line with wider work to remove restrictions across society.
“I’ll be looking closely at the issues around the need for ongoing isolation of bubbles and the outcomes of the daily contact testing trial, as we consider a new model for keeping children in education.”
Today’s DfE figures show that 5.1 per cent of pupils in state-funded schools missed school for Covid reasons on Thursday, up from from 3.3 per cent on 17 June and 1.2 per cent on 10 June.
