Teachers get early Xmas due to ‘stress’

Staff deserve a ‘proper break’ from identifying virus cases, says minister

SCHOOLS can take an ‘inset’ day on the last Friday of term so stressed teachers can have a ‘proper break’ from identifying potential coronavirus cases ahead of Christmas, a minister said yesterday.

There had been concern that staff holidays could be ruined by having to keep up their efforts against the pandemic.

But schools standards minister Nick Gibb told MPs that the Government wants to ensure school staff have a break from identifying potential coronavirus cases.

Pupils do not attend schools on an ‘inset’ day, which is nominally reserved for staff training or administrative duties. The term is an abbreviation of ‘in-service training’.

The extra inset day will mean teachers have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day free of test and trace responsibilities.

Speaking to the Commons education committee, Mr Gibb said: ‘ We are about to announce that inset days can be used on Friday, December 18, even if an inset day had not been originally scheduled for that day.

‘We want there to be a clear six days so that by the time we reach Christmas Eve staff can have a proper break without having to engage in the track and trace issues.’

Schools will be allowed to finish term on Thursday next week, but there may be one fewer scheduled inset day in 2021 if they decide to do this,

Mr Gibb said. Teachers had been preparing for a ‘steep drop’ in attendance, expecting parents to decide to keep their children at home ahead of the Christmas season.

Heads had suggested a switch to online learning for the last week of term, so that pupils can keep on learning while families are reassured they will not pose a virus risk at family gatherings.

The latest school attendance figures, from Thursday, December 3, still remain lower than hoped, with almost 15 per cent of all state sector pupils missing, although this had slightly improved since the week before.

About one in five state schools reported having 30 or more pupils isolating, down from around 25 per cent.

Attendance in state primaries was up to 90 per cent from 88 per cent, while secondary attendance, which has been more badly hit, was up to 81 per cent from 78 per cent.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, has warned of ‘ a further and potentially steep drop in attendance figures next week, as families are forced to decide for themselves how long to isolate before getting together at Christmas’. Mr Whiteman added: ‘It is only natural that many parents will prioritise family safety over attending school in the last few days of term and keep their children at home.’

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson commented: ‘ From the point children returned to classrooms in September, it has been and remains a national priority to keep schools and colleges open full-time, and the Chief Medical Officer has highlighted the damage caused by not being in education to children’s learning, development and mental health.’

‘Prioritise family safety’