PM's appeal to parents over school absences
Parents are being urged not to take their children out of school because of fears over rising coronavirus infections.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said it is "important" that schools and parents "don't take precautionary steps which deprive their children of education".
The plea comes amid reports that parents are choosing to keep their children out of class ahead of Christmas due to concerns about the Omicron variant.
Some schools and colleges have switched to remote lessons this week in the run-up to the festive break.
The spokesman said: "The best place for children – who have in many respects suffered the most through this pandemic – is in school, receiving vital face-to-face education."
Government figures suggest 2.9% of all pupils – nearly 236,000 children – were not in class for reasons connected to coronavirus on December 9.
That is up from 208,000 on November 25.
But school leaders have warned of even worse attendance levels due to Covid-19 in recent days as the Omicron variant has spread further before Christmas.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "We're sure that neither schools nor parents need lectures from Downing Street.
"We agree that the best place for children is in school.
"But we are also conscious that there are very high rates of infections in many settings and areas which are causing huge disruption.
"The Christmas holiday is only a couple of days away.
"And it would be nice to get there without any more finger-wagging."