MORE PRIMARY-AGE PUPILS MISSING SCHOOL

MORE primary-age children are missing school for Covid than secondary pupils, latest official data in Wales shows.

On November 12, a total 1,312 primary-age children were off for a known Covid-related reason, compared to 566 secondary pupils, Welsh Government data shows.

Separate figures from Public Health Wales, published on November 19, reveal the council area with the highest numbers of school Covid cases in the six days to November 17 was Rhondda Cynon Taf with 217. The lowest was Ceredigion with 34.

Although overall, schools Covid cases and Covid-related absences have fallen in its latest data, PHW cautioned: “The rate in 5-11 year olds has increased in the most recent reporting period. Rates in both these age groups remain higher than in other age groups. The rate in the 12 – 16 age group has continued to fall, although at a slower rate of decrease than in previous weeks.”

Latest Welsh Government figures show that while overall school Covid cases are down and attendance is up, the situation is better in secondaries than primaries.

While nearly nine in 10 pupils went to school in Wales last week, the second highest attendance rate for this term, 1.4% of primary pupils were off for a Covid related reason compared with 1.2% of secondary pupils.

Numbers of pupils off for known Covid-related reasons tumbled from more than 5,000 a day on November 8 to just over 1,800 on November 12.

Altogether in that period, 23,371 pupil absences for Covid-related reasons were registered, a majority among primary aged children.

There is still no clear data on how many were off with the virus rather than self-isolating because the statistics clump the virus in the all-illness category.

Latest Welsh Government figures show between November 8 and 12:

1.3% of all pupils were absent due to a known Covid-related reason;

an average of 1.4% of all primary pupils were absent due to a known Covid-related reason with 14,423 registered off in that time;

an average 1.2% of all secondary pupils were absent due to a known Covid-related reason with 8,948 registered off in that time; amongst statutory school-age pupils attendance was highest for children in Year 3 (91%) and lowest for pupils in the key GCSE Year 11 (88%).