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Overall high school attendance dropped to 83% last week, down from 87% the week before.
A spokesperson for the DfE said: “The drop in attendance is mainly due to the increase in the number of students who self-isolate due to possible contact with a case of coronavirus.”
School attendance varies widely across the country, with some areas more affected than others.
Hull’s director of public health, Julia Weldon, warned Tuesday that more than half of the city’s schools have suffered closures in some age groups due to the coronavirus.
Hull directors have asked Health Secretary Matt Hancock to allow them to close down for all but vulnerable children and the children of key workers as they struggle to cope with staff absences.
They said they want to keep schools open, but that “with some urgency,” some should be able to restrict attendance “to maintain a high-quality supply and the morale of all who are in education.”
City Labor MPs warned Hancock that coronavirus rates are at “alarming” levels in the community, adding: “There is concern that if the children of key workers cannot be prioritized for assistance, there will be a major threat. for the city’s infrastructure. ”
A legal duty for schools to provide good quality distance education for self-isolating students came into effect last month.
The government used emergency powers to issue a directive to schools to ensure that children at home have immediate access to a remote education that “aligns as closely as possible” with what their peers learn in the classroom.
However, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has said that prolonged periods of distance learning are likely to “result in poorer educational outcomes” for students, according to international studies.
A spokesperson for the DfE said: “More than 99 percent of schools have been open every week since the quarter began and millions of students continue to benefit from being in school.
“The medical director continues to believe that schools should remain open and has highlighted the damage caused by not being in education for the learning, development and mental health of children.”
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