The uptake of lateral flow Covid tests among school staff and pupils early in the new school year has fallen well below the two tests a week target set out in Scottish government guidance, new figures show.
This week the Westminster government said it expected to avoid the steep rise in Covid cases seen in Scotland - which has been partially attributed to the return to school - by using more effective testing measures in schools.
In England Covid-19 testing stations have been installed in schools, rather than allowing pupils to take lateral flow tests home.
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Now official figures, updated this morning, show that up to Sunday (29 August) just 32 per cent of school staff in Scotland had taken at least one lateral flow test since schools returned.
Among pupils uptake was even lower, with 14.5 per cent of S1 to S3 students having taken at least one test and 6.7 per cent of S4 to S6 pupils.
School students and teachers urged to take more Covid tests
Despite the low uptake, since Scottish schools returned from the summer holiday - at various points in August - lateral flow tests have identified 1,629 positive coronavirus cases among school staff and pupils, as confirmed by the more reliable PCR tests, which are undertaken when a lateral flow test gives a positive result.
The Scottish government says that the testing uptake figures are likely to be an underestimate because user feedback suggests that some participants may test and not report negative results.
However, education secretary Shirley Anne Somerville said in June she was “very keen” to increase uptake and the government would explore how to drive up participation in the new school year. That school year is, of course, now underway and a teaching union is calling for “an extended programme of on-site testing in schools, rather than relying on a less effective system of home testing”.
The NASUWT Scotland union says this could have “a significant impact in breaking the chain of virus transmission amongst young people”.
The union - which is also calling for the requirement for close contacts in school to self-isolate to be reintroduced - made its comments following a sharp rise in the number of Covid cases in schools.
Yesterday, Tes Scotland revealed that the number of pupils absent as a result of Covid - either because they had the virus or were isolating - had doubled in a week.
On Tuesday of last week, 24 August, there were 16,166 Scottish pupils off school for Covid-19-related reasons, but on Tuesday of this week, 31 August, that figure rose to 33,171 pupils.
Meanwhile, Scotland’s biggest teaching union, the EIS, says it is encouraging all members to engage in the twice-weekly lateral flow testing.
It says: “Given the high number of infections in schools, and the current confusion caused by the changes to contact tracing, the role of such testing is critical, even where staff have been double-vaccinated.”
Responding to the latest figures on the uptake of lateral flow tests, Ms Somerville said: “We strongly encourage all secondary pupils and school staff to take an at-home test twice weekly. It’s an important step in our efforts to tackle the spread of Covid-19, and all results should be recorded, whether positive, negative or void. We have written to local authorities to ask that efforts continue to be made to increase uptake and reporting.
“We have also provided schools with communications materials they can make use of to encourage uptake and recording, and user feedback to inform the development of the testing programme. After schools and ELC settings have used up their current stocks, they will be able to place orders for easier-to-use testing kits that deliver results faster.”
