New Scottish government figures on staff and pupil absence show that the number of teachers off school on Tuesday as a result of Covid-19 hit 1,500 - the highest number since schools went back following the October break.
Every Thursday the Scottish government updates its attendance and absence statistics, recording how many pupils and school staff members were off the previous Tuesday due to the pandemic.
The most recent figures - updated by the Scottish government yesterday - show that 717 teachers were off with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 on Tuesday (7 December), while a further 783 were isolating or looking after someone with Covid-19. Over 900 other school staff were off because of Covid on the same day (929 staff), meaning a total of 2,429 teachers and other school staff were absent on Tuesday as a result of the pandemic.
On Tuesday 9 November, 2,441 school staff were recorded as absent as a result of Covid but the total of 1,500 teachers off work on 7 December is the highest figure recorded since schools returned following the October holidays - and the number of pupils off also hit a high this term on Tuesday with 17,366 young people absent.
Overall pupil attendance in Scotland was at 88.3 per cent on Tuesday down from 88.9 per cent on the Tuesday of the previous week (30 November).
The pupil attendance rate was highest in Aberdeenshire (91.3 per cent) and Orkney (92.6 per cent) on Tuesday and lowest in East Ayrshire (85.6 per cent).
When it came to the different sectors, the pupil attendance rate was highest for primary on Tuesday (90.1 per cent) and lowest for secondary (86 per cent). The attendance rate for special schools was 88.3 per cent.
On Tuesday the attendance rate for the pupils living in the most deprived areas was 85.7 per cent, as compared to 90.9 per cent in the least deprived areas.
The Scottish government said earlier this week it was not discussing the closure of schools as the number of Omicron cases rises.
However, Tes Scotland understands that some measures - such as changes to the rules on isolation following a close contact, or pupils having to remain in bubbles in school - could be reintroduced to curb the spread of the virus.
