Nearly one in four teachers responding to a new poll say staff absences because of Covid-19 are having a major impact on their schools, the NASUWT teaching union has found.
Of nearly 7,000 teachers who responded to the union survey, 23 per cent said absences were having a major impact and 61 per cent said they were having some impact as schools returned over the last week.
The new poll of the NASUWT teaching union members in England also found almost half of teachers (46 per cent) responding said they were having to cover for absent colleagues this term.
Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, has warned that higher rates of staff absence are making “a very challenging situation much worse”, adding that teacher shortages are likely to rise.
The poll results also reveal that 12 per cent of respondents claim the new guidance that masks should be worn by secondary school pupils in class is not being followed in their schools.
This comes after the Department for Education recommended that face coverings be worn by secondary school and college students in classrooms in light of the surging number of Omicron cases.
Dr Roach said: “It is very concerning that our members are telling us that staff absences due to Covid-19 are having serious impacts on teaching and learning.
“Higher rates of staff absence are making a very challenging situation much worse for schools struggling to maintain appropriate staffing levels without disrupting pupils’ education.
“Whilst the start of term saw around 1 in 10 teachers absent due to coronavirus, these numbers are likely to increase in the absence of effective measures to ensure Covid-safety in classrooms.”
Concern over use of CO2 monitors
Only 44 per cent of respondents said their school had a plan in place for deploying CO2 monitors in their school.
Some 18 per cent said there was no plan in place and another 39 per cent didn’t know.
Dr Roach added: “It is disturbing that teachers tell us that in some schools there is no effective system in place for deploying CO2 monitors in classrooms.
“Urgent additional investment is needed in providing air filtration units to every classroom where they are needed. Ensuring good ventilation is vital to minimising further disruption to pupils’ education.
“Inviting schools to bid for the limited number of air purifiers that are being made available by the government is simply not good enough. The safety of pupils and staff in classrooms should not be a lottery.”
A DfE spokesperson said: “Schools across the country reopened last week and staff are working tirelessly to ensure classrooms are safe for face-to-face learning, and despite the challenges in the first week of term, millions of pupils have returned to be with their friends and teachers.
“We’ve supported schools to continue classroom teaching for pupils through encouraging former teachers to step in and extending the Covid workforce fund for schools that are facing the greatest staffing and funding pressures.
“We’ve also asked schools to have contingency plans to maximise attendance and minimise disruption to learning, should they have high rates of staff absence, and are working with the sector to share case studies of flexible learning models to support the development of those plans.”
