The picture of Covid-related school absences changes markedly in different parts of Scotland, analysis of government data shows.
A comparison of school attendance data for Tuesday 17 November with figures from a year previously shows, for example, that attendance was down by the largest margin in Glasgow (8.55 per cent), whereas in Shetland it was actually up by 0.3 per cent - the only one of Scotland’s 32 local authorities to see a rise.
Coronavirus: ‘Clear support’ for industrial action over Covid safety
Background: Most severe Covid restrictions to cover much of Scotland
School staffing during Covid: Scottish Parliament backs call for 2,000 extra teachers
Staff safety: Questions raised over data on teachers with Covid
Coronavirus: The drop in attendance at schools
The analysis, by University of Glasgow researcher Barry Black and Amy Lee Fraioli, who is a researcher for Scottish Labour, also compares data across Scotland’s six “regional improvement collaboratives”. The West Partnership, which includes large authorities such as Glasgow and North Lanarkshire, saw the biggest percentage drop, while the Northern Alliance, which includes Highland, saw the lowest percentage decrease.
When we look at local authorities, the change in attendance from the average in 2018/19 to last week is stark.
Attendance is down 8.55% in Glasgow, compared to being up by 0.3% in Shetland, for example.
Full list: pic.twitter.com/XKSEpkDvAS
- Barry Black (@BarryBlackNE) November 24, 2020
The figures also show that, on 17 November, the pupils most likely to be off school were those who live in the most deprived areas.
Meanwhile, primary school attendance (92.1 per cent) was considerably higher than secondary school attendance (85.3 per cent).
