NEW figures reveal that one in 21 teachers in Oxfordshire was absent because of Covid-19 before Christmas. The Department for Education (DfE) figures show 74 teachers and school leaders in the county were absent with either a suspected or confirmed case of coronavirus on December 17. A further 155 were forced to isolate. This means 229 teachers were off for Covid-related reasons on just one day – 4.8 per cent of all teachers in schools that remained open. This was up from three per cent on the same day the week before, and 1.4 per cent on October 15, the first date the survey was conducted. That 4.8 per cent figure was more than the England number, with 4.4 per cent of teachers and school leaders absent across the country.
HUNDREDS of teachers in Hampshire were absent because of coronavirus on just one day before Christmas, new figures reveal. The Association of School and College Leaders said the past few months had put English schools under enormous pressure, calling for education staff to be prioritised for the vaccine. Department for Education figures show 48 teachers and school leaders in Hampshire state schools were absent with either a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19 on December 17. There were also 166 forced to isolate. This means 214 were off for Covid-19 related reasons on just one day – 2.5% of all teachers in schools that remained open.