Covid: Almost half of Kirkintilloch school's pupils absent during surge

More than 400 pupils are absent from St Ninian's High School in Kirkintilloch

Almost half of pupils at an East Dunbartonshire secondary school were absent on Tuesday due to Covid.

The BBC understands more than 400 did not attend St Ninian's in Kirkintilloch which has a school roll of 850.

East Dunbartonshire Council confirmed one school had a high absence rate and families had adopted a "cautious approach".

The EIS union said it was an indication of the high levels of Covid in the community.

Scotland's Covid cases have been surging in the last week, with 6,029 new cases reported on Tuesday and seven further deaths.

• When do school pupils have to self isolate?

• Is the drive to get young people vaccinated working?

Case numbers have doubled in a week and the deputy first minister, John Swinney, said the surge was partly being fuelled by the return of schools after the summer holidays.

Andrene Bamford, the vice president of the EIS teachers' union and local secretary for East Dunbartonshire, told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme that the school had been heavily affected.

She said: "Last week we had a report that there were about 328 absences across the week due to Covid and something like 25 incidents of teachers having to be absent.

"This week numbers have increased even more and that has resulted in one particular school with a high absence rate this week.

"St Ninian's High School had 405 pupils off, which is 45% of the overall roll of the school. Obviously they won't all be because of Covid but it is an indication of the high levels in the community just now."

She said that teachers had been posting lessons online for those who were unable to attend school but that this was not an acceptable situation.

East Dunbartonshire Council said schools were working with parents and carers to minimise disruption to learning

"It dilutes the ability to deliver high quality teaching and learning," she said.

"This is when teaching and learning should be the main focus in schools, getting to grips with new courses, getting to know your pupils and here they are having to deal with hybrid learning.

"Half the pupils are in class, half are at home - it is really unsatisfactory."

It is believed many of the school's pupils are isolating while awaiting PCR test results.

Under new Scottish government guidelines, which changed on 9 August, full classes are no longer sent into self-isolation following a positive case.

Public health teams now identify who qualifies as a close contact.

'Cautious approach'

If someone is deemed a close contact, they must isolate, book a PCR test and wait for the result. If the result is negative they can return to school.

This can mean as little as one day away from lessons.

As previously, someone with a positive result must remain at home for the full self-isolation period.

Ann Davie from East Dunbartonshire Council said: "With the incidence of Covid-19 increasing across communities in Scotland, we have a number of cases affecting our schools, with pupils self-isolating at home following a positive test or if they are identified contacts.

"We can confirm that at one school today there is a high absence rate. The vast majority of absences are from students who are isolating while they await PCR test results. Following some positive cases in the school this week, many families are adopting a cautious approach and booking PCR tests.

"Schools are working with parents and carers to minimise disruption to learning for those pupils who may require to self-isolate."

She added that all Scottish government and public health guidance was being followed in schools across East Dunbartonshire and that "robust and enhanced" control measures were in place in all schools - including appropriate cleaning and social distancing.

• RULES: What are the restrictions in your area?

• EASING: What rules are changing, and when?

• CASES: Where are the latest cases in Scotland?

• WHO? The people who have died with Covid-19