The Department for Education may scrap the Covid control system in English schools, where pupils must self-isolate if a classmate tests positive.
The government may ask schools to introduce daily testing instead.
172,000 children were self-isolating, having potentially been in contact with a positive case in school.
This is according to official figures this month.
The disruption caused to classrooms and households has led to growing frustration at the system.
What have the Department for Education said?
The Department for Education has written to secondary schools asking them to prepare for a change after the summer break.
England’s Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said that “there is an urgent need for children to get back to normal”.
“Grouping pupils into bubbles should end as soon as possible.”
Daily testing being trialled in place of Covid control system
Daily on-site testing is being trialled in a number of secondary schools and colleges across the country.
The trials end this week and the government will announce their decision following the outcome of the results.
A decision must come before the end of term, so the schools have time to carry out the system after the summer break.
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Headline Covid control system in England’s schools may be scrapped in the autumnShort Headline Covid control system could be scrappedStandfirst Daily testing may replace the current system, where groups of pupils have to self-isolate if a classmate tests positive
The Department for Education may scrap the Covid control system in English schools, where pupils must self-isolate if a classmate tests positive.
The government may ask schools to introduce daily testing instead.
172,000 children were self-isolating, having potentially been in contact with a positive case in school.
This is according to official figures this month.
The disruption caused to classrooms and households has led to growing frustration at the system.
What have the Department for Education said?
The Department for Education has written to secondary schools asking them to prepare for a change after the summer break.
England’s Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said that “there is an urgent need for children to get back to normal”.
“Grouping pupils into bubbles should end as soon as possible.”
Daily testing being trialled in place of Covid control system
Daily on-site testing is being trialled in a number of secondary schools and colleges across the country.
The trials end this week and the government will announce their decision following the outcome of the results.
A decision must come before the end of term, so the schools have time to carry out the system after the summer break.
