Teacher shortages caused by rising Covid infections could make exams this year unfair, experts have warned.
More than 6,000 teachers and support staff were absent from Scottish schools this week, with some of the hardest-hit councils forced to re-introduce remote learning where shortages are most acute.
With Covid cases predicted to grow, more local authorities are expected to adopt “blended learning”, a model criticised during the pandemic for widening the attainment gap.
Moray and Fife councils said they had adopted remote learning in some schools while other councils said they were considering it in their responses to a survey by The Times.
Lindsay Paterson, professor of education policy at Edinburgh University said the evidence suggested there were already levels of disruption in schools that could harm students’ chances.
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“In normal times the reason why exams are the fairest form of assessment is that they create a level playing field. But when many teachers are absent, that equality of opportunity is very difficult to achieve,” he said.
“For those students whose work has been disrupted by absences or illness, the unfairness is even greater than it was in 2021 or 2020.
“The SQA this year has cancelled almost all assessed course work — projects, dissertations, fieldwork, and so on. Normally, if a student has to miss an exam because of their own illness, the school is asked for alternative assessment as a substitute. Because of the SQA’s cancelling of coursework, this will be more difficult.”
National data published on Tuesday showed 6,058 school staff, including teachers and support workers, were absent across Scotland, up from 4,676 the previous week. The numbers are expected to rise over the coming weeks.
However, teacher absences would not force the cancellation of exams for a third successive year unless public health advice reverts to restricting physical gatherings, according to Nicky Grant, Highland Council’s executive chief officer for education and learning. She added that the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) was monitoring levels of disruption.
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Vivienne Cross, head of education in Moray, said staffing schools was “really challenging” with 90 staff Covid cases as well as non-Covid absences.
“Where specialist and qualified staff are needed but not available, we’ve moved to remote learning in a number of schools, for specific classes or year groups,” Cross said. “We realise this can be disruptive for some families and this decision isn’t taken lightly. Schools will fully re-open as soon as practicable.”
Shelagh McLean, Fife’s head of education, said a high number of absences had forced some classes back to blended learning,
“We are all agreed that it is better for children and their parents if our children can continue to be taught within school buildings,” McLean said. “So far none of our schools have returned to blended learning for the whole school.”
Among other councils who replied to requests for data, in Aberdeenshire, 267 staff are absent due to Covid, 232 of whom are self-isolating, from a total school workforce of 6,537. In Angus, 91 staff were absent, 80 reportedly with Covid, and a further 11 self-isolating.
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In Edinburgh, which employs about 7,000 teachers, absences rose by more than 25 per cent in a week, from 165 to 213, while Aberdeen reported 144 teachers and support staff absent because of the virus. Glasgow and Dundee did not supply statistics.
The record number of Covid cases was “a matter of huge concern to the EIS”, said Larry Flanagan, the teaching union’s general secretary. “Ultimately, it will be for the SQA to ensure that the outcomes are equitable.”
The Scottish government highlighted special exam preparation sessions and a national e-learning initiative.
A spokeswoman added: “We will continue to monitor pupil and staff absences and to listen carefully to pupils, students, parents, carers and teaching staff to ensure fairness.”
Rise in classroom violence
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Swearing at teachers and violent behaviour has worsened since pupils returned to the classroom during the pandemic, a union leader has said (Neil Pooran writes).
Mike Corbett, national officer for Scotland at the NASUWT union, said poor behaviour was increasingly a problem in all years of primary school. There was a lack of research on the subject, he told a fringe event at the Scottish Conservative conference in Aberdeen.
“Many of our members are telling us that since kids have come back, there’s more evidence of that quite serious and disruptive violent behaviour,” he said.
“There’s widespread swearing at teachers, in some schools we would say that has just become accepted. “We would always say that’s completely unacceptable.”
Kicking and punching were also a problem, he said, as well as “a lot of biting, spitting from primary school pupils, aimed at often teachers, sometimes support staff or other pupils”.
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Sometimes separate facilities are required for disruptive pupils but schools do not have the resources to accommodate this, he said.
Corbett said: “You become quite sad about it because you know that child really needs some specialised help and support and it just doesn’t seem to be available.”
The Scottish Conservative MSP Meghan Gallacher also spoke during the fringe event.
She said: “It is something that definitely needs to be addressed. But again, I’m just wondering how it can be addressed if councils’ budgets are being cut.”
In November, another teaching union raised concerns about the impact of coronavirus on pupils’ behaviour.
The EIS union said younger primary pupils were exhibiting more distressed behaviour, including violent incidents.
In one such incident, the union said, a teacher suffered a broken jaw after being kicked by an early primary pupil.
