55% of pupils in Jersey currently absent from school

More than half of all students in Jersey are currently not at school.

The Education Minister, under questioning in the States Assembly, has confirmed 55% are absent from class with 45% attending.

It comes as many students are at home isolating as a result of being caught up in the contact tracing process, while others are unable to attend because there aren’t enough teachers or teaching assistants.

Meanwhile many parents have taken the decision themselves to keep their children at home to avoid the risk of them being caught up in any isolation over Christmas.

When asked if she supported keeping schools open, Senator Tracey Vallois fell short of answering that question directly, saying she had raised concerns about the strategy around keeping schools open.

The Health Minister, Deputy Richard Renouf, indicated closing schools would be a last resort.

When asked if she knew how many teachers were currently off work, the Education Minister admitted she didn’t know.