More than 1 MILLION children were out of school last week as Covid cases surge

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MORE than one MILLION children in England were out of school last week due to the pandemic, Government figures showed today.

It means one in every seven pupils were out of lessons, with the majority forced to self-isolate because a classmate had tested positive.

Hated school bubbles means if one child tests positive entire classes have to isolate

Hated school bubbles means if one child tests positive entire classes often have to quarantine for 10 days.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced bubbles will be scrapped in favour of rigorous testing.

Alarming Department of Education figures released today revealed 1.05million pupils were out of classes on July 15.

An overwhelming 773,700 pupils were self-isolating due to a possible contact with a case of coronavirus from inside school.

And 160,300 pupils were self-isolating due to a possible contact with a case of coronavirus from outside school.

Current rules say that children have to self-isolate for 10 days if another pupil in their bubble – which can be an entire year group at secondary school – tests positive for coronavirus.

But Mr Williamson has said it will be up to individual schools and colleges as to whether they scrap the bubble system this week ahead of the summer holidays, following the move to Step 4 of the road map.

More to follow…