School bubble system nixed and in-person teaching to remain at UK universities, says Williamson

Education secretary Gavin Williamson confirmed Tuesday that the school bubble system will be dropped and that in-person teaching would return to UK universities in the new academic year.

The bubble system – which groups pupils and instructors in an attempt to minimize contact during the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic – is “causing disruption to many children’s education” said Williamson.

On Tuesday government analysts announced that school absence levels were at their highest levels since March.

According to government officials, more than eight percent of state school students in England – amounting to more than 640,000 pupils – were out of school last Thursday for Covid-related reasons, including but not limited to, testing positive for the virus themselves, or being confirmed as a close contact to a positive case.

In recent weeks the bubble system has raised concerns as its rules have resulted in large groups of students being sent home for a mandatory ten day quarantine when one student in their bubble tested positive for Covid-19.

Williamson announced to Parliament on Tuesday that “key restrictions” would be dropped from schools as the UK moved into Step 4 of its roadmap out of lockdown, due to be enacted on July 19.

“Though keeping children in consistent groups was essential to control the spread of the virus when our population was less vaccinated, we recognise that the system of bubbles and isolation is causing disruption to many children’s education,” Williamson said.

“That is why we’ll be ending bubbles and transferring contact tracing to NHS test and trace system for early years settings, schools and colleges.”

Geoff Barton of the Association for School and College Leaders (ASCL) said that removing the school bubble system, “should remove some of the current barriers to offering children and young people a full timetable of lessons and return school life to something which seems much more normal”.

Williamson also announced that there would be “no restrictions on in-person teaching and learning in universities” unless local outbreak numbers require student populations to self-isolate.

However, some universities have already announced their plans to approach the 2021-22 academic year with a blended-learning approach – a mix of online and in-person learning.

“I do not think it is acceptable that children should face greater restrictions over and above those of wider society, especially since they have given up so much to keep older generations safe during this pandemic,” Williamson told MPs on Tuesday.

“Whilst the government might argue that scrapping bubbles and changing rules around self-isolation will reduce the number of pupils missing education, we should be equally worried about the significant rise we have seen in confirmed and suspected cases in a single week,” said the NAHT union’s deputy general secretary.

NAHT school leader’s union member Nick Brook said, “No school leader wants to have restrictions in place any longer than are needed, but there will be a sense of real concern amongst many that the worsening situation they see before their eyes is at odds with the government’s narrative of relaxation and return to normality.”

“Schools have seen a near doubling of children contracting Covid-19, with 28,000 confirmed cases reported in the last week alone. “

“School leaders and parents alike will want more reassurance than has been given so far that removal of restrictions are supported by scientific evidence, not driven by political convenience,” Brook concluded.