London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 01, 2025

One MILLION pupils out of English schools at end of term amid pingdemic chaos

One MILLION pupils out of English schools at end of term amid pingdemic chaos

A MILLION school pupils were at home at the end of term as pingdemic chaos swept through England, new figures show.

Kids forced into isolation at home as a result of being told they were in contact with a Covid case saw mounting anger among parents.

Many pulled their kids out of school early to avoid having to cancel their summer holidays as pupils were forced to isolate for 10 days.

The pingdemic has forced the Government exempt more key workers from isolating, amid fears rubbish could pile high the streets and supermarkets run out of food.

Department for Education statistics show 1.13 million children in England were out of school for Covid related reasons on Friday, July 16 – a record high since all students returned in March.

The figures include a staggering 994,000 children self-isolating due to a possible contact with a Covid case.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said the figures show “very starkly” it was an “extremely challenging end to an extremely challenging year”.

He called on the Government to minimise disruption when the term starts and to bring in an “ambitious and better funded recovery plan to address the learning loss”.

"The plans it has announced so far are a long way short of what is needed by children and young people,” he said.

A further 48,000 pupils had confirmed case of coronavirus, and 33,300 with a suspected case, while 50,700 pupils were off as a result of school closures due to Covid-related reasons.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced that the use of "bubbles" in schools in England will come to an end as the country eases lockdown restrictions.

From August 16, children in England will only need to self-isolate if they have tested positive.

A recent study found daily testing of pupils who have been in contact with someone with Covid rather than isolating whole groups, may be just as effective in controlling transmission in secondary schools.

Researchers at the University of Oxford estimated that daily testing in schools can reduce coronavirus-related school absences by 39 per cent.

Two million people have been told the self-isolate



Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
×