This will be a verbal update from the Director of Education.

The Committee received a verbal update of the Director of Education which outlined new developments and significant changes to the current situation, particularly in relation to schools. 

The main points and themes within the verbal update included:

• School attendance remained strong and significantly above the national average;
• The number of positive cases was relatively stable and lower than elsewhere but still a concern;
• That the Council had recommended enhanced measures in schools and colleges to reduce the risk of transmission and this would be reviewed on a fortnightly basis; and
• Arrangements for and progress with the roll-out of vaccinations for 12 to 15 year olds.

Some of the key points and themes that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

• Had there been any anti-vaccine protests outside schools in Manchester and what plans were in place for this;
• That some parents were not against vaccines but had some concerns about their children being vaccinated and what were the plans for providing information and reassurance to them; and
• Days of education lost due to the pandemic and the impact of this, particularly on pupils who were struggling academically or displaying behavioural problems.

In response to a Member’s question about face coverings, the Director of Education reported that schools were currently being advised that pupils should wear face coverings in communal areas but not in the classroom and that special schools had been included in this advice, although some pupils would be exempt.  She stated that this advice was considered to be proportionate, based on the current situation and had been arrived at in consultation with the Director of Public Health.  She reported that she was not aware of any anti-vaccine campaigns outside of Manchester schools but that schools had been sent some guidance on dealing with this if there was a protest which was creating a problem, such as causing an obstruction.  She advised that a lot of information had been provided to parents about the vaccine, primarily through schools.  She also advised that, while vaccines were being provided at schools, parents also had the option of having their child vaccinated at another site at a later date, to give them more time to discuss it and reach a decision.  The Director of Public Health informed Members that parents had the opportunity to further discuss any concerns they had at these other vaccination sites and that they could also call the COVID-19 helpline.  In response to a Member’s question, he outlined the reasons for the vaccination booster programme and who was eligible for this. 

The Director of Education advised that further information on the impact of the pandemic on children’s education would be provided in the next agenda item but that schools were working to address this, tailored to what their pupils needed.  She advised that this was partly about helping pupils to re-adjust to being back in the school routine, rather than trying to cram a lot of learning into a short space of time.  A Member who was a Teacher Representative supported this comment.

In response to a Member’s question, the Director of Education advised that schools were struggling with staff absences, for a range of reasons including staff testing positive with COVID-19, other illnesses, childcare issues caused by the pandemic and unvaccinated staff being close contacts of positive cases and having to self-isolate.  The Chair requested that some figures on this be provided in a future update.

The Director of Education acknowledged a point from the Chair that some families were unclear on the changes in the rules which meant that other children in the household could still attend school if a family member had tested positive.  She reported that information was being sent out to families but that there could also be other issues such as problems in getting a child to school if all the adults in the household had tested positive and had to self-isolate. 

Members discussed ways that information could be communicated to parents, including billboards, social media and government public health campaigns.  A Member emphasised the value of face-to-face meetings to communicate information on issues such as vaccines and the current rules on self-isolation.  The Executive Member for Children’s Services advised that work was taking place on vaccine take-up for both adults and children in Manchester and that this included a communications plan.  Noting that those leading the school age vaccination programme had attended last month’s meeting when this work had still been at an early stage, he suggested that they attend a future meeting to inform Members about the progress made.

Decision

To note the report.