Education Minister Alex Allinson has welcomed the return of almost all of the island’s students to school.

Dr Allinson, speaking to the Manx Independent said that 98% of students had returned to Ramsey Grammar High School last week, with other schools showing high levels of return as well.

After closing most schools at the start of the pandemic and reopening them in June, the government asked all pupils to return to school at the start of this academic year.

The Minister said that the return rate at RGS was ’as high as it’s ever been’ which was a ’great vote of confidence in teachers and our schools’.

criticism

He added: ’In the UK, there was a lot of criticism of the government for bringing in contingency plans quite late.

’They’re dealing with Covid-19 and their schools are open, but with a range of restrictions and modifications. Thankfully our schools are able to open as normal.’

Dr Allinson said that the government has circulated contingency plans throughout all departments about what will happen in the event of a community outbreak of Covid-19 in the island.

The advice circulated has also gone to the island’s school teachers, but Dr Allinson said the department wants teachers to help make the plans ’absolutely robust’.

’This week, there is a meeting of all senior teachers’, he said. ’Public health will be doing a presentation and they will also be answering questions. But we will also be further developing the guidelines for a possible outbreak in one of our schools. There will be close consultation with the teachers and the staff because they’re the ones who are at the front line and need to be part of drawing up these contingency plans.’

Dr Allinson said that the department wants the document to ’evolve’ in order to create the best plans for each of the island’s schools.

He added: ’It has to evolve, both in terms of the local circumstances, but also in line with the latest scientific information. For instance, we now know that there is good evidence that primary schools are relatively safe in that the spread within them is relatively small.

’The risk in secondary schools is slightly higher and in the UK, in certain parts, they’ve brought in mandatory face masks for wearing in corridors and built up areas.

’We need to take on board some of that new evidence coming from the WHO to refine our plans and remain flexible throughout all this because what all of us want is for schools in the Isle of Man and University College Isle of Man to stay open as much as possible and to stay safe for pupils and staff.’