Increasing student absenteeism in the new year

The staffing is still described as demanding in many schools and kindergartens. Student absenteeism is sky high in some places due to increased infection.

Principal Lisbet Grøvdal saw no other option than to close Høvik school in Lier then over 40 employees had sick leave at the same time in December. After the New Year, the school is open, albeit with still high sickness absence, especially in SFO.

But the new challenge is undoubtedly student absenteeism. As many as 167 students have been home in the last few days after the increase in testing from the start of school.

– We have school operations at yellow level, except for a few hours of home schooling in electives at the junior high school level. We still have a lot of absences, but now first and foremost among the students, says Grødal to VG.

In week 2, 30 employees in the school and SFO are gone on Tuesday, while 167 students were at home Monday after testing positive on the rapid test, including 67 students who tested positive also on the PCR test.

It has, among other things, led to one class, which usually has 24 students, suddenly being down to seven students in the classroom.

– But I can not believe that the absence will be so high that we have to introduce home school again. All the staff are immediately fully vaccinated with three doses, says the principal.

Halving in absent teachers

In the Oslo schools you see the same trend: The employees are largely back on schools and kindergartens after increased sick leave in the weeks before Christmas. But student absenteeism is high, shows a report from 157 of 181 schools in the country’s largest school municipality.

On the second school day after the Christmas holidays, January 5, 9 percent of the students were absent in 5th to 10th grade.

In the lowest age groups (1st-4th grade), 8 percent were absent – same percentage as in Oslo’s upper secondary schools.

Among the teachers in the Oslo schools, there was almost a halving in the number of absent teachers from December 10 (1070) to January 4 (551). But there the trend is increasing again. On 7 January, there were 715 teachers who were so-called “unavailable for carrying out their tasks”, as it is called in the Education Agency’s survey.

Variation in Trondheim

In Trondheim as in others large municipalities, there is great variation in how the schools are affected by infection and absenteeism.

At Rosenborg school there is a ongoing outbreaks in the first days after the New Year, and 29 people were registered infected on Tuesday. Mainly students, according to principal Siv Mari Forsmark. Including quarantine students, 58 were absent from school on Tuesday – out of a group of 520 students.

– The positive thing here is that the yellow level seems to work, because the infection is mostly isolated to two classes, and the neighboring classes have escaped the infection so far, says the principal who experiences that the students really want to be at school – to meet their friends, among other things.

At Byåsen school in the same town, the situation is different.

– Everything is up and running. The teachers are in place, the staff are here and the students are present. We have been lucky and escaped both absence and infection in recent weeks. This despite the fact that we know that there is a lot of omikron in circulation, says Byåsen Rector Marianne Uran Løkken to VG

Still demanding

In kindergartens, the trend so far is also on new year a reduced sickness absence among employees compared with the end of last year.

The latest reports from state administrators show that the situation is demanding also into the new year – after several kindergartens had to close before Christmas.

• In Agder, some kindergartens warn that they “has a significant absence of children, and in some cases there are also homes that choose not to send children to kindergarten for fear of household quarantine.”

In the Inland, in some municipalities «it was necessary to prioritize which age levels should be tested because it was not enough quick tests for home use available. » In Nordland there are some municipalities large sickness absence and «noticeable challenges in finding substitutes for employees who can not work.» In most counties there are still large challenges with staffing and access to substitutes in both kindergartens and schools, summarizes the Directorate of Education.

– Gets worse

Janne Lilleberg is the leader of one of the country’s largest kindergartens, Margarinfabrikken kindergarten at Bjølsen in Oslo. She says:

– We were probably more vulnerable in the last 14 days before Christmas. Now I am excited about the situation after the first two weeks of the new year. It will probably get worse again in the winter, says Lilleberg to VG about the absence situation.

Her picture of the situation is confirmed by the head of the kindergarten department at the State Administrator in Vestfold and Telemark, Selma Hadzic.

opening hours in some kindergarten departments due to absence. In the weeks before Christmas, the situation was much more demanding, Hadzic says to VG.

Also also back in the third quarter of 2021, employees in kindergartens and schools had high sickness absence.

Sick leave in this employee group increased by 12 percent from 2019 to 2020, and had a further increase of 13 percent in the third quarter of 2021 – when it was on 5.1 per cent, according to NAV and Statistics Norway (SSB).

2020, and at the highest level since the swine flu in 2009.

Note: This article has been indexed to our site. We do not claim legitimacy, ownership or copyright of any of the content above. To see the article at original source Click Here

Sweet Water Decor Warm and Cozy Soy Candle - Orange Peel, Cinnamon, Ginger and Clove Scented Candles for Home - 9oz Amber Jar + Black Lid, 40+ Hour Burn Time, Made in the USA

(3326)

$15.79 (as of December 11, 2024 19:30 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

ThisWorx Car Vacuum Cleaner - Portable Handheld Mini Vacuum Cleaner W/ 16ft Cord, Bag, & Attachments - Small Vacuum…

(300685)

$36.00 (as of December 11, 2024 19:08 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Crocs Unisex Adult Classic Clog

(608247)

$38.13 (as of December 11, 2024 19:30 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Elemtansy Ships Next Day, Personalized 40 Oz Tumbler with Handle and Straw, Custom Stainless Steel Insulated Tumbler with Name Travel Coffee Mug Personalized Gifts for Women Girls

(921)

$30.99 (as of December 11, 2024 19:30 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Vintage Christmas Wall Art Print, Santa Reading Book Poster, Rustic Christmas Wall Art, Christmas Painting Print Decor, Christmas…

(79)

$5.99 (as of December 11, 2024 19:08 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)