Impact of Covid on education likely to be felt for years to come

Twm Owen, local democracy reporter

The impact of Covid on education is likely to be felt for years to come, councillors have been warned.

The virus is also still circulating and causing pressures in schools with headteachers and assistants having to step in and cover lessons for teachers who’ve been taken ill, Monmouthshire County Counci’s education chief Will McLean said.

Schools are also struggling with financial pressures and it is predicted by the end of the current financial year secondary and primary schools will have a combined £5.8m overspend.

In the red

In total 19 schools and the pupil referral unit are likely to be in the red with £3.6m attributed to the county’s three secondary and one all age school, £657,000 from primaries and £1.5m to the referral unit for those unable to attend mainstream schools.

The council’s performance and overview scrutiny committee was told pressures from the pandemic, with pupils having fallen behind during the learning from home period and many still struggling to adapt, or readjust, to attending school are impacting budgets as pupils require extra support including an increase in staff.

Pay awards

Higher than budgeted pay awards for teachers and non-teaching staff are also having an impact.

Mr McLean told councillors: “We have seen since the pandemic a higher level of some behaviours that challenge in schools and children with higher levels of additional learning needs and it can be difficult for staff to manage.”

Councillors raised concerns at the impact of spending pressures on education and staff, and how any problems will be reported to the council.

Mr McLean said schools have a duty to support their staff and the education department trusts them to do that.

He also said the pressures stemming from the pandemic are recognised by the department but there are other financial issues schools need to address, and the council will be holding meetings with those that have set deficit budgets, based on spending more than they receive in funding, leading up to the October half term.

Mr McLean said: “Children just starting reception were born in the first year of the pandemic so we know this will continue so those children won’t have had those ‘normal’ socialisation aspects because of the position society was in, in 2021, so we know this is going to carry on.

“Whilst I think it’s an important part there are broader conversations to be had with schools about their financial recovery of which this is an aspect but I don’t believe it’s a fundamental aspect in that relationship.”