Covid: Isle of Man face-to-face school lessons hit by staff shortages

Some students at two high schools on the Isle of Man have been told to learn from home in the coming days due to Covid-19 staff shortages.

Year 10 pupils at Ballakermeen High School in Douglas have been told to stay away for Tuesday and Wednesday, while those in Year 9 will also do online learning on Tuesday.

Ramsey Grammar School's Year 9 must also stay at home on the two days.

There are currently 1,836 active cases of the virus on the island.

Seven people are being treated in Noble's Hospital.

Ballakermeen head teacher Adrienne Burnett said the school had started the week with 22 teachers and 12 members of support staff absent, over half of which had tested positive for Covid-19.

The latest announcement comes on top on year 12 pupils at the Douglas school being told to stay away until Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Ramsey school's head teacher Sarah Findlater said it was experiencing "significant" staffing shortages.

She added that the school had held off sending pupils home for "as long as was humanly possible", but the situation had now "become unsustainable".

Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]