Delays in the government-funded testing programme mean schools both state and private are now going private for testing. Despite the £10bn the government's spent on it.
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Schools are turning to private Covid-19 testing to avoid staff missing work because of delays in the government’s test and trace system.
Dozens of private schools and a small number of state schools say it is cheaper to pay for tests than fund supply teachers while staff self-isolate as they await results.
Dan Moynihan, the chief executive of Harris Academies, a chain of 48 state schools that have purchased a “small number” of tests for use in “a few cases”, said delays could mean that schools had to bring in supply staff for 4 or 5 days as symptomatic teachers waited for a result, at a cost of up to £200 a day — far more costly than a test.
“We’ve identified some clinics in London that'll give you the test for between £150-£180,” he said.
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https://www.ft.com/content/74843919-...b-dddd93bce2b9