SCHOOL exams WILL go ahead this year as ministers are confident schools will cope with the Omicron wave.
As pupils head back to the classroom tomorrow, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi confirmed end of year tests will go ahead after they were canned for the last two years.
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But teachers have been warned to merge classes if they suffer staff shortages caused by the massive Omicron wave.
It comes as a string of hugely positive studies show Omicron IS milder than other strains, with the first official UK report revealing the risk of hospitalisation is 50 to 70 per cent lower than with Delta.
Covid booster jabs protect against Omicron and offer the best chance to get through the pandemic, health officials have repeatedly said.
The Sun’s Jabs Army campaign is helping get the vital extra vaccines in Brits’ arms to ward off the need for any new restrictions.
Despite the variant being milder many teachers are off sick, or stuck in isolation.
Speaking on Sky News, Mr Zahawi said: “Exams are going ahead this year this summer.
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“There’s a big difference from last year to this year.
“Last winter, in January, I was the vaccines minister, and we had pretty much no one vaccinated.”
He added: “The exams will go ahead, the merging of classes is really a mitigation against staff shortages.”
Covid cases rose by 137,583 in England and Wales yesterday as Omicron continues to spread.
Secondary school students will have to be tested when they return tomorrow, and will have to wear masks in lessons under new guidance.
And Mr Zahawi insisted the priority is “to keep schools open”.
He said: “The testing, the staffing support we’re putting in place, and of course the ventilation is going to make a big difference to schools this year.
“The most important thing is to keep them open.
“We monitor staff absenteeism, I just said to you we’re running at about 8 per cent last year. If that rises further then we look at things like merging classes, teaching in bigger numbers.”
It’s understood Boris Johnson will assess the impact of Christmas mixing before announcing any updates on the current Covid rules.
Speaking during a visit to a vaccination hub in Stoke Mandeville Stadium, Bucks., the PM said the Omicron variant is “plainly milder” than other strains.
But he warned “there’s no question Omicron continues to surge through the country”.
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Secondary school pupils will return to wearing face masks in classroom as fears grow new term could spark Omicron wave
