Half of schools in Medway have been struck down by cases of coronavirus, it's been revealed as critics slammed the government's "chaotic" response for next term.

More than 250 cases were reported in primary, secondary and special schools with attendance way down and thousands of children learning from home.

Heads from 51 schools have reported positive Covid-19 cases and 7,500 pupils were self-isolating at the end of term, latest figures provided to the Messenger show.

It comes as Labour opposition councillors renewed calls to keep schools closed from January and criticised the latest moves by the Department for Education as schools continue to struggle to cope in the face of soaring infection rates in Medway.

The discovery of a new, more transmissible strain of the virus has been attributed for the extremely high number of cases throughout the autumn.

But opposition member for schools at Medway Council, Cllr Clive Johnson (Lab), said the government's latest proposals to move classes online for the first week of term – despite pledging to keep schools open – and set up testing showed "frightening incompetence".

He said: "The government’s position is ludicrous and the people of Medway are paying the price with their health and their wellbeing.

"While infection rates were rocketing, and schools were closing because there were insufficient staff for them to operate safely, parents and pupils didn’t know whether they would be in school from one day to the next.

"Our position has always been that school is the best place for young people. However, schools are struggling to operate effectively."

One Year 13 class was told to watch a video while other classes had been left without supervision entirely, Cllr Johnson told the Messenger.

He added: "Of course, pupils should be in school but the issue is whether their presence in school is effective in terms of their education or whether it is simply childcare.

"If it is the latter, then we need to consider the impact on community transmission of schools remaining open."

Cllr Johnson said schools are nervous about running testing centres on site for pupils in the New Year due to a lack of facilities, experience and staffing pressures to continue delivering lessons.

High infection rates forced class bubbles to be sent home and in some cases even forced schools to close entirely for safety and staffing reasons.

Labour have twice written to the South East Regional Schools Commissioner, Claire Burton, and the council to consider a review into whether to close schools in Medway.

But council leader Cllr Alan Jarrett hit back saying the proposals would harm children's learning and stood by the decision to keep schools open and Ms Burton also rejected the request.

Cllr Johnson said the commissioner and council leadership have "stuck their heads in the sand" regarding the issue.

"They told schools and Medway families to get on with it," Cllr Johnson added. "This utterly disgraceful position has now been replaced with what is a further policy disaster for Medway schools."

Figures show 51 of the 103 schools in the Medway area – including 40 primary, nine secondary and two special schools – reported at least one confirmed coronavirus case up to December 16.

In the week ending December 11, schools across the Towns showed 65% attendance with 71% of primary children in class and 56% in secondary school which had seen a drop from the start of the week.

Asked whether he felt local pressures facing Medway with growing infection rates, the new strain of the virus and Tier 4 lockdown measures meant the area needed a different approach to the one being proposed by the government, council leader Alan Jarrett said: "We are awaiting further information and guidance from government on how children will return to school safely in the new year.

"The health, safety and wellbeing of children, teachers and school staff is of the utmost importance to us.

"Throughout the pandemic we have worked closely with Public Health England to offer advice and support to Medway’s head teachers and we will continue to do so.

"We are unable to comment further until the final details are released.”

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