FOI REF: FOI/2023/5000
You asked
Please could you provide data for the number of teachers (and, if possible, teaching staff) deaths from COVID-19 compared to the general population during the pandemic?
We said
Thank you for your request.
We hold the following analysis showing deaths involving COVID-19 by different occupational groups from 9 March to 28 December 2020: Coronavirus (COVID-19) related deaths by occupation, England and Wales. This publication was discontinued in January 2021.
We also have the following user requested dataset: Number of deaths involving COVID-19 and all causes by teaching and educational occupation groups (those aged 20 to 64 years), England and Wales, deaths occurring between January and December 2020.
We have recently reviewed the decision to discontinue COVID-19 deaths by occupation and are working on putting together analysis to continue on from the 2020 data.
This work is ongoing, and we require the time and space to appropriately analyse and contextualise this data to ensure that we produce statistics that are high quality, valuable, and trustworthy, which in turn ensures that we continue to serve the public good. If we were to release this information prior to the completion of this process, we run the risk of producing misleading statistics that would confuse, rather than enhance public understanding. Therefore, the release of the requested data at this time would prejudice the purpose of this project and would undermine our reputation as a producer of reliable official statistics that serve the public.
As a result, Section 22A (b)(i) and (b)(iii) is engaged, whereby the information requested was obtained in the course of conducting an ongoing programme of research, which we have a view to publish, and release prior to our planned schedule would prejudice the research programme itself and the organisation conducting the research.
This exemption is subject to a public interest test. We recognise the desirability of information being freely available and this is considered by ONS when publication schedules are set in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The need for timely data must be balanced against the practicalities of applying statistical skill and judgement to produce the high quality, assured data needed to inform decision-making, which requires time and space. If this balance is incorrectly applied, then we run the risk of decisions being based on inaccurate data, which is not in the public interest. This will have an impact on public trust in official statistics in a time when the accuracy of official statistics is more important to the public than ever before. This is particularly important given the public health implications of data surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines.
Once publication dates are finalised, they will be announced on our Release calendar.
In case it is of interest, we continue to publish weekly COVID-19 deaths with no occupational disaggregation as part of our Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional analysis. We also produce the following publication annually: Deaths due to COVID-19, registered in England and Wales.