How can we improve Covid-19 safety in schools and can digital tools help? A qualitative interview study with school staff (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Throughout the pandemic, governments around the world have issued guidelines to manage the spread and impact of Covid-19 in schools, including measures around social distancing and contact tracing. Whether schools require support to implement these guidelines has not yet been explored in depth. Despite the development of a range of technologies to tackle Covid-19, such as contract tracing apps and electronic vaccine certificates, research on their usefulness in school settings is limited. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to explore the needs of school staff in managing Covid-19 and their experiences and perspectives on technological support METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with UK school staff, including primary and secondary school teachers and school managers. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. RESULTS Via purposive sampling, we recruited 18 participants from 5 schools. Participants reported high-risk interactions between students were still taking place, especially in secondary schools, and these were not adequately monitored. There was a need to improve accuracy when identifying close contacts in common areas where students congregate. Proximity Tracking, use of Access Cards and CCTV emerged as potential solutions but there were concerns surrounding false alerts, burden, and security. CONCLUSIONS School staff have found it difficult to monitor and implement social distancing and contact tracing provisions. There are opportunities for mobile digital technologies to support school staff in keeping their students safe, however these must place minimal demands on staff and prioritize security measures.