La Mare de Carteret Primary head teacher Kevin Hinshaw in one of the school’s empty classrooms yesterday as more than a third of pupils were off ill. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0873644)

MORE than a third of pupils at La Mare de Carteret Primary School were yesterday off ill.

And its secondary neighbour also had nearly 40% of its students absent, with 200 of 531 away from school.

The high levels of sickness have been replicated in schools across the island.

A spokesman for Health and Social Services and the Education Department said the levels of illness were likely to indicate a rise in cases of swine flu in the island, but nine samples taken indicated that there were a variety of viruses circulating the community.

La Mare Primary head teacher Kevin Hinshaw said some pupils had temperatures of 38C or higher.

‘You can have a child who looks quite pale and it has been pretty quickly that they have been feeling ill and with a high temperature.

‘Our phones nearly melted this morning with parents ringing in,’ he said.

Mr Hinshaw said the school had had three staff manning the phones yesterday and the day before, from 8 until 8.50am.

‘It was pretty non-stop and we’ve been busy phoning parents during the day – we’ve had children come in and within a few hours they have had to go home.’

The school has stocked up on wipes and antibacterial spray, while the children have been learning about good hygiene and preventing the spread of infection.

Five of the 28 teaching staff are also off sick.