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Virus guidance for schools has room to improve
Given the sizable numbers of school pupils being sent home across Wales as a result of positive Covid-19 tests, Shadow Education Minister, Suzy Davies MS (Con, South Wales West), asked why further education colleges were having a much better record when it comes to face-to-face teaching?
Was there anything headteachers could learn from colleges?
The Education Minister was keen to learn lessons from the last four weeks and public health guidance to schools will be reviewed.
“….in the light of those experiences, we need to understand what more we can do, how we can improve our guidance in schools, so that they can limit the number of direct contacts, and what other support that we can give schools from our (Track, Trace, Protect) teams, to be able to help them make decisions around which students can safely remain in school, and not disrupt their education, and which students will need to isolate. So we’re looking to review our guidance….”
– Education Minister, Kirsty Williams (Lib Dem, Brecon & Radnor)
Government “priority” to ensure university students can return home at Christmas
Both Suzy Davies and Helen Mary Jones MS (Plaid, Mid & West Wales) asked about the situation on university campuses, with concerns that students may have to spend Christmas there instead of being able to return home.
Echoing what the First Minister said earlier this week, Kirsty Williams told members that students wouldn’t be treated any more or less favourably than any other Welsh citizens. It was, however, a bit muddled as to what that means in practice (in terms of household categorisation and shared facility rules etc.).
Helen Mary Jones argued that students should be treated differently:
“If a student is in a situation in a university at Christmas time that is subject to a lockdown, does that mean that they can’t go home? Everything that you’ve just been saying to Suzy Davies about the welfare of students and their mental and emotional well-being is very encouraging, but I would suggest to the Government that students do need to be treated differently, and perhaps what we need is a system whereby all students can be tested before they return home for Christmas, so that they could socially isolate when they get back home….”
– Helen Mary Jones MS
The Minister assured the chamber that ensuring students – including her daughter – can return from university for Christmas “is a priority”. Work is ongoing in the health department and at UK Government level to ensure circumstances are put in place to allow it to happen.
