As we continue to monitor COVID case rates across
Wales, and how they relate to hospital admissions, the
success of our vaccine programme gives us cause to be
optimistic about the future. As restrictions are eased
across wider society, so too should educational
settings see a similar pattern.
Many of the young people I have spoken to have said
that they don’t believe the current system is
proportionate. They just want to be treated the same as
everyone else – and that sounds fair to me.
Three main changes are being proposed to bring some
normality back to education ahead of the new autumn
term. They are:
- Face coverings will no longer be routinely
recommended in classrooms;
- Contact groups will no longer be required for
school pupils or full-time learners in colleges. We
will use our TTP system in order to identify close
contacts of learners who have tested positive.
- Normal session times will resume.
By the end of September all adults in Wales will have
been offered both vaccinations, providing greater
protection for our education workforce. A growing body
of evidence also shows that children and young people
are more at harm from missing school than from COVID.
New advice has been published today on the key changes
to schools from September along with updated
Operational Guidance which provides further detail
on all of the elements set out in the letter, including
further clarity on the roles and responsibilities
associated with the TTP process from September. The
Guidance for Further Education will be published next
week.
We will publish The Local COVID-19
Infection Control Decision Framework at the start of
the autumn term so that schools have time to embed
new systems during the weeks that follow. The framework
will enable schools and colleges to tailor some of the
interventions to reflect the level of risk identified
locally. They will be supported by public health
officials and local authorities to ensure measures are
appropriate to their circumstances.
There may be a need to issue further updates in the
event of any significant developments during the summer
holiday period. I will keep you updated.
I have also taken the opportunity to thank the
education workforce for their hard work and effort over
the last academic year – I think we would all agree
that the profession should look back over the last year
with immense pride – they have shown immeasurable
determination and resilience in supporting learning and
keeping education settings as COVID-secure as possible.
