It was good to see Welsh Education minister, Kirsty Williams, fronting a press conference yesterday on the re-opening of schools in Wales.
In contrast to Boris Johnson’s plans for England, which have generated widespread concern, Wales is taking a more cautious and devolved approach. All schools there will re-open on 29th June, staggering attendance to ensure that only a third of pupils will be on site at any one time. Schools and councils will decide how that is to be implemented locally, phasing in the scheme to suit local conditions.
Term dates will be adjusted, with a week’s extension to the summer term and a two week half term break in October.
Jane Dodds, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader, has sent us this comment:
Once again Kirsty Williams is setting the bar with regards to how a Government should be communicating at times like this.
She has clearly laid out her plans, and the rationale behind them, in an upfront manner. This will give parents, children and teaching staff the reassurance they need.
The Welsh Liberal Democrats are committed to getting our children back in the classroom and learning as soon, but only when it is safe to do so.
I am therefore pleased to see that no child is forced to go back, especially those who are shielding themselves or who have family that are shielding.
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One Comment
From what is being implemented locally, don’t see much real difference, other than the media headline.
My teenagers go back to school as from 15-Jun. However, due to social-distancing considerations they can only take 25% of each year group. So what going back to school actually means is that they get to spend one day a week at school.
Looks like online/distance learning is here to stay, probably for at least the next year. In support of this I see that the Microsoft Teams environment has been massively improved to better support online learning and the schools are reorganising to better organise and oversee learning.
As for the extension to the summer term and two October break, why not be more radical and switch over totally to a system of 5×8 week terms with two week holidays between with 4 in the summer, which has been shown over several decades now to give better results.