COVID-19: Wales’ secondary schools and colleges to move to online learning from Monday
Written by News on 10/12/2020
All secondary schools and colleges in Wales will move to online learning from Monday, the Welsh education minister has said.
Kirsty Williams said the move, which affects the last week of term, was part of a “national effort to reduce transmission of coronavirus”.
And it comes after the country’s chief medical officer Dr Frank Atherton advised authorities there was a “deteriorating” public health situation in Wales.
COVID-19 rates have exceeded 370 out of every 100,000 people in the nation, with a test positivity rate of 17%, according to the latest Test Trace Protect data.
The R reproduction number in Wales has increased to 1.27 with the number of infections is doubling every 11.7 days.
Almost half of all Welsh schools have registered zero COVID-19 cases since they opened in September.
But Ms Williams admitted schools can contribute to wider social mixing outside the education environment.
“The virus is putting our health service under significant and sustained pressure and it is important we all make a contribution to reduce its transmission,” said Ms Williams.
“In his advice to me today, the CMO recommends that a move to online learning should be implemented for secondary school pupils as soon as is practicable.
“I can therefore confirm that a move to online learning should be implemented for secondary school pupils and college students from Monday next week.”
Primary schools would be encouraged to stay open as “it is more difficult for primary and special school age children to undertake self-directed learning”, she added.
Huw Powell, head teacher of Mary Immaculate High in Wenvoe, said head teachers backed the move.
“Like many secondary school head teachers, I welcome the decision to move to home learning next week,” he told Wales Online.
“Given our concerns over transmission of the virus in our communities, this will help allay any fears parents may have whilst allowing learning to continue safely.”
(c) Sky News 2020: COVID-19: Wales’ secondary schools and colleges to move to online learning from Monday
