Secondary schools in Wales to close next week

All secondary schools and further education colleges in Wales will move classes online from Monday amid rising Covid-19 cases.

They will move to online learning from Monday, December 14 as part of a “national effort to reduce transmission of coronavirus” Education Minister Kirsty Williams confirmed today.

By making this decision, the Minister said she felt it was important to make a “clear, national direction” to take pressure off individual schools, colleges, local authorities, parents and carers.

The Minister said her decision followed expert advice from Wales’s Chief Medical Officer showing that the public health situation in Wales was deteriorating.

Education Minister Kirsty Williams said: “Every day, we are seeing more and more people admitted to hospital with coronavirus symptoms.

“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.

“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.

“We recognise, as we did during the firebreak, that it is more difficult for primary and special school age children to undertake self-directed learning.

“That is why we are encouraging primary and special schools to continue to stay open.

“Having spoken to local education leaders, I am confident that schools and colleges have online learning provision in place.

“This will also be important in ensuring that students are at home during this time, learning and staying safe.

“Critically, and this is very important, children should be at home.

“This is not an early Christmas holiday, please do everything you can to minimise your contact with others.”

“The education family in Wales has pulled together so many times this year to make a real difference to the course of this virus and ultimately to save lives and I know we can do the same again.

“Together we will keep Wales safe.”

 

‘Courtesy’

Llyr Gruffydd, a Member of the Senedd for North Wales, said he was angered after he was told the news by a Labour MP.

“I hear from a Labour MP that the Welsh Government is closing secondary schools next week,” he said.

“Where’s the courtesy of informing Members of the Senedd, First Minister? Preferential treatment for Labour politicians?”

Some secondary schools in Wales have already confirmed that they will not be opening their doors.