It seems that Wales is looking for a change when schools open in September. In current news wales has actually been doing pretty well with their control over the pandemic. There haven’t been and recent spikes. Because of this wales can now try the make it that Face masks will no longer be routinely recommended for schools.
Jeremy Miles MS has today written to all head teachers and principals in Wales in a bid to “provide more clarity on how schools and colleges can continue to operate safely” when they return for the autumn term. As part of the changes it has been suggested that some of the key measures that have been in place in education settings since last year can be removed. Three main changes are being proposed to bring some “normality back to education” ahead of the new autumn term include face coverings no longer being routinely recommended in classrooms for staff or learners.
Face coverings should continue to be worn by learners in secondary schools and settings when travelling on dedicated school transport. However schools and settings can encourage their use in areas where there is likely to be more social mixing, such as in communal areas. Last month the education minister spoke of how the new framework would allow decisions to be made locally depending on the rates and risk of coronavirus in a particular area.
Details released by the Welsh Government quoted that: “As part of a school’s risk assessment process, supported by public health officials, and in discussion with local authorities, schools and settings will be able to decide whether the wearing of face coverings is appropriate anywhere on the school site based on the school’s own circumstances and local context. If however an individual wishes to wear a face covering this should not be prevented.”
As part of the proposed changes normal session times can also resume. Contact groups will no longer be required for school pupils or full-time learners in colleges. Instead, the contact tracing system in Wales will be used to identify close contacts of learners who have tested positive. It means whole year’s groups won’t be told to self-isolate when a pupil has tested positive for Covid.
