Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies is concerned that the majority of secondary school children in Wales will not return to the classroom until after Easter and is calling on the Welsh Government to reconsider its decision.
Whilst all children in England will return to school on March 8th, it was announced by the Welsh Education Minister, Kirsty Williams MS, yesterday that in Wales most secondary school children will not have in person learning until after Easter.
Following the announcement, James raised his concerns about this approach in Parliament, in response to the Prime Minister's Statement on a Covid-19 Roadmap, and asked Boris Johnson to urge the Welsh Government to reconsider its decision.
He said:
"My right hon. Friend has quite rightly placed emphasis on the reopening of schools, with the return to school of all children in England on 8 March.
"In Wales, primary school children aged seven and under will return this week, while it is hoped that the remainder of primary schoolchildren and some older pupils taking qualifications may return on 15 March.
"However, there appear to be no plans until after Easter in Wales - beyond the reopening of some non-essential shops - for most secondary school pupils to return.
"Will the Prime Minister urge the Welsh Government to reconsider their approach, given the harm that young people have already endured during the pandemic?"
Responding, the Prime Minister said "it is a matter for the devolved authority" but added "I am sure that he shares my hope that all pupils will be back in school as fast as possible and that we will hear from the Labour party in Wales that schools are safe."
Speaking afterwards, James added:
"Our children have missed out on so much vital education in the past 12 months and it is imperative that we return them to the classroom above all else.
"I therefore find it difficult to support the Welsh Government’s decision to keep most secondary school pupils at home for longer. If these youngsters will be able to go to non-essential shops, then there is no logical reason why they should not be going back to school.
"Schools in the Vale of Clwyd have worked incredibly hard throughout the pandemic to ensure that our children receive a good standard of education at home and I thank all headteachers and teaching staff for all their efforts, but the truth is nothing beats face-to-face learning and our children will benefit more from being back in the classroom."
