A council has admitted that there is no live online learning in any of its schools this week.
Bridgend council said non-live remote learning will continue until next week, owing to staffing issues. Live online learning will resume “where appropriate” from Monday January 11.
A spokesperson said live learning did not necessarily mean live streamed lessons and includes children messaging teachers live while they work remotely.
All schools across Wales have been ordered to shut until at least January 18 to all but vulnerable and key workers’ children and pupils thanks to high rates of coronavirus.
Education Minister Kirsty Williams has admitted online and remote teaching varies across Wales during school closures.
In a statement Bridgend Council said: “Remote learning activities are available to all Bridgend learners this week. Where appropriate, Bridgend County Borough schools will then restart live online learning from Monday 11 January.
“The local authority has taken this approach to ensure we have sufficient staff available to provide safe on-site provision to vulnerable learners and the children of critical workers, while at the same time, providing high quality remote learning, which is fully compliant with Welsh Government guidance, to all learners.”
Parents have voiced frustration. Some schools are providing all day live streamed lessons and others not.
Headteachers and teachers, some of whom have had training in remote and online teaching since the pandemic hit, have said learning on a screen all day doesn’t work well for children and a variety is needed.
Access to devices continues to be a problem. Although many have been handed out, in a Welsh Government funded scheme, some children still don't have them. Some families have more than one child sharing one device.
The Education Minister told WalesOnline earlier this week: "We are aware there’s a mixed picture and we are also aware that many schools have made significant progress in their ability to deliver live learning for students.
"We discussed with directors of education today (January 5) the need to work with all schools to understand what they are delivering and what barriers there may be.
"We know some local areas have more experience of this than others and have put in place professional learning with local consortia. We have also handed out significant numbers of devices. "
In his annual report published last month Chief Inspector for Schools in Wales, Meilyr Rowlands, said: “Despite effort by schools, local authorities and central government to provide additional equipment and support, a minority of learners were disadvantaged by lack of access to suitable computers or connectivity during school closures.”
He added that, “However, most learners and teachers have improved their own digital skills significantly."
Bridgend remains the local authority with the highest infection rate in Wales. Latest figures from Public Health Wales on Weds, January 6, show Bridgend had a seven-day rate of 978.6 cases per 100,000 population, a rise from 925.5 on Tuesday January 5.
