Schools in Wales which have been told they must only open for three weeks this term will only get one week for autumn half term, Education Minister Kirsty Williams said today.
When Ms Williams announced that schools would re-open on June 29 she said they would stay open for an extra fourth week this term and have a two week autumn half term in return.
With most councils in Wales now telling their schools they cannot open for the extra fourth week, due to staff contracts, the extra half term week in lieu is off the table for them, she said.
Speaking on the BBC Radio Wales, the minister said the decision over whether schools can open for three or four weeks before the summer holidays was up to councils. But she said the two week half term offer was only for those schools opening for the fourth week. This is what the Education Minister had to say at the daily briefing on Wednesday.
The minister was responding to a question from a teacher in the Vale of Glamorgan which has told its schools they can only open for three weeks.
The teacher said she hoped for a two week half term for all staff for health and safety reasons to allow for deep cleaning and for anyone who needed to quarantine to do so.
Ms Williams said this would not happen and would only apply to those schools opening for four weeks this term.
"Unfortunately, the Vale and a number of local authorities have felt that it's not appropriate to change staff contracts and conditions asking them to do the extra week.
"Therefore, in those local authorities not doing four weeks there will be a traditional one week half term in October."
Asked about antibody tests for teachers before they return to school, the minister said they should contact their local education authority.
