Wales' education minister Kirsty Williams gave a briefing on the coronavirus outbreak in Wales today (Wednesday, May 20).
Ms Williams provided an update on when children could go back to school, the risk teachers face when returning to the classroom, and the impact of the pandemic on higher education.
Here is a summary of what she had to say:
- No 'arbitrary date' on when schools will re-open will be set
- A three-point plan will aim to get Welsh colleges and universities back up and running post-lockdown
- £1.3m of capital funding announced as part of the Sêr Cymru programme
- 'We can't eliminate all risk' when teachers and pupils return
Higher education institutes don't face 'immediate crisis'
Welsh Government won't set 'arbitrary date' for schools re-opening
Ms Williams said she would net set "an arbitrary date for when more children will go back into Welsh schools".
She said the government needs more evidence about the progression of the virus and more control over it before pupils could return.
She said: "Let me be clear – when a decision is made to have more of our children return to school, you will hear that directly from me.”
'We can't eliminate all risk' when teachers and pupils return to classroom
Ms Williams said the Welsh Government "can't eliminate all risk" when teachers and pupils return to schools.
"In any environment, it's impossible to give 100% guarantees," she said. "We manage those risks as much as possible."
She added: "Any decision I take, at the forefront of my mind will be the health and emotional wellbeing of our staff and children."
The education minister did set out a plan for how to get Welsh colleges and universities back up and running post-lockdown. You can read more on that here.
She also addressed the issue of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the classroom.
Asked whether teachers would be given PPE, she said the government was planning to set out requirements relating to this and would work with local authorities to ensure the plan is implemented.
Higher education institutions don't face 'immediate crisis'
Asked whether any higher education institutions could go bankrupt, Ms Williams said she hasn’t heard of any facing “immediate crisis”.
However she said it is fair to say the sector is facing “significant challenges” as is every part of the economy and public sector. Universities are no exception to that, she said.
Ms Williams said she was “concerned about the potential impact of Covid-19 on our ability to recruit international students”.
She said there was also a need to ensure international students who had been studying in Wales will return to complete their programmes of study.
The issue of visas is an important one, she said, adding that it is not a devolved matter. She said Wales continues to make representations to Westminster to ensure there are no barriers in place to stop recruitment of international students.
The government is working with the Higher Education Funding Council and has taken immediate steps to respond to immediate pressure of the higher education sector, she said.
