Covid: NAHT 'hopeful' Wales' schools will close for Christmas after Friday

A union leader says she is hopeful schools will close after Friday so children can isolate before Christmas.

Director of NAHT Cymru Laura Doel said she was hoping to meet with Education Minister Kirsty Williams on Thursday afternoon "as a matter of urgency".

Families with children have been told to consider "pre-isolating" at home for 10 days before Christmas if they are planning to see elderly relatives.

The Welsh Government said its priority was ensuring education continues.

Pupils in Blaenau Gwent had their last day in the classroom on Wednesday.

Bridgend currently plans to follow Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taf councils in closing schools early on 16 December.

In Wrexham, secondary schools will switch to online learning for the whole of next week, while primary schools will do the same for the last two days of term.

Conwy, Anglesey, Merthyr Tydfil, Pembrokeshire, Torfaen and Vale of Glamorgan councils said schools would remain open until 18 December as planned.

All 22 councils in Wales have been asked for a response.

A Welsh Government spokesman said: "Our priority remains ensuring education continues for all children and young people with as little disruption as possible.

"We will continue to hold regular discussions with local authorities and unions on these matters, as we have done throughout the pandemic."

Most Welsh local authorities have said schools should remain open until 18 December, despite calls from some unions to end lessons early.

Ms Doel told BBC Radio Wales: "I think we'll have the conversation this afternoon and I am hopeful that the minister who has, up until this point, always acted on the government health and safety guidance, will act upon this guidance today...

"I think parents are going to vote with their feet anyway."

Following a report by the Welsh Government's Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Tuesday, NAHT Cymru wrote to Kirsty Williams calling for blended or distance learning for the final week of term (14-18 December) for all school pupils.

"Self-isolation remains of paramount importance for anyone with Covid-19 symptoms," it said.

"The best way to protect older family members is not to expose them to potential infection, no matter how well-intended the reason for contact...

"No direction from the government on this issue risks large numbers of families making their own decision to take children out of school and once again will result in a mixed economy across Wales, with LAs making their own decisions based on local circumstances."

On 3 December union Unison Cymru Wales also wrote to Ms Williams asking her to close school sites and move schools to a home-schooling model from Friday.

While some parents have already taken the decision to pull their children out of school before the end of term, others say closing schools early is problematic.

NHS worker and mother-of-three Kimberley Lloyd, lives in Swffrydd in Blaenau Gwent where schools have already closed, said: "It's left us in a really difficult situation...

"Nobody wants to self-isolate over Christmas but my job doesn't stop tomorrow, my husband's job doesn't stop tomorrow… I really don't understand where the decision has come from and why it's been made."

Daniel and Samantha Pearce said the news their daughter Hazel, 10, would be at home after Wednesday came "totally out of the blue".

Mrs Pearce, 34, who is a self-employed cleaner, said: "There'll be parents that either can't or won't ask for their family's help to look after the children because they are frightened they could be giving them Covid just before Christmas."

Siân Gwenllian, education spokeswoman for Plaid Cymru, called for the Welsh Government to shut all schools next week.

She said those who can keep children at home should be encouraged to do so and a skeleton staff should be put in place for children who still need to attend.

She said: "The latest advice from the Technical Advisory Cell to the Welsh Government has shone a light on the risk associated with schools remaining open, and must be taken seriously."

The Welsh Government says school attendance is compulsory.

However, it said it recognised Covid meant some families would have anxiety about their children's attendance at school so it would "not be appropriate" to issue fixed penalty notices.

There is no specific stipulation in law but the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty against Children (NSPCC) does not advocate children aged 12 and under being left home alone.

The Welsh Government said all children had different needs and it was an offence to leave children of any age alone if it places them at risk.

You could get a payment of £500 to help with loss of earnings if you or you child has been told to self-isolate and you cannot work from home.

To qualify, you must have a child attending a school or childcare setting up to and including in year eight - or up to age 25 if the learner has multiple and complex additional needs.

You must also be claiming one of a number of benefits.

People will be able to apply for the payment through their local authority website from 14 December and payments will be backdated to 23 October.