Covid in schools: New rules in Wales 'impractical', union says

It is "impractical and unfair" to expect teachers in Wales to take responsibility for their Covid safety measures, a head teachers' union says.

Education Minister Jeremy Miles said on Monday rules would be "localised" within a national framework.

Laura Doel, director of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) Cymru, said teachers needed to be left to focus on pupils' education.

Mr Miles said conversations with partners were continuing.

In a press conference on Monday, he said that in order to make sure a "disproportionate" number of pupils were not having to self-isolate, it would be up to individual schools, colleges and universities to decide their own Covid safety rules in future.

This would include social distancing, face masks and testing.

Ms Doel told BBC Radio Wales it was "completely unfair that schools have been put in this situation".

She said more consultations were needed to make sure case numbers did not rise as a result.

"That's something that we've told the minister and we hope through further discussions this week that he will listen to our concerns and we can work together to come up with a plan that is workable in schools because unfortunately this plan is not.

"School leaders, teachers, teaching assistants are experts in education. They need to be left to concentrate on teaching and learning, and decisions on safety - medical based decisions should be made by those experts," she said.

She said they needed a plan "by the latest at the end of the week" and not by September as the education minister had said.

Mr Miles said the rules would introduce flexibility to schools with lower case rates and reduce the impact on children's education.

"The decisions which a school will take will be absolutely based on intelligence from Public Health Wales, their local incidents teams, and nationwide advice - it's about having a framework which adapts to local circumstances and is underpinned by professional advice.

"We've agreed to give schools a notice period of any significant changes which we absolutely will be doing but at the end of the day this gives schools more control over options available."

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales, Ian Loynd, headteacher of St Teilo's Church in Wales High School in Cardiff, said he agreed it was important "to do everything we can" to avoid large numbers of children having to self-isolate.

But he cautioned against giving schools power over public health decisions.

"I'm a teacher and I make educational decisions and I think public health decisions should be made by clinicians - I absolutely feel uncomfortable and I think it will lead to division and consternation within and between schools."

Liz Burden from Newport has two children in Years 7 and 12 and said she trusted her children's school to make the right choices.

She said her priority was keeping her children in school.

"I think it is a good thing as they know their individual schools and what is going to work for them.

"I've noticed a marked difference in my children returning to school as they were not good with home-schooling," she said.

Plaid Cymru said the rules were "totally unfair".

Education spokeswoman Sian Gwenllian said they created an "opportunity for huge inconsistencies between different schools".

"Measures intended to keep pupils, staff and the wider community safe need to be driven by data and need to be made by experts," she said.