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NAHT Cymru

NAHT Cymru is the definitive voice of school leaders in Wales. We keep the best interests of children at the heart of everything we do.

Along with our colleagues in England and Northern Ireland, we are here to defend and extend the rights of our members, as well as provide advice, protection and support specific to school leaders throughout Wales

NAHT Cymru yw llais diffyniadol arweinwyr ysgolion yng Nghymru. Mae buddiannau gorau plant yng nghraidd popeth a wnawn.

Ynghyd â'n cydweithwyr yn Lloegr a Gogledd Iwerddon, rydym yn bodoli i warchod ac ymestyn hawliau ein haelodau, yn ogystal â darparu cyngor, diogelwch a chymorth sy'n benodol i arweinwyr ysgolion ledled Cymru.

NAHT Cymru comments on government plans for easing Covid-19 safety measures

Commenting on today’s announcement by the Welsh government on plans to ease the Covid-19 safety measures in schools for September, director of school leaders’ union, NAHT Cymru, Laura Doel, said:

“NAHT Cymru has raised concerns about several aspects of the Welsh government’s plans to ease covid-19 safety measures for schools in September.

“Whilst we all want to see an end to restrictions on social distancing in schools as soon a possible, the plan to do away with ‘class bubbles’ but retain a requirement for schools to identify close contacts of pupils is impractical. For self-isolation purposes, schools would be expected to provide intelligence to the contact tracers at Public Health Wales. This would include knowing who they were near in school as well as when being dropped-off and picked up. Welsh government needs to be realistic about what is actually possible here.

“Schools are already operating on the basis that they have grouped children to cause the minimum disruption; for many, there is no in-between measure from where they are now and pre-covid school activity. The proposals, with all the unintended consequences, have the potential to be hugely disruptive. We are utterly confused by the Minister’s statement, which we think could actually increase the number of close contacts rather than reduce them.

“The proposed ending of staggered start and finish times, such as lunches and breaks, is premature and would have an impact on a school’s ability to carry out a host of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), such as enabling staff to clean rooms and equipment with sanitizer. In addition, there’s as yet no clarity on face-coverings among these measures for September.

“The reality is that this halfway house approach could create as many problems as it solves.

“The Welsh government also needs to be realistic about what the data is telling them and the level of protection school staff currently have. The Minister accepts there has been an increase in cases linked to the Delta variant and acknowledges that it may not be until the end of September that all education staff will have had the chance to take up the offer of a second jab.

“The latest figures on covid cases are concerning, and ultimately, decisions across Wales must be based on medical and scientific evidence. It’s vital that schools are supported by local authorities, and that all options stay on the table so that schools can do what's best for their school communities.”

First published 28 June 2021

Please give us your views  on the current consultations

 

Welsh Government

Independent review of school teachers pay and conditions in Wales

OPENED 18 January 2018 - CLOSES 1 March 2018

NAHT Cymru draft response of independent review

Support for doctoral study
OPENED 8 December 2017 - CLOSES 2 March 2018

The Education (Amendments Relating to Teacher Assessment Information) (Wales) Regulations 2018
OPENED 14 November 2017 – CLOSES 30 January 2018

Recent consultations

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