No ‘extra week’ for school pupils

SCHOOLS in Carmarthenshire will finish for the summer holidays on July 17.

There had been hopes to extend the term for an extra week, however, it has now been confirmed that the term will end as originally planned.

Many staff are already unable to attend school for medical reasons, and the additional voluntary week proposed could lead to staff shortages in some schools, and possibly some schools not opening at all.

This means schools will re-open on Monday, June 29 for a period of three weeks so that children have the opportunity to check in, catch up and prepare for the summer and September.

Carmarthenshire Council has been working closely with schools to put new arrangements in place for re-opening; with year groups being split into much smaller classes.

Schools are now working hard to accommodate all pupils over this reduced period.

It means children will have very little time, perhaps just a few hours, in class before the end of the summer term.

Executive board member for education and children’s services, councillor Glynog Davies, said: “It is disappointing that schools will be open for just three weeks before the summer holidays.

“However, it is important that our children have the opportunity to attend school before the summer so that they can catch up with their friends and reconnect with their teachers. They will be able to share their experiences from the last 12 weeks and get used to the new school environment.

“Their teachers will also be able to support them with this new way of learning and prepare them for the new academic year in September.

“It has been a very challenging time, and I understand parents’ concerns, but together we can get through this and we can make our children’s return to school as normal and as positive an experience as possible.

“I would also like to thank school staff for all their hard work and support during this very difficult period.”

On June 3, the minister for education Kirsty Williams had announced that schools in Wales would partially reopen for four weeks.

However, many local authorities have opted for just a three-week term.

These include Cardiff City Council which last week reversed its decision to open its schools for the full four weeks.

Several other councils including Wrexham, Monmouthshire, Newport, Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly are also telling schools not to open for the last week.

On Anglesey schools won’t even be going back on June 29 because of the Covid-19 outbreak at a chicken processing plant on the island.