Classroom face mask rules and contact groups to be removed when schools in Wales return in September

Face masks will no longer be routinely recommended in classrooms in Wales from September, the education minister has announced.

Jeremy Miles MS has today written to all headteachers and principals in Wales in a bid to “provide more clarity on how schools and colleges can continue to operate safely” when they return for the autumn term.

As part of the changes it has been suggested that some of the key measures that have been in place in education settings since last year can be removed.

Three main changes are being proposed to bring some “normality back to education” ahead of the new autumn term include face coverings no longer being routinely recommended in classrooms for staff or learners.

Face coverings should continue to be worn by learners in secondary schools and settings when travelling on dedicated school transport.

However schools and settings can encourage their use in areas where there is likely to be more social mixing, such as in communal areas.

Last month the education minister spoke of how the new framework would allow decisions to be made locally depending on the rates and risk of coronavirus in a particular area.

Details released by the Welsh Government state that: “As part of a school’s risk assessment process, supported by public health officials, and in discussion with local authorities, schools and settings will be able to decide whether the wearing of face coverings is appropriate anywhere on the school site based on the school’s own circumstances and local context.

“If however an individual wishes to wear a face covering this should not be prevented.”

As part of the proposed changes normal session times can also resume.

Contact groups will no longer be required for school pupils or full-time learners in colleges. Instead, the contact tracing system in Wales will be used to identify close contacts of learners who have tested positive.

It means whole years groups won’t be told to self-isolate when a pupil has tested positive for Covid.

At present entire year groups in schools across the county are having to self-isolate which is causing further disruption to pupils’ education.

Testing will continue to play a part in supporting schools and settings in the autumn to quickly identify and isolate infected individuals. School staff, secondary age learners and college staff and learners should be encouraged to undertake Lateral Flow Tests just before the start of term

The Minister said: “By the end of September all adults in Wales will have been offered both vaccinations, providing greater protection for our education workforce. A growing body of evidence also shows that children and young people are more at harm from missing school than from covid.

“Lots of young people I have spoken to have said that they don’t believe the current system is proportionate. They just want to be treated the same as everyone else – and that sounds fair to me.

“Before you embark on a well-earned break this summer I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for all your hard work and effort over the last academic year.

“I hope the break will offer you, and your staff, a chance to look back over the last year with immense pride – you have shown immeasurable determination and resilience in supporting learning and keeping education settings as covid-secure as possible.”

The Welsh Government will publish The Local Covid-19 Infection Control Decision Framework at the start of the autumn term so that schools have time to embed new systems during the weeks that follow.

The framework aims to enable schools and colleges to tailor some of the interventions to reflect the level of risk identified locally. They will be supported by public health officials and local authorities to ensure measures are appropriate to their circumstances.