Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:41 pm on 29 April 2020.
Thank you, Jayne. You'll be aware that yesterday I published the five principles that would aid my thinking with regard to what the next phase of education in Wales will look like during this pandemic, recognising that over 500 schools and settings are open every day already.
The first of those principles is the safety, the mental, emotional and physical well-being of the staff in those schools, and the children and young people who attend them, and that is the overriding priority. But you're right: principle No. 3 talked about having the confidence of parents and staff and students, and that's about sharing with them the evidence on which we are taking these decisions, giving them information, and also allowing time for them to plan so that they can make the necessary arrangements and adjustments.
And, of course, going back into school, we will have to recognise, for staff and students alike, that there will have to be a period of readjustment, where we really focus on the mental health and well-being of those children before we can begin to get them back into learning. What we know about good pedagogy is that getting the well-being right is the first step to ensuring that children can learn, and we will need to reflect that when students begin to return to school.