Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Education – in the Senedd at 2:18 pm on 25 November 2020.
Thank you, Andrew. You asked about emerging themes; clearly, I'm determined to minimise disruption to students' education, but, obviously, we need to monitor that as part of the overall Government public health response to the pandemic. We’re working very closely with our universities and our student union bodies, and many of the elements that will allow students to return home for Christmas are important elements of our planning for a return in the new year, such as staggered leaving dates for students leaving campus. Obviously, a staggered return is something that we're looking at, and the crucial role of lateral flow testing. All universities in Wales are talking part in the pilot for lateral flow testing. Clearly, we want to learn the lessons from that pilot. That testing will continue to operate into the new year, and will, therefore, aid with any plans to return students safely to campus.