Part of 3. Questions to the Minister for Education – in the Senedd at 3:33 pm on 10 February 2021.
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Afternoon, Minister. We were all very relieved, of course, to hear you announce that primary schools will be open for face-to-face learning for foundation phase pupils after half term. However, with just three days to go until half term, we've seen the publication overnight of the guidance that schools have been clamouring for for some days now. Only this morning, actually, parents in one part of Wales received notice that their school would not reopen as anticipated because they hadn't had the guidance on how to carry out risk assessments, so I hope they're going to manage to catch up.
You know that the teaching unions are very reluctant to see their members return without additional measures to make these safe spaces even safer, whatever the views of individual heads. So, I wonder if you could just summarise us for us the new steps, and tell us how you'll be getting the money or materials to the schools in time for them to implement, and maybe just tell us how you've informed schools, as it's clear from today that some of them still don't know. Thank you.