Education union concerned over lack of lateral flow kits in Welsh schools
It was announced that £103m will go to welsh schools to make them more Covid-secure
Education leaders in Wales say they're concerned that some schools are still without a ready supply of lateral flow kits now pupils are returning to lessons.
The National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) Cymru commented that staff are going to extra lengths to ensure schools stay open, but they need to be properly supported.
Laura Doel, Director of NAHT Cymru, said: “School leaders are doing all they can to ensure they can reopen their doors to learners over the next few days.
"Teams are going to extraordinary lengths to operationalise new arrangements over the next few days but for these arrangements to work, they must be supported.
“It is vital that schools all have a supply of LFT kits before the term starts, if the new guidance is predicated on this approach, we cannot be let down by supply and distribution issues. We know that some schools are waiting for deliveries and of course that is a concern."
She went on to say that schools will be operating on a 'day-by-day' basis, and that returning to remote learning will be a last resort, but necessary if too many members of staff become unavailable.
The NAHT also urged the Welsh Government to ease extra pressure on schools, such as inspections and plans to reform timetables, so that they can focus on carrying out their core purposes of learning.
A show of support
Though NAHT Wales expressed concern over some schools still being without sufficient LFT tests, the Welsh Government have announced £103m in funding to make classrooms more covid-secure.
£50m will go toward helping schools carry out repair and improvement work, focusing on health and safety measures such as improving ventilation.
£45m will be allocated to supporting school budgets and assisting schools as they deal with the ongoing impacts of the pandemic.
There will also be funding for further education colleges, with an additional £8m put aside to ensure learning can continue safely and that disadvantaged learners are not impacted further by Covid-19.
Jeremy Miles, the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, said:
“I know schools and colleges have faced a very difficult time and everyone across the workforce has worked incredibly hard to meet the challenges of the pandemic. This funding will further support our schools and colleges to keep settings as Covid-secure as possible."