Pupils in Wales may return to online learning next term because of staff illness due to Omicron

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Some schools in Wales may return to online learning because of rising levels of the Omicron Covid variant, the Welsh First Minister said.

Mark Drakeford said levels of staff illness could mean some schools would not be able to have all pupils back in the classroom in January.

However, those decisions would be made by individual schools and local authorities and not the Welsh Government, he added.

Schools in Wales are already taking two days next week to plan for the new term and prepare for remote learning if necessary due to rising levels of coronavirus.

Most local authorities in Wales said pupils would return to school from January 6 after the two planning days.

Powys County Council said there would be ‘blended learning’ from January 7 but schools would be open for vulnerable children and children of key workers. 

Education Minister Jeremy Miles asked schools to plan for ‘for two possible futures’, Mr Drakeford told WalesOnline.

‘The one in which children can still be in the classroom, where there are sufficient staff to be there to be able to provide face-to-face learning but to maximise the protection that can be put in place inside the classroom to keep students and staff as safe as possible.

‘We recognise there will be some schools where, because Omicron is so transmissible, there will be staff who will be ill so it won’t be possible for every child to be in the classroom and therefore that a return for some students for a shorter period of time as possible to online learning may have to be there as well.’

In Wales, around one in 40 people are estimated to have had Covid in the week to December 23, equalling the previous record set in October.

Speaking in December, education minister Jeremy Miles said: ‘Schools will be asked to make use of the planning days to ensure they have robust plans in place to move to remote learning if required – this could be for individual classes or year groups or possibly for the whole school.

‘Schools will be asked also to use this opportunity to revisit contingency plans, ensuring exam years are prioritised for onsite provision should there be a need to restrict in person learning at any time and consider what arrangements might need to be in place for vulnerable learners and the children of critical workers during any periods of disruption.’

Meanwhile, the Welsh Conservatives have called for an ‘army’ of ex-teachers to be recalled to the classroom to help keep schools open.

Tory Education spokeswoman Laura Anne Jones MS said the Welsh Government should follow a similar scheme announced in England.

‘With cases of Omicron increasing across the country we must make sure schools and colleges have the teachers available to remain open for face-to-face education,’ she said. 

‘We have to be prepared for the new term ahead, otherwise our children will again feel the brunt.

‘I hope the Labour Government gets such a scheme up and running so we can increase support in the classroom and minimise disruption to our children’s education.’

Laura Doel, from teaching union NAHT Cymru, called for a regular supply of lateral flow tests to ensure schools can open.

‘The availability of staff is the biggest threat to education in January,’ she said.

‘Without the workforce fit and well, learners cannot go back to the classroom.

‘Remote learning will be a last resort but it will come down to staffing, the number of cases in a particular setting and the risk to staff and learners as the determining factors, all of which are beyond the control of schools alone.’

Boris Johnson told British Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi that he is ‘absolutely determined’ to have children back in class and that keeping schools open is the ‘number one priority’, it was reported.

However, headteachers’ unions warned that rising Covid cases may force them to close anyway – even without national restrictions – due to staff sickness.

It came amid fears Christmas gatherings would hasten the spread of the Omicron variant before the start of term.

Many schools already have contingency plans for remote learning in January and have sent home textbooks and electronic devices just in case.

Mr Johnson and Mr Zahawi are understood to have discussed schools almost daily, with a source telling the Sunday Times: ‘There is a shared commitment across government to make sure they stay open.’ 

Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, told the Telegraph headteachers were ‘hoping for the best but planning for the worst’ and could send entire year groups home if teacher shortages becomes an issue.

 He told The Telegraph: ‘If you have a fixed pool available of those who can teach young people, then the only final resort schools and colleges have is to start thinking about the certain year groups that should be prioritised in the short term.’

Mr Barton said that one approach would be to keep those students taking exams – Year 11 and Year 13 – in schools for face-to-face lessons, while younger year groups are sent home to learn remotely.

He added: ‘We feel we owe it to the young people doing GCSEs and A-levels because and want to make it as normal as they can be.’

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Barton said that schools cannot be treated like other parts of national infrastructure.

He added: ‘There is a limited pool of those teachers and we know even from the week running into Christmas there were some schools running with 25 per cent staff off.

‘That in some cases will be 30 members of staff not being able to be there which is unsustainable even before Christmas so we don’t know what next week will look like. 

‘We’re not catastrophising that but we are saying we must have a real sense of realism around this.

He said: ‘Schools should be the very last thing that closes in any further restrictions. But words aren’t enough.

‘The Government must back up this aim with material support to minimise transmission of the virus.’