To consider the
report of the GwE Managing Director and Chair of the GwE Management Board (attached)
Decision:
(a) Support the regional approach and model, with
GwE, Local Authorities and schools working in partnership to ensure that the
individual needs of learners are met in an individualised local context.
(b) In order to allow schools to prepare and plan,
to ask for clarity from WJEC and Qualifications Wales regarding their plans for
summer 2021 as soon as possible.
Minutes:
DECISION
(a) Support the regional approach and model, with
GwE, Local Authorities and schools working in partnership to ensure that
learners' individual needs are met in an individual local context.
(b) In order to allow schools to prepare and
plan, seek clarity from WJEC and Qualifications Wales regarding their plans for
summer 2021 as soon as possible.
Discussion
Presented - report
by GwE's Managing Director and Management Board
Chairperson presenting a discussion paper in relation to a North Wales Model
for Re-opening Schools. The Joint
Committee was asked to support the regional approach and model, with GwE, Local
Authorities and schools working in partnership to ensure that learners'
individual needs are met in an individual local context.
The Chairperson of
GwE's Management Board noted that schools are looking
forward to September however that caution needs to be taken and that schools
would need to assess their pupils' fitness for learning before introducing any
new learning. He also emphasised that it is extremely important that the
considerable expenditure needed in this respect be targeted appropriately, and
that the regions are entitled to decide how best to allocate the money. He added that Welsh Government acknowledges
that the work in North Wales is driving the agenda, and that they are eager to
roll this out across Wales.
Comments arising
from the discussion -
·
Considerable concern was expressed about learners'
emotional well-being, children who would have disengaged from educational
experiences and needing support and counselling with their experiences over the
lockdown. It was noted that national
funding for counselling was completely inadequate and it was noted that an
element of the £29m as recently announced by the Education Minister for
supporting schools to recruit, reinstate and raise standards, or other funding,
should be targeted for this.
·
It was emphasised that it is important that whatever
happens should happen soon, so that everybody gets the opportunity to take a
proper break over the summer.
·
It was noted that it is clear that the secondary
sector requires more support than the primary sector in terms of social
distancing rules and creating bubbles etc., as secondary schools teach several
different subjects. In response, it was agreed that the situation with
secondary schools is much more challenging and complex, and reference was made
to the Government's new guidance, which includes re-drafted risk assessments.
·
The importance of ensuring that schools do not use
this additional funding to fund gaps in their budgets was emphasised. In
response, it was noted that Welsh Government had clearly stated that this is a
separate pot of money, which was not available to fund gaps in budgets, or to
prevent redundancies, and that schools must clearly show how the money will be
used.
·
It was noted that clarity is needed regarding the
situation of those pupils in years 11 and 13 in 2021. In response, it was noted that lack of
information about any possible adjustment to the qualifications would stop
schools from preparing and planning appropriately.
·
Reference was made to the importance of work in
conjunction with Bangor University to develop children and young people's
literacy and numeracy.
·
In response to a question regarding the situation
facing teachers and children in September, it was emphasised that the situation
would not be as simple as 'catching up', and that pupils would require
continuous support for the foreseeable future. Members could be updated at the
next Joint Committee meeting on 15 September 2020, with a fuller report given
on the situation further along in the autumn.
Supporting documents: