Covid: Schools in Wales still face chaos, teachers warn

The disruption in schools caused by Covid is the worst it has been at any point during the pandemic, teachers have said.

A union described the situation as “chaotic” and “stressful” as schools struggle to fill staffing gaps.

This has led to calls for the Welsh Government to extend staff asymptomatic testing and provide additional funding for substitute teachers.

Education Secretary Jeremy Miles said the Welsh Government is trying to ease staff pressures.

On Friday the Government confirmed most of Wales’ remaining statutory Covid restrictions would be lifted as society took another step towards normalcy.

However, the UCAC union said the schools “are certainly not in any form of normality and there are still major challenges ahead.”

The union’s deputy general secretary, Rebecca Williams, told the BBC’s Politics Wales programme: “It’s still very chaotic and stressful, despite all the efforts and all the precautions that are being taken.

“I think it would be very misleading for anyone to get the impression that things are normal in the schools.”

Neil Butler, of the NASUWT union, told the program mitigations including testing and requiring schools to wear face coverings should continue.

Routine asymptomatic testing of school staff and secondary school students is scheduled to end at the start of the Easter holidays.

“We’re certainly not over the hill yet,” said Mr. Butler.

“We have a widespread problem with Covid in schools because of this absenteeism, so now is not the time to relax the key mitigation measures we need to maintain in schools, like testing and face coverings.”

With exams looming, Mr Butler also called for “a cash injection” to allow schools to hire staff to free up some teachers so they can focus on older students.

However, unions warn that there is also a lack of coverage to bring them in.

Meanwhile, the NAHT union has called for other possible reforms to be put on hold, including changes to school life.

“It adds extra stress and we don’t need that right now,” said NAHT Cymru President Kerina Hanson.

“It just feels like a juggernaut that doesn’t stop.”

Meilir Tomos, Headmaster of Ysgol Glan Morfa in Splott, Cardiff, said: “The last two years have been difficult but I feel the last few weeks have been even more challenging.

“If we come in in the morning and we have to isolate staff, it’s really difficult because we then have to move staff around, which means some students might have to lose that support for the morning, which then really impacts standards as well.”

Education Minister Jeremy Miles told the program that he “absolutely recognized that this is a challenging situation” and that the Welsh Government “continues to fund the scheme providing additional staff in schools in Wales for this financial year and beyond”.

“We are working with local authorities and utility agencies on some strains,” he added.

He also announced that a program that has been running since September to fund 400 newly qualified teachers to work in schools will be extended into the summer, rather than ending at the end of this semester as planned.