News
Education Minister announces ‘back to school’ plans for September
DECISION backed with £29 million to recruit, recover and raise standards
The Education Minister, Kirsty Williams, has today confirmed that all pupils will be able to return to school in September.
“plan to open in September with 100% of pupils physically present on school sites, subject to a continuing, steady decline in the presence of COVID-19 in the community.”
The Minister announced that:
- Schools will return to full capacity, with only limited social distancing within
contact groups. - At full operations, a contact group should consist of around 30 children. Some direct or indirect mixing between children in different contact groups will also be unavoidable, such as on transport, receiving specialist teaching or due to staffing constraints.
- Social distancing for adults should remain in line with regulations and guidance.
Schools will be required to minimise the risk of transmission by taking other mitigating measures using the hierarchy of risk controls. - Every school should continue to be “Covid Protected” – having carried out risk assessments and mitigated them with a combination of controls such as hand and surface hygiene, one-way systems and so forth.
- If early warning information shows a local incident or outbreak then nearby schools should implement appropriate restriction measures.
- Each school will be provided with a supply of home testing kits.
The Minister confirmed that the autumn term will start on 1 st September and schools that can accommodate all pupils from the start of the term should do so.
The Minister outlined plans just hours after confirming the Welsh Government would make £29m available to ‘recruit, recover and raise standards’ in Welsh schools in response to the impact still felt from the pandemic.
Commenting on the additional funding announced, the Minister added: “We will recruit, recover and continue to raise standards.”
It is thought that there will be around 800 newly qualified teachers in September and around 800 supply staff currently working within Wales.
“With this funding, we will recruit the equivalent of 600 extra teachers and 300 teaching assistants throughout the next school year.
“We will target extra support at Years 11, 12 and 13, as well as disadvantaged and vulnerable learners of all ages.
“The support package, provided at a school level, could include extra coaching support, personalised learning programmes and additional time and resources for exam year pupils.
“We must never lower our expectations for any of our young people, no matter their background.
“Together, we will continue to raise standards for all, reduce the attainment gap and ensure we have a system that is a source of pride and public confidence.”
Councillor Ian Roberts, WLGA Spokesperson for Education, said: “Since schools closed at the start of the crisis, many children and young people have felt anxious about loss of learning and not being able to see their friends.
The Minister’s plan today will enable schools to safely reopen classrooms from September. Local authorities will work closely with their schools to make sure that necessary arrangements are in place to abide by Welsh Government guidance.
“Our schools have been hit by severe disruption during this pandemic, and we welcome the £29m pledged by the Minister for targeted support to minimise the effects of the past few months on pupils.
We will continue to work together in partnership the safest and best possible learning experiences for our children and young people, especially in such challenging circumstances.”
Health
Pembrokeshire residents suffer severe health decline ‘due to landfill gases’
A PEMBROKESHIRE couple, Mr Richard and Revd Patricia Rogers of Crud yr Awel, are experiencing severe health issues attributed to emissions from the Withyhedge Landfill, resulting in drastic lifestyle changes and severe symptoms.
Revd Rogers, who has managed asthma since childhood, reported a significant deterioration in her condition following exposure to landfill gases. Despite having controlled her asthma with minimal medication for years, she now requires intensive treatment including increased doses of Symbicort and Salbutamol Sulfate inhalers, alongside courses of steroids and antibiotics. Her symptoms have escalated to include extreme breathlessness, a hacking cough, frequent nosebleeds, continual headaches, and vertigo, culminating in a severe impact on her ability to perform daily tasks and care for her disabled daughter.
The couple’s health is closely monitored through their doctor’s surgery, and they attend the asthma clinic regularly. However, feeling powerless to directly change the situation, they have taken a stand by cancelling their council tax payments, a decision they plan to maintain until the landfill issue is resolved.
Revd Rogers has also prepared a letter to the Coroner, outlining the severity of her health issues as potentially life-threatening due to the landfill’s impact. This dramatic step underlines the gravity of their situation and their desperation for a resolution.
The Rogers’ story is not just a personal tragedy but a stark example of the broader environmental and health challenges faced by the community surrounding the Withyhedge Landfill.
They are calling for punitive measures against those responsible, including compensation for the financial impacts of their ordeal.
Their story has surfaced on the same day we reported that Natural Resources Wales is taking further enforcement action against the firm running the site.
NRW has issued site operators Resources Management UK Ltd (RML) with a further Regulation 36 Enforcement Notice which requires the operator to deliver a series of actions by specified deadlines to address ongoing smells from the landfill.
You can read more about the Enforcement Notice on the NRW website.
Outgoing Council Leader, Cllr David Simpson, said in a statement this week: “The smell from Withyhedge is having a major impact on residents and visitors. This situation has gone on too long and it is unacceptable.
“We now need to see RML act on the demands of the Notice and within the deadlines.
“The Council fully backs NRW’s stance that nothing is off the table in terms of further enforcement, including suspending the site’s environmental permit if appropriate, and we remain committed to working with NRW to ensure a long term solution to these issues.”
Entertainment
Fishguard Festival of Music launches at the Senedd in Cardiff
- Paul Davies MS for Preseli Pembrokeshire hosts event to promote major programme of summer concerts.
THIS year’s Fishguard Festival of Music/Gwyl Gerdd Abergwaun was officially launched at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay this week (Wednesday) in an event hosted by Paul Davies MS Preseli Pembrokeshire. Guests attending heard from the festival’s artistic director Gillian Green MBE about the 18 events extending over three weeks that will be staged at venues across Pembrokeshire from 18 to 31 July, including a concert by the Welsh National Opera Orchestra at St David’s Cathedral.
Paul Davies MS, said: “I’m truly honoured once again to sponsor the launch of the Fishguard Festival of Music. Over the summer, Fishguard will host world-famous musicians like harpist Catrin Finch and fiddle player Aoife Ní Bhriain, and the festival also includes performances from the National Youth Orchestra of Wales, the National Youth Choir of Wales and the Welsh National Opera Orchestra – so there really is something for everyone! Tickets to these performances sell out quickly and so make sure to head over to the Festival’s website and secure your tickets before it’s too late.”
Gillian Green MBE, Artistic Director of the Fishguard Festival of Music, added: “The Fishguard Festival plays a significant role on the cultural map of Wales and our mission to bring world-class music to Pembrokeshire is as strong as ever. This year we will have a real feast of music awaiting audiences in West Wales. The local community’s work in producing this fantastic festival is nothing short of a small miracle.”
Artists performing at this year’s festival include Peter Donohoe, Catrin Finch and the Marmen String Quartet. The full programme is available to view on the festival’s website www.fishguardmusicfestival.com
Climate
NRW to reduce mowing in May to help pollinators
NATURAL Resources Wales (NRW) will reduce mowing as much as possible on the land in its care during May to help tackle the nature emergency and in support of Plantlife’s ‘No Mow May’ campaign.
The scale and rate of biodiversity loss across Wales is accelerating. Every third mouthful of food we eat has been created by pollination, and without pollinators our food supply would collapse.
Half of the UK’s 27 bumblebee species are in decline, and of the 43 species of butterfly seen in Wales, 10 are in severe decline and 17 are declining.
There are several reasons for the decline in pollinators, such as climate change, pollution and pesticides, and change in how land is managed.
Throughout the growing season, NRW cuts grass and vegetation in areas such as forests, nature reserves, river banks, flood defences and reservoir embankments.
Reducing mowing in May will help biodiversity by allowing spring plants to set seed and grow to provide nectar and pollen for pollinators, such as bees and butterflies.
NRW will reduce its mowing activities in May as much as possible, but essential grass cutting will continue in some areas across Wales.
There are several reasons for this, for example:
- to manage access to forests and nature reserves to make sure people are safe when they visit.
- to easily inspect flood defences and repair them if needed, helping to reduce flood risk to communities.
- for nature conservation, for example to manage an invasive species or to benefit species in a certain area by cutting the vegetation.
David Letellier, NRW’s Head of Operations South Wales Central, said: “We’re committed to tackling the climate and nature emergencies and helping nature and people thrive together.
“We will reduce our mowing activities in May as much as possible to support pollinators, but we want people to understand that we may carry out essential grass cutting to benefit certain communities or species.
“For example, we may continue mowing flood defences to make sure they are in good working order, or if mowing some sites in May would leave wildflowers to recover and bloom throughout the late summer to benefit certain pollinators.
“We need to act now to protect our pollinators. This is why we manage all of our sites to make them as pollinator friendly as possible and to provide food and shelter for other species.
“There are things we can all do to make it easier for pollinators to survive. These can be relatively simple, such as managing grass verges in a more sensitive way, or leaving wild areas around our offices, homes and public buildings.
“We can all help by making our gardens pollinator-friendly by not using pesticides, not mowing the lawn as often, and growing pollinator-friendly plants.”
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