A TEACHING union has branded Welsh Government plans to reopen schools at the end of June as "too much, too soon”.

Commenting on today’s announcement by Education Minister Kirsty Williams to reopen schools to all year groups with effect from 29 June, Wales Secretary of the NEU, David Evans said: “The Minister’s statement in which she has opened schools to all year groups with effect from 29 June does not sit well with NEU Cymru.

“It is too much, too soon and whilst splitting year groups into cohorts with staggered starts, lessons and breaks may mean that, at most, a third of pupils may be present at any one time, in the larger secondary schools that will mean hundreds of pupils on site with all the logistical difficulties that will bring in respect of social distancing, cleaning of premises, travel implications, availability of PPE and threats of transmission of the virus.

“Whilst primary schools tend to be smaller, it could still lead to a significant number of students being present across all age groups.

"We know that factors such as social distancing are virtually impossible the younger the child.

“Increasing operations for all has significant implications for staff.

"There will be an expectation that all employees will be required to return but teaching professionals and support colleagues are representative of society.

"There will be members of ours who fall within the clinically extremely vulnerable category and will have received letters requiring them to stay home.

"There will be members who live with family who fall into that category and cannot be exposed to risk.

“Many others will be in a vulnerable category with chronic illnesses that should again not face any unnecessary exposure.

"Added together this could mean large legitimate staff absences resulting in pressures being placed on others to cover and expose themselves to more risk.

“We have not yet seen the Technical Advisory Group report also due to be published today.

"We wonder how that is going to deal with the fact, announced just last Friday by the First Minister, that the R rate in Wales has not decreased in the last three or four weeks.

"It currently stands at 0.8 which has to be a serious concern. Any fluctuation upwards could have serious repercussions.

“We do not yet know how the track and trace system implemented this week will fare.

"It is too early to come to conclusions on the success of this vitally needed process. Further the Minister has given no indication as to how her own five principles have been satisfied.”

Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the NASUWT – The Teacher’s Union, also raised concerns, saying: “It is troubling that the Education Minister for Wales, unlike Ministers elsewhere in the UK, is using emergency powers in order to press ahead with plans for the wider reopening of schools.

“The Welsh Government’s measures to relax the lockdown will need to garner the trust and confidence of teachers, parents and the general public if they are to succeed and keep people safe.

“The Education Minister needs to provide the scientific evidence on which the Welsh Government is relying to support its plans for the wider reopening of schools.

“Parents and teachers will understandably have many questions about today’s announcement, and it is now up to the Welsh Government to demonstrate that it will be safe for schools to reopen to more children.

“Teachers and parents need to be convinced that the plans by the Welsh Government will not put at risk the health of staff, children or the general public.”

Neil Butler, NASUWT National Official for Wales, added: “Allowing all pupils the opportunity for contact time at their schools is the most dangerous option in terms of virus transmission.

“The Welsh Government is well aware of the extreme difficulty of social distancing in schools, especially for younger children.

"The Minister has also admitted that this is for a ‘check in’ and ‘catch up’ so there is clearly no educational purpose behind this decision.

"These are not good enough reasons for risking lives.

“We are still holding the Minister to the five key principles she made and we will expect that schools will not open on 29 June if there is any threat to the physical wellbeing of learners and staff.”