GROUPS of up to 30 students will be allowed together for teaching in universities and colleges in Wales from the autumn, education minister Jeremy Miles has said.
Mr Miles set out plans on Monday in the Welsh Government's coronavirus briefing on how education would look upon students' return from the summer holidays, and the minister has now given more detail on how this will look for students in higher and further education, work-based and community learning settings.
The plan would allow contact groups for classes - with a single group of up to 30 people or more than one group of up to six people - depending on the room capacity.
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There is also plans to move away from the two-metre social distancing rules for university students, adult and part-time learners in the learning environment - providing they are in a low or moderate risk area.
All universities and colleges will have to conduct risk assessments and meet the requirement to take reasonable measures to stop the transmission of the virus for the plans to be imposed.
"Our guiding principle has to be a move towards education being enabled to operate as normally as possible in the autumn, so we are planning on the basis that adult education will operate in step with what adults can do in wider society," Mr Miles said.
"Contact groups for adult learners will mean we can have more in-person learning and this must be our priority to rebalance the harms to education. We may still see close contacts asked to self-isolate if Test, Trace, Protect contact tracers deem they should.
"We will work with our partners in the coming weeks to develop the framework and provide further detailed guidance on how these groups will work.
"I am very grateful to all our our education staff who have worked tirelessly to support learners throughout the pandemic and who have helped ensure their settings are as Covid-safe as possible.
"We must all remember that although we are able to do more things, it is important we continue to keep Wales safe by self-isolating when unwell, accessing regular testing, supporting Test Trace Protect, wearing face coverings in indoor public areas, remembering to wash our hands and thinking about good ventilation."
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