NAHT Cymru comments on CYPE committee report on impact of Covid pandemic on children and young people

Laura Doel, director of NAHT Cymru, said: “It is vital that the next Welsh Government recognises the impact of the pandemic on children and young people and does not attempt a quick fix approach to address a long-term issue.

“The CYPE committee report echoes our views that we need to talk about learner recovery and not catch up; that the mention of lost learning does nothing to support the needs of our children and young people and only brands them with a label that will cause untold damage.

“NAHT Cymru believes that the profession must be given the time to assess learner needs and access to additional support from other agencies to address the additional needs identified. Recovery cannot be left to schools alone.

“Recovery will happen with excellent teaching and learning that is rooted in wellbeing at its core. We believe that the government’s place is to support that process by retaining good teachers and investing in them.

“Crucially, the report once again calls on the government to deliver the recommendations of the committee’s school funding inquiry and subsequent Sibieta Review, to ensure that sufficient funding is provided for schools and distributed effectively.

“If schools are to give our learners the support they need with post-Covid recovery, if they are to deliver the new curriculum and other radical changes in education and if they are to support those in our schools who are the most vulnerable under the Additional Learning Needs and Assessment Act, then the school funding crisis must be addressed.”