Covid: Call for clarity on Wales' outdoor centres reopening

Youngsters visit Rhos y Gwaliau in Snowdonia to take part in activities such as kayaking, gorge-walking and caving

Welsh youngsters are being "left behind" because there is still no date for reopening residential activity centres, one boss said.

Children in England can now take part in day visits and potentially stay overnight from 17 May, with preliminary dates for a summer restart in Scotland.

Ed Jones, who runs the Rhos y Gwaliau Outdoor Education Centre near Bala, Gwynedd, wants clarity for Wales.

The Welsh government said it was reviewing guidance.

With changes to lockdown rules depending on which party is in power after the Senedd election on 6 May, the Welsh Conservatives accused the Welsh Labour government of "keeping businesses in the dark", while Plaid Cymru said the sector had been "neglected".

Under the current rules, the government continues "to advise against education visits", which effectively stops schools organising events outside their grounds.

On Monday, Mr Jones took a group of children gorge-walking near Bala, but the event was not organised by their school.

If it had been, he said it would not have been permitted.

Exploring a mine: Smaller centres like Rhos y Gwaliau can offer more specialised experiences

"In Wales, we are being left behind, closed since the first lockdown, we still have no dates or guidance from the Welsh government," Mr Jones said.

"In fact, we have regressed as whilst youth groups and activities for youngsters commence outside of school, Welsh school children are currently not allowed out of the school grounds to undertake activities within their class bubbles."

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To compound matters, Rhos y Gwaliau has been told by UK government officials it is not allowed to accept bookings from the large number of English schools that usually use the centre.

Mr Jones said a £2m support fund for the industry was not enough, adding: "For the 40 or so centres in Wales, this sum falls short of covering even a fraction of our ongoing costs.

"We already know that at least five centres will not reopen here in Wales."

Ed Jones just wants a timetable for reopening from the Welsh government

Mr Jones added: "After the year of on/off schooling/home-schooling, we should be supporting our children not hindering their personal development."

He said he was "shocked" at the lack of action from the Welsh government in giving dates, especially with pubs set to start serving customers indoors again, from next month.

"They haven't dropped the ball on this, they haven't even attempted to pick it up," he said.

"We are seeking legal advice as to how we can press the Welsh government into action."

Head teacher Bethan Emyr Jones said "catching up" means more than just with education

Bethan Emyr Jones, head teacher at Ysgol Godre'r Berwyn in Bala, said children were still "in their own bubbles," which means they cannot mix outside with other schools.

She said there had been "an emphasis on catching up" but "catching up means more than just catching up with education... it means catching up with their friends socially, mentally, and we need to concentrate on that as well".

She added: "We can't go outside to do outdoor activities, which living in Bala is a real shame.

"So I think we're looking forward to maybe hearing that some of the restrictions will be lifted, especially as we move forward towards the summer term, so that we can arrange some of those activities."

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Staff from the centre joined 15,000 others who wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson last October, calling on him to end a lockdown block on residential school visits or risk destroying the "great British tradition" of outdoor education.

The letter said 6,000 jobs could go before January 2021, adding: "We cannot warn the government in strong enough terms that any decision to prevent residential trips for the rest of the academic year, without support, will permanently close the whole sector."

Rhos y Gwaliau instructor Eve Shrimpton said at the time: "It's something the children look forward to from the beginning of their school careers and for some it might be the only opportunity they have in their lifetime to do something like this."

A Welsh government spokesman said the restrictions on overnight trips were being kept under review due to the "clear benefits to children in being able to enjoy and learn from the experience of visiting new places and being away from home".

"School overnight trips pose a higher level of public health risk and the potential for spreading the coronavirus is greater," they said.

"This is because of groups of children travelling and staying overnight, which involves large numbers of people from different households mixing together indoors for prolonged periods."

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What was the political reaction?

With an election taking place on 6 May, what do the other parties have to say about the lockdown restrictions for outdoor education?

The Welsh Conservatives said providers were being "kept in the dark" for no reason, despite other industries having been given reopening dates.

"Labour's insistence on playing politics, rather than following the science, means young people in Wales are falling behind others elsewhere in the UK," they said.

"Re-opening society needs to take centre stage so we can build a better Wales."

Plaid Cymru's Sian Gwenllian said businesses must be reopened when "it is safe to do so", but said they must have financial support until that time.

"Residential activity centres in Wales have been neglected and deserve support," she said.

"A Plaid Cymru government will immediately introduce long term loans at zero interest with long repayment holidays for Welsh businesses. Our plans for a smarter economy will be based on expanding, supporting, and protecting domestic businesses, not leaving them behind."

While the Liberal Democrats said: "Any decision on easing lockdowns and reopening areas need to be made based on both the science and the statistics. Lockdown is frustrating and we all need to follow the regulations.

"If we do that, we will not need to enter a lockdown again and that is the most important thing. We've seen before what happened when lockdowns were eased too quickly."

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