VOTE: Do you think schools should be closing a week early?

A teaching union in Wales has warned that schools should be closed early ahead of the festive break in order to help children and teachers avoid having to self-isolate on Christmas day.

The UCAC said coronavirus cases in schools could mean that whole class "bubbles" have to spend the holidays in self-isolation.

Schools are due to break up at the end of the week starting 14 December.

However, the union said the schools should close at the end of the week before, with lessons moving online for the final days.

The Welsh government has said schools will only close if there was clear public health reasons.

What are the arguments for closing schools?

It's a teaching union's job to campaign for better schools, better resources and safer environments for teachers and students.

The UCAC - which is one of the most important teaching unions in Wales - said that the need to self-isolate for two weeks if someone gets a positive Covid-19 test could ruin Christmas for many families.

If a student or teacher gets a positive Covid-19 test result in the final week of term, their whole bubble would have to self-isolate.

This means they won't be able to see extended friends or family over the break, during the agreed five days of loosened restrictions.

The union said its survey of members showed that over 75% were in favour of taking lessons online for the final week of term.

What are the arguments against closing schools?

The Welsh government are completely against the idea of closing schools early.

A spokesperson from the government said: "Our priority remains ensuring that all children and young people's education continues with as little disruption as possible," they said.

"We would expect face-to-face learning to continue as planned until the end of term unless there was a clear public health reason for not doing so," they added.

In England, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has said he wants to keep pupils and young people at school as much as he possibly can.

"On the whole we want to see pupils and kids in school to get the benefit of learning," he said.

He added: "That's why we're taking these tough decisions. Alas it does mean bearing down on the virus in other bits of society but schools are really the priority."

In Scotland, talks are still taking place on how long the Christmas holidays will be, with suggestions that they may be extended.

The government in Northern Ireland has confirmed there are no plans to start Christmas holidays early.

What do you think? Should schools be closing a week early ahead of the Christmas holidays? Let us know your view in the comments section below.