The Education Minister in Wales has recently (Wednesday 20 January) made an announcement about the grading of GCSEs, AS and A Level qualifications in 2021.

The announcement on Friday by the First Minister that colleges and schools will continue with online learning for at least the next three weeks (until 29 January and possibly longer if the number of positive cases do not reduce) was disappointing. But it is unquestionably the right approach to take at the current time in helping to reduce the numbers of transmissions across our communities.

But of course this announcement hasn’t come as any surprise and, as a College, we have been preparing for this very situation throughout the first term.

Welsh Government has recently agreed that all schools, colleges and independent schools will continue with remote learning until at least 29 January, when the situation will be reviewed.

Each year Gower College Swansea students hold a series of fundraising events in support of the Kenya Community Education Project and, despite restrictions due to the pandemic, they found a way to do it in 2020!

The students at Gorseinon and Tycoch campuses competed against each other on bikes to virtually cover the distance from Nairobi to Sigmore to raise money for Madungu Primary School, with which the College has a long-standing association. 

Following a recent change to Welsh Government guidance, it will now be mandatory for all staff, students and visitors to wear a face covering outside as well as inside when on campus grounds. 

If you wear a face shield, please be reminded that a face covering must be worn in addition. 

The only instances where face coverings will not have to be worn are:

Every year graduation marks a special moment in the academic calendar to congratulate the hard work and success of our graduates.

The event is a showcase of achievement where we celebrate student success from a wide range of higher level courses including accountancy, teaching, engineering, childcare, sport, housing and management.

As the firebreak lockdown comes to a close, here is some important information for when you return to College next week.

From Monday 9 November

We will now resume our face to face method of teaching for all our full time students.

If you are a part time student or an apprentice, your course will resume in the same way as it did before the firebreak lockdown.

Following yesterday’s Welsh Government announcement of a firebreak lockdown across Wales, the College will close to all but essential staff at 6pm on Friday 23 October for half term.

From Monday 2 to Friday 6 November, the campuses will remain closed, but all teaching will be delivered online.

With the reopening of schools and colleges earlier this week, I thought readers may be interested in getting a student’s perspective of how these first few days have gone.

My role as the President of the Student Union at Gower College Swansea has allowed me to interact with a wide range of students over the past few days, and therefore the comments I make are representative of the feedback I have received from right across the College.

Following the recent statement by Welsh Government, the College has decided that all staff, students and visitors will now be required to wear face coverings.

This will apply in all communal areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain (e.g. hallways, stairways or common rooms). It will also apply when using College or public buses.

Face coverings will not be expected to be worn in the classroom as all full time students will be in individual contact groups (bubbles) and all part time students will be social distancing.