Kirsty Williams has expressed her “disappointment” at UK Government plans to impose student number controls on English students coming here to study.
The Education Minister was speaking at a daily Welsh Government press conference, during which she announced that all schools in Wales would re-open on June 29th.
Further conversations were held with the Department for Education’s Universities Minister Michelle Donelan this week, but Wales’ concerns over the student cap were “ignored”.
She said: “There had been agreement that each system would bring in student number controls. It is an unusual and unprecedented step within the sector, but it is a necessary step to provide stability of what is a very challenging time for Higher Education.”
Similar number controls will also be imposed in Scotland and Northern Ireland – nations where, in addition to Wales, education matters are devolved.
“It is a great concern to me that the minister has decided to not just have student number controls for her own institutions within England, but that has now seeped over into Welsh institutions, Scottish and Northern Irish ones.”
The Welsh Government will soon announce how they intend to proceed.
During the press conference, the minister also said that Welsh institutions were working “very hard” to confirm their teaching plans for the next academic year.
She said: “It’s only fair for students, or prospective students, to know what their experience is going to look like, and I know that universities are very keen to be explicit as quickly as possible so that students know what the new academic year will look like for them.”