91Èȱ¬

All schools in Wales will move to online learning until 18 January.

There was meant to be a phased return for pupils, with some schools due to open on Wednesday and others by 11 January - local authorities had some flexibility about start dates.

Wales' education minister, Kirsty Williams, said the decision had been taken in consultation with the Welsh Local Government Association and Colegau Cymru.

She said: "As a government we will use the next two weeks to continue to work with local authorities, schools and colleges to best plan for the rest of term.

"This is the best way to ensure that parents, staff and learners can be confident in the return to face-to-face learning, based on the latest evidence and information."

Schools will still be open for children who are vulnerable or whose parents are key workers, as well as students who need to complete essential exams or assessments.

Wales has had tougher rules since 20 December when it went into a national lockdown,

There are similar plans in Scotland, where schools will be shut for the rest of January under new lockdown restrictions.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also due to make an announcement after most primary schools in England re-opened on Monday 4 January.