, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
As I was saying, it's striking the balance, isn't it, between maintaining the current strengths and moving us forward. Just to say, when I came in as Minister, I took a look at the Bill afresh, really, and you will have seen changes in the Bill from the…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
I want to be clear: there are strengths in the current legislation. The Bill is a departure in many, many significant ways that I'm sure we'll come on and talk about, but there are some strengths in the existing legislation. And so, the task in hand, I think…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Well, I think if you take the strategic vision and the futureproofing, the Bill establishes a commission—it's a single, national body with that clear remit across all parts of the post-16 education sector, and it has nine duties on the face of the Bill…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill—evidence session 1
Thank you, Chair, for that. I think the broad context in which the sector and the Welsh economy in Wales generally finds itself is one of very significant change at the moment, whether that's the response to the climate emergency, whether it's the response to…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Children’s Oracy and Reading
I think the Member makes a very important point. A number of the interventions that I've described today, in particular the book scheme, will have a dimension that makes sure that books are received by young people in care specifically. There are some…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Children’s Oracy and Reading
Thank you to Siân Gwenllian for those further questions. I share with her the memory of reading a book that I had when I was at school, and I remember developing a delight for learning in the classroom of Miss Annie Derrick in Pontarddulais school when I was…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Children’s Oracy and Reading
I thank Laura Anne Jones for that range of questions. In relation to the points that she asked about the investment in resources, which is one part of the set of actions that I'm describing today, there will be a choice for learners themselves in relation to…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Children’s Oracy and Reading
Firstly, I am pleased to announce an additional £5 million in funding for reading programmes across Wales, which will provide a book for every learner alongside a targeted scheme of reading support, focusing on early years and disadvantaged learners. The…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Children’s Oracy and Reading
Speaking, listening and reading skills are fundamental to just about every aspect of our lives, from home to school and to the world of work. Not only are they at the core of being able to access learning, they enable the development of relationships with…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Children’s Oracy and Reading
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Improving reading skills is essential if we are to make the progress that we all want to see in reducing the attainment gap between pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. And a focus on ensuring that…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
[Inaudible.]—as I know the Member was, by the opportunities that have arisen in that school by co-locating the Flying Start provision with the school itself. And we heard, I think, from a range of staff about how successful that had been in supporting…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
The twenty-first century schools and colleges programme has invested £1 billion in our educational estate to date. As I recently announced, we will continue to build on this success, not only meeting local learning demand but to support our climate emergency…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
I've had conversations with learners recently, including a panel of learners that the children's commissioner brought together, in order to discuss this question. So, I had an opportunity to discuss directly some of the concerns that individuals and pupils…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Qualifications Wales has announced that it's planning to run an exam series in summer 2022, with reductions in course content and other adaptations to reflect disruption to learning. We've also put a range of resources in place, with the WJEC, to support…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
I thank Jack Sargeant for that question, and for his commitment, from the moment he got elected, to this agenda. I know how very passionately he feels about it, not least having his own first-hand experience of that. The Welsh Government has a clear…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
The Member makes a very important point. The legislation that was introduced to the Senedd last week, in my mind, is the parity of esteem legislation, and that contains within it the levers that are required in order to make a reality of the priority that…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
The Minister for Economy and I are both committed to promoting apprenticeships in north Wales. We will continue to focus promotion on growth sectors, such as those in the green economy, and encouraging more employers to recruit young people through our…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
The Member and I have discussed this issue many times, including before the last election. I know that the Member knows that there is a restriction on what I can say about this specific proposal, because I'm a local Member as well as being a Minister. But, of…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
I thank Janet Finch-Saunders for that question. I can assure her, perhaps reassure her, that I'm already having discussions with the Minister and Deputy Minister for Climate Change in relation to this matter. It has been raised and discussed in this Chamber a…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Brexit and COVID-19 have intensified the challenges to the socioeconomic infrastructure of Welsh-speaking communities. Tackling these challenges is central to the implementation of Cymraeg 2050. Our work programme focuses on limiting the impact and ensuring…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Well, not all teachers need to be able to teach through the medium of Welsh. I have just had a conversation with Cefin Campbell about the need to recruit more Welsh-medium teachers. But we also need to provide support, as we are doing through the work of the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
I thank the Member for that question. As I said in response to Gareth Davies, we are dependent on proposals from local authorities in this area, as I know that the Member understands. But we also expect to see ambitious strategic plans from every local…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Demand for Welsh-medium education in South Wales East remains high. More than £26 million of capital funding is being invested in the region, with five new Welsh-medium schools as well as childcare provision. A further package of £30 million in capital and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
I thank the Member for that question. As he probably knows, proposals for funding from this programme are put forward by local authorities, and so we are in the hands of local authorities making proposals in relation to particular schools. It isn't for us as…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
The Vale of Clwyd region has benefited from a total investment of £80 million during the first wave of funding of the twenty-first century schools and colleges programme. A further £46 million investment is planned for the second wave of funding, which began…
