, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
It hasn't been published yet, but I made a commitment to do it during the autumn term and that's on track, so it will be published in the next few weeks. At the moment, there is a rapid review ongoing along with the sector to evaluate the kinds of…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Most certainly, yes, that is one of the things that we will measure.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Well, the first thing to say is that it's truly important that we do that. We know from the work that we've been doing throughout COVID that these cohorts of young people need to be monitored very closely and need to be supported in this next period. We've…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Education is obviously a key component in how we deliver Cymraeg 2050. Since we announced that target, we've opened 40 new Welsh-medium nursery groups. There's been a slight increase in the percentage and numbers receiving education in the medium of Welsh…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Yes, certainly. So, the implementation period has now begun on 1 September, and it's using a phased approach in the first year. So, the new system is now live for those who are newly identified, if you like, as potentially having additional learning needs…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Well, on the issue of curriculum reform specifically, you'll have seen, obviously, as you mentioned, the publication yesterday. The challenge that that seeks to address is bringing together, if you like, the competing objectives that schools face at the…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
What I would say is that the objectives that you've just described are obviously the objectives that the framework and the whole-school approach are intended to deliver, if you like, so I've no—. I wholeheartedly endorse the objectives. I suppose my question…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Yes, there is. I don't have the number in front of me, I'm afraid, Ken, but there is funding committed to extend that. I can let you have the numbers if you'd be interested.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Well, on the first of those two questions, you're absolutely right. We've already seen, haven't we, the impact on learner well-being of not being in school—I refer back to the earlier conversation that we had. And that underpins, really, our approach to…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
This, as you will know, lies in the hands of Qualifications Wales as the independent regulator to make judgment around the standardisation of examinations. What I want—and I've met with Qualifications Wales to make clear my priorities, if you like, and how…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Yes, absolutely. Our national mission is to raise standards for all children, and just in the way your previous question was highlighting, some children will need particular support in order for us to realise that mission fairly and equitably for all children…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Well, I’m absolutely concerned about it, because the number one priority for us coming out of the pandemic is to make sure that we are supporting those learners who are most likely to be at risk of falling behind as the consequence of the impact of the…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Yes, certainly. The first thing to say, I think, is the Education Policy Institute's report in June tells us something about the level of investment that we’ve made through renew and reform, which is the highest of any of the four nations in the UK at around…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Well, what we know from our recent discussions with local authorities so that we can understand the challenges and barriers to access and the investment that we've made is that what's in place in the system now, or is in the pipeline over the next few weeks…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Well, with the success of the vaccination programme, we certainly don't expect to see schools closed across the board. But as you said, we do need to ensure that there are contingency plans in place. Whatever the situation, I think we are in a very different…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Well, just to be clear, plans should already be in place to ensure that classrooms are ventilated, so that's the starting point. But a fund has been put in place. If it's not spent on ozone machines, then it will be available for spending elsewhere in this…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Well, there are two parts to that question. In terms of the first, the carbon dioxide monitors don't remove the need for an effective ventilation policy. It assists you in the classroom to know when further steps need to be taken. I expect that every school…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Well, the guidance that the Welsh Government has issued is based on our assessment of the well-being of the child, based on the balance of harms. And that's why we think it's important for children to be in school. And so, if they are not themselves…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
[Inaudible.]—very important point. So, just to recap on where we are, invitations are going out during the course of this week for vaccinations in, I think, a couple of weeks from now. And that period of time is important because it allows those discussions…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Well, this is a very important question. What I announced was funding for carbon dioxide monitors to support schools in making sure their ventilation is as good as it can be, which is a very important dimension to this. I'm also making money available…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
I just wanted to say, really, I fully acknowledge the point that you made. There's a clear underpinning for the policy. The guidance is clear in what it requires, but I absolutely take the point that you just made, that we want to make sure that parents…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak with the committee this morning. Just in response to that first question from you, Laura, I just want to say, really, to start—I want to put on the record my thanks to the education sector for the extraordinary…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Good morning, all. Thank you for the opportunity to give evidence this morning.
, Plenary
The Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2021
With regard to the Member’s point about the scope of inclusion within the ALN provisions, as he says, there is significant funding committed to support the implementation of the ALN Act and delivery of the wider ALN transformation programme. But the points he…
, Plenary
The Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2021
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I thank the committee Chair for his comments on how we intend to deal with the questions that have arisen in terms of the typographical errors, and for his support for what we're intending to do to deal with that error.
