, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny of the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Diolch, Cadeirydd. Firstly, just to say that I want to recognise, as I'm sure the whole committee would, the hard work and dedication of our teachers right across Wales, in particular in the context of very challenging years over the last number of years. In…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
Just for clarity, the purpose of the investment plan is to secure the best possible resources to secure the best education for learners, and that's what's at the heart of the whole funding plan that we provide as a Government. The proposal has been submitted…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
Well, it is not a decision for the Welsh Government. It's a decision taken by Coleg Sir Gâr's leadership team and governors, who have agreed that rationalising the existing estate, relocating provision to Pibwrlwyd campus, is the best way of meeting the needs…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
Well, as the Member will know, I'm sure, the outline strategic programme has been in train since 2017, and the strategic outline case since 2023. No final decision has been made on funding. That will be reliant on a final business case. But it is a decision…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
Coleg Sir Gâr has undertaken a review of its estate in order to ensure that they meet the needs of learners. As part of that, they have decided to make a significant investment in the Pibwrlwyd campus, with services moving there from Ammanford.
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Yes, certainly. This is, of course, the first year in which the new ALN reforms will be introduced post 16, so it's the beginning of that process from this year. So, in a sense, it's early days in the implementation of the ALN regime in post-16, but the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
The additional learning needs system supports learners from nought to 25 years with ALN in South Wales West. In next year’s draft budget, I have protected our significant investment in post-16 ALN provision with £19.8 million to further education colleges and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I thank Janet Finch-Saunders for the question. We've prioritised protecting core front-line public services, including schools, through protecting the indicative rise, which we indicated to local government, of 3.1 per cent overall. She will know that, in…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
It is vital that communication channels are active, especially during financially challenging times. I engage closely with local government on budget issues and meet leaders through the finance sub-group and other groups, as appropriate. I also visit schools…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I do agree with what John Griffiths says about the centrality of very early years provision in giving each of our young people the very best start in life. I think what’s important is a joined-up approach to early childhood play, to learning and to care, the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
We regularly engage with early years education practitioners, childcare providers and our partners, including Estyn, local authorities, and umbrella organisations like Mudiad Meithrin, to best understand our successes and challenges in the early years, and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Well, there is high local enthusiasm for the festival. We know about the work that’s going on to ensure that local communities understand the offer of the Eisteddfod. So, there is a Maes B tour that is being held in schools in the coming months, and every…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
We are working closely with the National Eisteddfod and the council as they prepare to hold the National Eisteddfod in Rhondda Cynon Taf this year. The Eisteddfod, of course, is much more than a festival; it is a three-year project that ensures a legacy that…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
The Member makes an important point, and it is important both when reforms happen in Wales and also when reforms happen in England, as with the T-levels most recently, that the particular nature of vocational qualifications, and GCSEs in this context as well…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I do agree entirely with what Huw Irranca-Davies has said. We speak a lot, don't we, about parity of esteem between vocational and academic qualifications? I think having sister brands, if you like, of GCSE and VCSE is part of how that can be communicated…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Qualifications Wales consulted on their full offer proposals in spring 2023, and responses were received from a range of different organisations including employers, but also education professionals, parents and carers. I am publishing our consultation on…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Well, being able to practise as a dentist or as a clinician of any sort through the medium of Welsh is really important from the point of view of the profession, but also, most importantly, from the point of view of the person receiving care, who is perfectly…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Well, I'm anxious not to stray into the portfolio responsibilities of the Minister for Heath and Social Services, but, clearly, the need to train more dentists and dental care professionals is something we are looking at very closely at the moment. We've…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I thank Siân Gwenllian for that question. Bangor University does provide education in terms of dental care more broadly than dentists, and has done so very successfully, and, as she says, we're looking forward to seeing the first cohort of students starting…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I discuss a range of issues with the health Minister, including dentistry. Health Education and Improvement Wales are responsible for developing a workforce plan for dentistry and will continue to assess the available training opportunities, including whether…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Just to be clear on one thing, it's not a case of the funding being cut with the 'inclusion of postgraduate courses', but 'only for postgraduate courses', and the unfortunate reason for that is the pressure on our budgets. So, everything we know about when…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Well, the Member asks a fair question. I had a meeting with UCAS yesterday, as it happens, to have this very discussion on what more we can do to ensure that access to higher education is equal for all. As the Member knows, we already have work in train to do…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Well, I thank the Member for the breadth of her questions. She touched almost every aspect of education policy. Sadly, much of it was not based remotely in fact. I wish that she would pay more attention to the actual outturn of our education system and the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I commend the Member for the diligence with which she's following my leadership campaign. If she showed as much diligence to what the Government has been doing in this policy area since I became Minister, I think that would be even more preferable. She'll…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I thank Laura Anne Jones for that interesting question. I know from my discussions with my colleague Alun Davies that the trip to the Falkland islands was very interesting, and the environmental opportunities, I think, were clear, as I understand it. I think…
