, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - evidence session 13
I recognise that there can be practical barriers that disabled children and young people face in accessing education. Sometimes that's physical access to the estate or moving around the estate, the absence of a lift, sometimes it's the absence of disabled…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Do disabled children and young people have equal access to education and childcare? - evidence session 13
Can I introduce Nicola Edwards, who's the deputy director of the equity in education division?
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Update on the implementation of Additional Learning Needs reforms
I think that point is a very important point. What we're doing to better capture the voice of parents alongside the voice of young people is we are providing Snap Cymru with grant funding, which will then facilitate free-of-charge engagement with parents and…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Update on the implementation of Additional Learning Needs reforms
I appreciate that question. I think it's an important point. Just to be clear, the figure that I referred to in my statement was principally about the transition work from schools to further education colleges, which I know from questions he's asked me…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Update on the implementation of Additional Learning Needs reforms
I thank Vikki Howells for those questions. In relation to the school funding landscape more broadly, she will know of the work that has been done in the past by Luke Sibieta for the Welsh Government in relation to the school funding landscape generally. What…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Update on the implementation of Additional Learning Needs reforms
I thank Jayne Bryant for those questions. I think she put her questions and her assessment, if I may say, very fairly, and some of the points that she made in her question chime with what we've heard ourselves in the various reviews, and I am very grateful to…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Update on the implementation of Additional Learning Needs reforms
Thank you for those important and very relevant questions. I’ll start with where the Member finished on the idea of a consistent offer across Wales wherever you live. That’s a very important element, but I hope that that did come out in the statement, that we…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Update on the implementation of Additional Learning Needs reforms
I thank Laura Anne Jones for those comments and questions. I think I heard her say that, in relation to what Estyn had said, she couldn't quite believe what she had heard me say. Let me just suggest to her that's because I didn't actually say that. I think…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Update on the implementation of Additional Learning Needs reforms
Llywydd, in order to share and address the themes that have emerged in the reviews we've commissioned, in early October we convened a meeting of all local authorities to discuss those national insights, trends in school-level data and to identify actions to…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Update on the implementation of Additional Learning Needs reforms
Thank you, Llywydd. I'm grateful for the opportunity to update Members today on implementation of additional learning needs reforms. September marked the start of the third year of implementation. This is systemic change, requiring time and commitment within…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Reform of the School Year
I thank Hefin David for that, and I absolutely agree. As I mentioned a couple of times in my statement earlier, I think it's really important that we hear the views and perspectives of a range of people, of everyone who is affected—so, learners themselves…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Reform of the School Year
I thank Vikki Howells for those questions and I defer to her greater expertise about the experience of being a teacher and how it must feel coming up to the end of this autumn term. I can see by the smile on her face that she remembers that fondly. But I…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Reform of the School Year
Thank you to Jenny Rathbone for those questions. So, I agree with her, actually, that, you know, we should look creatively at what we can do during school holidays. We already have, of course, food and fun provision and the school holiday enrichment programme…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Reform of the School Year
I thank Jayne Bryant for those thoughtful remarks and questions, and I do agree with her: it is important that we hear the voice of those learners and their families who are most likely to be affected. We’ve provided, alongside the consultation document that…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Reform of the School Year
Just to clear up any misunderstanding, this is a document that's been jointly agreed with Plaid Cymru, so the questions that the Member asked are issues that have already been considered by her party in agreeing this document line by line with us, including…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Reform of the School Year
She cites the concerns of the tourism sector, and I'm quoting here from one of our leading tourism businesses: 'The more we can spread the balance of holiday bookings throughout the year and away from summer peak, the better. We represent many of the finest…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Reform of the School Year
Well, where to begin? I was at a school in the Member's region yesterday, and I had an opportunity to discuss the proposals with the school council, ranging throughout each year in the school. I actually would like to compliment them for a much more…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Reform of the School Year
Dirprwy Lywydd, last month, I published further evidence relating to how learners, staff and families view the school calendar. This shows that the current structure is not as effective as it could be, and more evenly distributed breaks and more equal term…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Reform of the School Year
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. In my first oral statement to this Chamber as Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, I stated clearly that every decision that I made would be guided by the needs and well-being of learners, and a relentless focus…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: 'Cymraeg 2050': Annual Report 2022 to 2023
The best way to get a sense of what we're doing in this space is to look at the 10-year plan that we've been able to agree with partners right across Wales—and I thank all of the partners who participated with us in designing that. It is a challenge—these are…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: 'Cymraeg 2050': Annual Report 2022 to 2023
I thank Alun Davies for that, and I agree with what he says. It is very encouraging indeed to see a Welsh-medium school being opened in Tredegar. The first school I visited when I was appointed was Ysgol Gymraeg Santes Tudful in Merthyr, and we see that, when…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: 'Cymraeg 2050': Annual Report 2022 to 2023
I thank Heledd Fychan for those comments. The battle rhetoric is part of our comfort zone in linguistic terms—we think of everything as a battle—but the question for us to deal with is are people learning the language to be part of a battle. I think that the…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: 'Cymraeg 2050': Annual Report 2022 to 2023
I thank Samuel Kurtz for asking a number of questions. I’ll try and cover most of them at the outset. He mentioned the census and, as my statement mentioned, the figures in the census are clear, but it’s also worthwhile casting an eye on the blog published in…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: 'Cymraeg 2050': Annual Report 2022 to 2023
Now, I'd like to draw your attention to some of the year's highlights. We launched a consultation on a White Paper on proposals for the Welsh language education Bill. Each local authority's new Welsh in education strategic plans became operational. We further…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: 'Cymraeg 2050': Annual Report 2022 to 2023
Thank you, Llywydd. Today, I present the annual report on our Welsh language strategy, 'Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers', for the 2022-23 financial year. The report looks back at our progress during the year in implementing 'Cymraeg 2050' in the…
