12 July 2023 , Plenary
Topical Questions
I agree with the Member that the appropriate way of looking at this is to try and find solutions rather than to point the finger of blame. It's important to put some context around why the decision was taken, which is, after all, the question that I was asked…
12 July 2023 , Plenary
Topical Questions
Mike Hedges will know that I share his priority, and he will also know that we made an announcement in March that indicated that the extension was until the end of May. He will also know that the Government's budget is worth almost £1 billion less and, as a…
12 July 2023 , Plenary
Topical Questions
Well, the public are certainly not crying out for us to stop feeding children in school during a cost-of-living crisis, which is not a view that the Member shares, certainly, and in Conservative England they are in fact not providing holiday free school…
12 July 2023 , Plenary
Topical Questions
Well, the Welsh Government's budget is worth £900 million less due to the inflationary consequences of Conservative management of the UK economy. This is not a decision that the Welsh Government wants to have to take. We are a Government, after all, that has…
12 July 2023 , Plenary
Topical Questions
Holiday provision for free school meals was time-limited support that we introduced during the pandemic. Due to the extremely difficult funding situation Wales faces, this provision has not now been able to be extended further beyond May.
11 July 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Progress on the roll-out of the new curriculum
Thank you for that question. I certainly would be interested in looking at the work that's happening between credit unions and schools in your constituency; I think that's a really important development from our young people's point of view. The Robert Owen…
11 July 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Progress on the roll-out of the new curriculum
Thank you very much. It's important that we have an open discussion about these issues; that's why the report is transparent and looks at the things we want to celebrate and some of the challenges too. The Member asks some very important questions. One thing…
11 July 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Progress on the roll-out of the new curriculum
He mentioned the requirement of teachers. The picture, actually, I would say, in Wales, is healthier than it is in some other parts of the UK. I'm not looking to make a political point. So, in particular, primary. And, at secondary, our retention rates are…
11 July 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Progress on the roll-out of the new curriculum
I'll do my best to address—. There was a range of questions in there, so I will perhaps be brief in my response, but I'll try and cover them. I agree with the Member that working collaboratively across the system is essential for making progress, because it's…
11 July 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Progress on the roll-out of the new curriculum
Thank you for those questions.
11 July 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Progress on the roll-out of the new curriculum
We have made good progress on the important recommendations made by the group chaired by Professor Charlotte Williams to consider the contributions of black, Asian and minority ethnic communities in the curriculum. I am proud to say that all of these…
11 July 2023 , Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Progress on the roll-out of the new curriculum
Diolch, Cadeirydd. In less than two months, all schools in Wales will be teaching the Curriculum for Wales. As I have always stressed, transforming education will take time, but, one year in, the emerging picture should give us confidence. The profession…
5 July 2023 , Plenary
Debate on the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee Report—'The legislative framework that supports Welsh-medium education provision'
There are a number of recommendations to strengthen the planning arrangements, as we’ve discussed today, and I certainly agree with that emphasis—that, at the end of the day, will drive action on the ground, the ability to do that, and that, essentially, is…
5 July 2023 , Plenary
Debate on the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee Report—'The legislative framework that supports Welsh-medium education provision'
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd, and I'm extremely grateful to the committee for the report following their inquiry. It's a creative and constructive report, so thank you very much for your work. A lot has happened since you commenced the inquiry. The WESPs of all…
5 July 2023 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Well, this is a cross-curricular requirement, so it will be embedded throughout the curriculum, and it's obviously important that schools engage with this. In my experience, at least—. And by the way, I do recognise the figures that the Member is giving. In…
5 July 2023 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Financial knowledge is imperative to realising the four purposes of the Curriculum for Wales. Because of this, finance is a mandatory element of the mathematics and numeracy area of learning and experience, which schools in Carmarthen West and South…
5 July 2023 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I thank the Member for that. The proposal to introduce the single award was in fact done in response to consultation. So, the original proposal was the double award, and Qualifications Wales heard back that that would not meet the needs of the equivalent of…
5 July 2023 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
The new double-award sciences GCSE is designed to be taken by over 90 per cent of Welsh learners from 2025 onwards. Responding to consultation feedback that they received, Qualifications Wales are also creating a single award in the sciences for the small…
5 July 2023 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Well, that is absolutely not what we want to see, and the Member will not be surprised, obviously, to hear me say that. It’s a priority for us to make sure that learners can access schools. Obviously, the questions you put to the Deputy Minister earlier are a…
5 July 2023 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I meet regularly with the Minister and Deputy Minister for Climate Change to discuss a range of cross-portfolio issues, including learner travel. Senior education officials attend the weekly bus transition fund meetings to help shape and inform the…
5 July 2023 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Well, the reforms that we have in place—and there is broad agreement that these are the right reforms to the system—are less than two years into a four-year transformation programme, so there is great change happening in the system. In considering the work…
5 July 2023 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
As part of our additional learning needs reforms, children and young people in South Wales Central will be at the heart of the process to identify, plan for and meet their individual needs, and will have their additional learning provision protected through…
5 July 2023 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I thank Altaf Hussain for that question. I don't think it's the only way of imparting critical thinking skills; I think you can acquire those skills in other disciplines, and I say that as someone who had no talent whatsoever in sciences. I hope that I've…
5 July 2023 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Well, I think, actually, the argument behind the changes that Qualifications Wales have made, and which are supported by learned bodies, is that that change will encourage more people to take STEM subjects beyond 16. So, I think it's important not to lose…
5 July 2023 , Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Preparing our young people for the jobs of the future is a priority for this Government. We have a range of initiatives in place to support learners to choose STEM career pathways, including increasing the inclusivity of STEM for all learners and partnerships…
