, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Update on Free School Meals
I thank Heledd Fychan for those questions. This does demonstrate the benefits of co-operation. This is one element of policy where both parties had a shared priority and could reach agreement on this in the co-operation agreement that we have. And I also…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Update on Free School Meals
I thank Laura Anne Jones for those three questions, and for her support for the policy. In relation to the first question on capital investment, she'll have heard me say that there has been a significant programme of investment in infrastructure upgrades. A…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Update on Free School Meals
Dirprwy Lywydd, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our local authority colleagues, as well as schools across Wales, for working with us to achieve this first milestone. It has taken significant partnership working and a team Wales approach, which…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Update on Free School Meals
Thank you, Llywydd. I'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge yesterday's events and to pass on my deepest sympathy to the royal family. Our programme for government is clear: we will maximise fairness for all and eliminate inequality at every level of…
, Plenary
The Welsh Language Standards (No. 8) Regulations 2022
Thank you, Llywydd. These regulations allow the Welsh Language Commissioner to consider where the bodies are on their language journey before imposing final standards upon them, thereby considering what is reasonable to expect, but also to improve Welsh…
, Plenary
The Welsh Language Standards (No. 8) Regulations 2022
Thank you, Llywydd. I move the motion on the Welsh Language Standards (No. 8) Regulations 2022. The regulations allow the Welsh Language Commissioner to impose standards on nine UK bodies in the health sector—eight professional regulatory bodies and the…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: 10-year Welsh in Education Strategic Plans
I thank Huw Irranca-Davies for that question and that invitation, which I'd be happy to accept. Meurig in his comments at the awards on Sunday was very clear about the need for making sure that every single child in Wales that would like to have access to…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: 10-year Welsh in Education Strategic Plans
Well, I agree with the Member's last sentiment, certainly, and that is the underlying principle behind the entire enterprise that we're engaged in in relation to the Welsh in education strategic plans. I note the Member has got his disappointment in early. I…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: 10-year Welsh in Education Strategic Plans
I thank Vikki Howells for that question, and it is something that I know she feels passionately about, and we've discussed this issue one-to-one outside this Chamber as well. She is right to say that it is very important to ensure that the provision that we…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: 10-year Welsh in Education Strategic Plans
Well, the easiest thing in the world is to suggest that things are not ambitious enough, but it’s just not true. It’s just not true what the Member said. What’s your definition of ambition if not to recognise that these are the first WESPs since 2014 that are…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: 10-year Welsh in Education Strategic Plans
I thank the Member for the questions and for his support for the statement generally, and the questions are very valid. In terms of the location of the new schools, the 23 new Welsh-medium schools will be located in 15 local authorities, but they will stretch…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: 10-year Welsh in Education Strategic Plans
I’m delighted to tell you that all 22 of our local authorities have committed to their ambitious 10-year targets of increasing the provision of Welsh-medium education. These targets match the milestones of our Welsh language strategy, 'Cymraeg 2050: A million…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: 10-year Welsh in Education Strategic Plans
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. It's my pleasure to be here today to update Members on the Welsh in education strategic plans, namely the plans of our local authorities to grow Welsh-medium education over the next 10 years. As a result of new guidance and…
, Plenary
Short Debate: Knowledge is power: Education as a route out of poverty
Building on this, and working with Plaid Cymru as part of the co-operation agreement, from September of this year we start to roll out the universal primary free-school-meal offer. The biggest influences, Dirprwy Lywydd, on the success of learners are the…
, Plenary
Short Debate: Knowledge is power: Education as a route out of poverty
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. This is such an important debate, and I thank John Griffiths for bringing it forward and for the other contributions that we've heard. Challenging poverty and inequality is a central part of all our work as a Government and my work…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Curriculum for Wales Roll-out
I thank the Member for that question. The consortia and school improvement services have a very important role in the new curriculum, as she will know from the statement I made last week, supporting schools on their improvement journey, whatever that journey…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Curriculum for Wales Roll-out
I thank the Member for those questions. She will know from my earlier answers that there's a significant amount of work under way in order to encourage pupils back to school. Some of that is around the funding of family engagement officers, but we are also…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Curriculum for Wales Roll-out
The Member knows that I have a complete commitment to ensure that every child in Wales has equitable access to Welsh-medium education and that all children who want Welsh-medium education can have that. That's very clear, and there's no doubt about that. In…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Curriculum for Wales Roll-out
I thank Vikki Howells for drawing to my attention the fantastic work that Pontypridd High School is leading on in conjunction with other schools in the area and with the involvement of Public Health Wales and the broader community. I know my colleague the…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Curriculum for Wales Roll-out
I thank the Member for those questions. On the point about the response of the teaching workforce to the curriculum, I think it's one that she would recognise is one of excitement and commitment to the principles of the new curriculum, and the desire…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Curriculum for Wales Roll-out
I thank the Member and I thank her for the welcome that she gave for the statement, and I detect the enthusiasm that she has for the curriculum, despite the challenges that she sets for me. So, I welcome that commitment to the new curriculum, which she…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Curriculum for Wales Roll-out
Last week, I published the first annual report on the Curriculum for Wales, to provide Members with an update, setting out the overall picture of the current position of roll-out of reform, the Welsh Government's efforts to support roll-out, and looking…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Curriculum for Wales Roll-out
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. After several years in the making, we're on the verge of a momentous change to education as pupils begin to learn under our new Curriculum for Wales. Made with the profession in Wales for Wales, the new curriculum will begin to be…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Pupil absence—evidence session 7
I'm very much looking forward to the report, Chair. Diolch yn fawr.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Pupil absence—evidence session 7
Really, those are all very interesting, important areas. So, on the bullying issue, obviously we are refreshing our entire approach to anti-bullying guidance at the moment, so this will be very much a focus in that work, for sure. On the transition years…
