, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: High Standards and Aspirations for All
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. Tackling the impact of poverty on attainment is at the heart of our national mission in education. That's the only way we can succeed in our aim of achieving high standards and aspirations for all. In implementing this vision, I am…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: The cost-of-living crisis—The effect on schools and children
I thank Mike Hedges for that suggestion. We are reviewing our guidance at the moment, and I'll make sure that point is fully taken into account in that review. I recognise the points he made in his contribution to the debate earlier on that subject. We agree…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: The cost-of-living crisis—The effect on schools and children
In 2019, Dirprwy Lywydd, we became the first Government in the United Kingdom to make uniform guidance statutory to better support governing bodies in making their decisions on school uniform policies in respect of access, affordability and flexibility. We…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: The cost-of-living crisis—The effect on schools and children
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. May I begin by thanking Plaid Cymru for putting forward this motion today? The steps that have been outlined are ones that we as a Government are already taking. So, we are happy to support the motion moved by Sioned Williams as…
, Plenary
Motion to agree the financial resolution in respect of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill
Formally.
, Plenary
Debate: The General Principles of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill
In relation to the question about the provision of regulations during scrutiny of the Bill, there is a requirement here, I think, to make sure that the regulations both allow stakeholders the opportunity to fully engage with what is proposed, and also for the…
, Plenary
Debate: The General Principles of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill
Thank you to Sioned Williams for acknowledging that the wording of the duty in terms of the Welsh language, in my view at least, encourages the commission to be ambitious, but of course we accept that there is an opportunity to look again at that.
, Plenary
Debate: The General Principles of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill
Diolch, Llywydd, and I'm grateful to the Members for their constructive and thoughtful comments today. I'll endeavour to respond to as many points as I can, but I'm not sure I'll be able to repeat the comprehensive nature of the responses that Hefin David…
, Plenary
Debate: The General Principles of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill
Colleagues will know of my personal and this Government's commitment to working in social partnership. We all benefit from working together as Government, trade unions and employers to ensure better outcomes in education, in the workplace and as a society. As…
, Plenary
Debate: The General Principles of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill
Turning, Deputy Presiding Officer, to that important issue of learner voice, our introduction of a learner engagement code requires providers to address how they will involve learners in decisions on all aspects related to their learning and to their…
, Plenary
Debate: The General Principles of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill
Thank you very much. It's a pleasure to open this debate on the general principles of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill and to move the motion, and on the financial resolution. I'm grateful to Jayne Bryant, Peredur Owen Griffiths, Huw…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
The Member says that this is frustrating, well, it is frustrating. It is a situation that causes great concern, I would say. People are going to look at the availability of Welsh revision materials when they decide how to take their tests. So, that's an…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
The Welsh Language Commissioner's office has investigated this matter. Only publications produced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency are covered by their Welsh language scheme. So, as it stands, the revision material is not available in Welsh, but I…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
I'm hoping to join you at the opening of the Tirdeunaw school, in fact, so I look forward to that opportunity. Obviously, we're aware that a number of voluntary-aided schools are in need of replacement and refurbishment, and my officials continue to work with…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
I'm pleased that Swansea's proposed £150 million school estate investment continues to move at pace, with four projects already completed. This means more than £38 million has been invested in schools in Swansea during second-wave investment through the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
I think schools have a very, very important role in making those opportunities available, and the mandatory expectation for physical health in the new curriculum from September onwards I think reflects the important role that schools have to play in that. We…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Officials are considering that in the way that you imply in your question at the moment. I completely agree with the point that you're making, that it's vital that access to sporting activities and physical activities in schools are available and accessible…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
We are committed to supporting the physical health and well-being of all learners in Wales. That is why the promotion of the lifelong benefits of physical health, including sport, is a mandatory part of every curriculum in every school and setting in Wales…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Of course, the authority has introduced the Welsh in education strategic plan for me to approve, and I'm looking at that at the moment. Every authority in Wales has been asked to be ambitious in terms of what they provide in terms of Welsh-medium education…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
I thank the Member for that really important supplementary question. The last meeting I had before coming into the Chamber today was in fact with the Deputy Minister for Social Services, who was reviewing the 10-year workforce plan for the sector, and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Working with partners, including local authorities and Mudiad Meithrin, we are making significant investment in Welsh-medium early years provision via our capital grants, the Sefydlu a Symud programme, and our investment in the workforce. We also fund…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
There is a range of interventions, on which I worked together with my colleague the Minister for Economy, in schools in relation to this, and there is a need to make sure that the STEM subjects are accessible and attractive to all students, actually. There is…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Well, as the Member says, social work students are unable to access the NHS bursary, but they can access the social work bursary through Social Care Wales, and that provides them with funding towards the cost of their living and tuition fees. Obviously, I'm…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Our generous student support package and the NHS Wales bursary scheme enables students in these fields, along with our institutional investment in high-cost subjects, including medicine and dentistry. We are committed to establishing the north Wales medical…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
I thank James Evans for that question. I refer him to the answer I gave to Sarah Murphy a moment ago in relation to that. I'm not aware of any schools or colleges in Wales using the newer biometric technology such as facial recognition systems, for example…
