, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
Can I just say, Hefin—
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
I do.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
I think there is a chance to resolve those issues. Obviously, we've got the multi-agency group that's been set up, but what I'm keen to do is make sure that health are a key part of any arrangements I put in place now to drive delivery in this area, and I've…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
Thanks, Hefin. As you highlighted, this was a really thorny issue, wasn't it, when the legislation was going through. I do recognise that it is still a big challenge for us to address. As I said, I met the DECLOs last week. I was really struck by how…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
I think we have got the processes in place. The WESPs are a good process, from what I've seen initially; you may have a different view, and I'll be looking at the ones that come in in the summer. We have got a mechanism in place to look in that granular…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
There are geographic issues and local authorities should be addressing this through their WESPs, shouldn't they? As Hannah said, I went to the school where they've got this new resource unit opening that we've funded—it's opening after half term. I asked them…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
I think there is some provision available in special schools, but I don't think it would be consistent. Hannah.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
It is a priority for me. If people want to educate their children through the medium of Welsh, whether they've got additional learning needs or not, they should be able to do it. We don't want children and young people left behind. I do recognise what you're…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
As you say, Heledd, recruitment and retention are a challenge, and I'm very conscious that it's tough at the moment in schools. Schools are working really hard, they've come out of a global pandemic. We have put a variety of things in place to improve…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
Okay. We'll write to you. Just to say that's a mix of implementation money for ALN, but it also includes post-16 funding and capital. And today I've announced an additional £20 million for capital provision to make environments suitable and for equipment et…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
Well, it's come from the education main expenditure group. I can give you a breakdown of it, Heledd, if it helps—
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
Okay, well, if I can start with your last point, which is the broader education picture that we’ve got. Obviously, it is very challenging, Heledd, and you’re well aware of that. Our budget is worth £700 million less than it was at the time of the last…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
Thank you, Heledd, and clearly, that’s an incredibly important point, isn’t it, really? And I, as a constituency MS, have met families who no longer send their children to school because they don’t feel that the school is meeting their needs, and that…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
Well, I don't think what I've said is contradictory at all. If I can use the whole-school approach to mental health as an example, I brought, obviously, a lot of my learning from that into this job. So, the whole-school approach to mental health is a…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
Okay, thank you. Can I just say, Jack, that I did meet with the ALN reform parents and, obviously, what they said was very concerning? But I was also struck by the fact that they said to me, 'We want to be part of the solution', and it is vital that families…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
Well, I want to make sure that all children and young people are supported and there are parallels here with mental health, aren't there really? Because one of the terms that the committee that I chaired termed in mental health was the 'missing middle'. They…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
Well, as you say, Jack, the term 'universal provision' isn't in the Act, it isn't in the code, and I know that it was something that the judge highlighted with the committee when she came before you. As I said, I don't think we should assume that universal…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
Workload is a huge concern across the school system. It's something we're really focused on. Tackling workload for school staff is a priority. We've got a range of work going on in this space. So, we've got our strategic workload co-ordination group, which is…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
Okay. Thank you very much, Jack, and thank you also for the work that you've done through the Petitions Committee to amplify the voices of parents who are concerned about this. I do intend to keep listening to parents, and I'm also keen, in whatever…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
Well, you'll be aware that we've had the review of 14-16 provision, and Qualifications Wales have developed a set of proposals in that space, and there'll be new qualifications coming online. It is important that we have the new qualifications align with the…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
Well, I think there is much, much more flexibility within our Curriculum for Wales for teachers to do that, much more than the national curriculum in England. There is a framework; you've got to have a framework there, otherwise we'd potentially have a…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
Yes, and you've got to have a universal framework that drives it, and if you look at the national curriculum in England, that is very prescriptive. So, anything that you say in terms of flexibility could be levelled at that many times over. This is designed…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
—flexibility around what learners need. It's based on taking local factors into account. So, I don't really see it as a sort of—. There is a universal framework that drives it.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
Thank you, Gareth. If you don't mind me saying, I'm not sure you're quite understanding the purpose of the curriculum. The curriculum is designed to make sure that there is that—
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Implementation of education reforms: evidence session
Well, I do want to look at it on a granular level and I've started doing that already. I met the president of the tribunal, I met the designated education clinical lead officers, I've asked officials to arrange a summit with additional learning needs…
