, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education
Thank you, Gareth. Almost all schools in Wales have mobile phone policies that prohibit the use of mobile phones during lessons, and guidelines should be enforced consistently by all school staff and supported by the school leadership team. But we do believe…
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Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education
We are aware of the impacts of the use of mobile phones on behaviour in schools, and I will be working with schools to ensure they have policies in place that reduce these impacts and promote learning.
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Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education
Thank you. Can I say, in relation to the situation in Aberystwyth, Cefin Campbell will be very well aware that we have an independent system to accredit initial teacher education in Wales? I think that's very important—that we have a system that sets the…
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Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education
Thank you. Data is really important, and I've been very, very clear about that with officials. You can't change policy without having effective data. Obviously, I was in the Chamber for your exchange with the First Minister, and you tabled a similar question…
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Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education
Thank you very much, Cefin, and can I welcome you to your post and say that I hope that we can work together in a constructive way, and thank Heledd Fychan for the work that she did as the frontbench post holder in this area? I can assure you that Keir…
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Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education
Well, Tom, you should know all about black holes, given that we have a black hole in our budget of £700 million as a result of being short-changed by the UK Conservative Government. So, those are the kinds of figures we are grappling with, not the £18 million…
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Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education
Well, you clearly haven't been paying attention, Tom, because the purpose of this policy is to release much-needed funding to invest in our schools. And we have a pledge in this general election to use that funding to increase recruitment and retention of our…
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Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education
Well, it's good to see you paying this much attention to the UK Labour Party manifesto. I'm really pleased that we have a party that is committed to campaigning for and investing in education. You will be aware that the plans for VAT are not devolved. They…
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Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education
Thank you, Janet, for that supplementary, and thank you for your recognition of the fact that you have benefited in your constituency from our very significant investment in capital in Wales. Conwy has actually benefited from £41.8 million of investment in…
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Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education
Our sustainable communities for learning programme is currently transitioning to our new rolling programme. Conwy County Borough Council has submitted their nine-year investment plan, which is currently being reviewed by officials, and I'm expecting to…
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Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education
Thank you very much, Russell. I want all our young people, from wherever they live in Wales, to have the opportunity to pursue the courses that they're interested in. You will be aware that, at the moment, we have the one dental school, which can mean that…
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Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education
Can I thank Siân Gwenllian for that supplementary and assure her that Welsh Ministers are fully committed to increasing training places for all members of the dental team, but this is of course very difficult to achieve in the current financial climate?…
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Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education
I welcome the commitments within the dental strategic workforce plan relating to higher education, such as increasing BSc dental therapy placements and commissioning a level 5 to 6 conversion programme. These will be led by HEIW and I will seek updates on…
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Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: Consultation on the School Year
Can I thank Mark Drakeford for his comments? I do regret the tone of some of those comments, which I do feel call into question my own commitment to children and young people, which is the only reason I am standing in this job, and the reason I have done…
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Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: Consultation on the School Year
Thank you very much, Hefin. Indeed, those issues did come out through the consultation: concerns about things like heating your home in an extended October half term and the fact that it is harder to find free activities to do. But the other side of that was…
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Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: Consultation on the School Year
Thank you very much, Rhianon, for that welcome for the announcement today, which is very much appreciated. I'm very happy to give you the assurance that attendance is absolutely critical. Children aren't going to learn and thrive if they're not in school, and…
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Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: Consultation on the School Year
Thank you very much, Llyr. As you highlight, the Royal Welsh Show and the Eisteddfod did feature in the consultation and there have been discussions with relevant organisations in relation to that. I want to be really clear, though, that I think this is a…
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Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: Consultation on the School Year
Can I thank Vikki Howells for her comments and for her support? I particularly welcome you drawing on your experience as a teacher and that recognition of the amount of reform that we're asking schools to manage at the moment. I've been very clear since…
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Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: Consultation on the School Year
Thank you very much, Heledd. As you highlighted, this work was part of our co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru. I was very grateful for the work that we did together on it, especially the very constructive relationship that I had with Siân Gwenllian on…
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Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: Consultation on the School Year
Can I thank Tom Giffard for his remarks? He started so positively, didn't he, and it all kind of went downhill from there, really, but there we are. I don't regard this as being kicked into the long grass. As you've highlighted, Tom, the evidence base on…
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Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: Consultation on the School Year
As Members know, the Government committed in the programme for government to explore reform of the school year, and I would like to thank my predecessor, Jeremy Miles, for all of his efforts in that work. I would also like to thank Siân Gwenllian for her…
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Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: Consultation on the School Year
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Three weeks ago I was pleased to come to this Chamber and to talk to Members about my priorities for the education system in Wales. I have always championed the rights of children and young people, and in that statement I made clear my…
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Debate on a Member's Legislative Proposal: A Bill for political education
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. Can I thank Sioned Williams for bringing forward this debate on political education? Preparing our children and young people for active engagement in society is hugely important to the health of our democracy. I want to see all our…
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Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: Our national mission—delivering on Wales’s education priorities
Thank you very much, Adam. Can I say again how much I commend the way that Ysgol Dyffryn Aman and the local authority and the local emergency services responded to that incredibly difficult situation? I really do recognise the impact that that will have had…
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Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: Our national mission—delivering on Wales’s education priorities
Thank you very much, Rhianon. It was a real pleasure to be in your constituency for the opening of that lovely school—really great to see the fruits of that huge investment. And we've invested well over £2 billion in our school buildings in Wales, and that…
