Bethan Sayed: 9. Will the Minister outline the impact of the Welsh Government's student finance reforms on part-time higher education? OQ56454
Bethan Sayed: Firstly, I wanted to raise concerns with you with regard to comments that were made by an NHS public servant last week. James Moore, who was seconded at the time to Health Education and Improvement Wales, made awful comments comparing the treatment of English speakers to that of apartheid. So, this was a campaign against a new Welsh school in west Wales. Now, notwithstanding the fact that...
Bethan Sayed: ...funds—at least about £30 million. But, last year, your Welsh Government only put £7 million into this particular fund. Last year, your Government also cut forecast funding growth to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales for Welsh universities to cover more expensive premium courses, many of which are in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine area, and...
Bethan Sayed: 7. What are the First Minister's priorities for improving research-based education in Wales? OQ56375
Bethan Sayed: The Welsh Government have not covered themselves in glory on the issue of free school meals in the past year, and provision has been ad hoc, without a clear enough path of leadership. Since the start of the pandemic, my team have campaigned to ensure that children in South Wales West are given parity of access to the free school meal allowance, and all but three local authorities across Wales...
Bethan Sayed: ...of any fees here in Wales, notwithstanding top-up fees that were eventually introduced sadly by the Labour Government, and that has meant the slippery slope towards more marketisation in higher education institutions whether we like it or not. In an ideal world, I'd like to see universality again, I'd like to see students not having to pay for their education, but the reality is we are...
Bethan Sayed: ...Government have taken any action to support new mothers in Wales, who will have taken an unfair financial hit by this failure. What risks were flagged in your build back better scheme? We know that school closures have affected women, who are doing a lot of the childcare and the schooling. How will the Welsh Government ensure that Wales will not only build back better, but build back equal?
Bethan Sayed: ...Welsh-medium FE. They say that they need more funding in this area in order to take action. Is the Minister for the Welsh language going to ensure that she has those necessary discussions with the education Minister to ensure that this area can prosper and develop for the future? And a final remark, I think everyone wants to see more teachers teaching through the medium of Welsh, but we...
Bethan Sayed: ..., I can't cover all of your comments, but everything you've said has been important in providing us with an overview of what's important for the future in terms of live music, whether that's in school through the curriculum, or on the ground in our communities, whether it relates to transport so that we can ensure that live music is taken closer to people—all of that's important in order...
Bethan Sayed: ...with mild to moderate perinatal mental health symptoms said that they had not received any support. So, a statement on that would be good. My second request is a statement on the provision of free school meals. In Wales, some councils are still providing parcels, and we've seen that being scrapped in England, much to the joy of many of your Labour colleagues. But here in Wales, Bridgend...
Bethan Sayed: ...what discussions you've had with representative bodies to ensure that they feel that they have enough money? And if they don't feel that they have enough support, would you commit to a long-term education recovery plan for the sector? Because, of course, it doesn't just affect the individuals, but it affects the economic fruition and prosperity of our nation if we simply don't see these...
Bethan Sayed: ...extending this academic year in line with some of the calls from organisations such as Colegau Cymru, because of the inability to potentially go in to carry out their degree or their further education course, and, if so, would you be able to give them upfront resources to be able to do that?
Bethan Sayed: ...not something that should be—. Mental health in all of its forms, as we'll discuss in the next debate, is important, but specifically, eating disorders don't just come into health, they come into education as well. Many people have told me that they go into schools and they would like to have more information about what that means to them. Emily Hoskins, who was here earlier, said her...
Bethan Sayed: ...regard, and can you commit to looking into this issue, because many apprentices have raised this with me as an issue as to why sometimes they may be stopping going into this particular avenue of education?
Bethan Sayed: ...in part-time students, many of them will have more complex needs and they will need more investment from an institutional perspective. So, what are you doing in that regard to ensure that higher education institutions are robust and resilient for the future here in Wales?
Bethan Sayed: ...potential, because our first amendment is something that may be threatened by that, because of the prospect of the precariousness of the future of Erasmus+, which has been a vital part of the education mix in higher education and further education for many years, and youth organisations and schools can also apply for Erasmus as well as adult learners. The skill enhancement potential is...
Bethan Sayed: ...have risen exponentially within that particular police force. So, my question is, from that evening, we heard that the Freedom programme is very successful, will you be able to put that into schools? We know that it looks at belief systems of abusers and how they can change their attitudes. And my second question is—. We had a roomful of people there, but we only had five or six men....
Bethan Sayed: ...taught about how we have taken part in the destruction of countries across the world as part of the British empire, and why I think having a thread is important is because I want to be certain that schools across Wales will at least have some element of that. Because we know now that, as amazing as some of these teachers will be, in various different topics they may not be aware or,...
Bethan Sayed: ...curriculum. In response, the Government has said that the new curriculum will be broad, balanced, inclusive and challenging. But if diversity is not prescribed, then how will it ensure that every school teaches the history of our BAME communities? We have heard that it isn't happening sufficiently and we do need to ensure that it can happen if there are to be changes made. Again, if the...
Bethan Sayed: ...unions have said that the Government's allocation of an additional £24 million for the whole of the curriculum roll-out is nowhere near enough. Professor Calvin Jones from Cardiff Business School told us that the current funding for schools was pretty dire and another £200 million a year was needed to deliver education fit for the future. He said, and I quote:
