Kirsty Williams: Well, Mike, I was very pleased to see the new Burlais school and the difference that that building is making to the education of children in the area. I am also very pleased to receive an invitation to visit Blaenymaes school. My late grandma, Mary Hall, was the senior cook at Blaenymaes school for very many years. She peeled a lot of spuds for those kids in her time. So, the opportunity to...
Kirsty Williams: Well, it’s disappointing that the local development plan will be delayed, because one of the core principles of the twenty-first century schools programme is to ensure that we have the right number of school places in the right place. Often, the proposals to develop a particular conurbation or town or village are instrumental in the process of approving a twenty-first century school’s...
Kirsty Williams: Well, as I’ve said, Dai, officials continue to speak regularly with Swansea city council. We want to ensure that the proposals that are currently in band A of the programme are delivered upon, and we want to ensure best value for the Welsh Government’s money when band B comes into operation. We do this in a partnership approach, so, therefore, we need a clear understanding of the...
Kirsty Williams: The Member will be aware that the planning of Welsh-medium provision falls to my colleague, the Minister with responsibility for the language, who is currently considering how best we can ensure that the Welsh in education plans that have come forward are adequate and are ambitious. We understand that if we’re to meet the Welsh Government’s target of an additional 1 million Welsh-speakers...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Hefin. I expect teachers to exercise their professional judgement in ensuring planning, preparation and assessment time is used effectively to support their teaching. Arrangements should be designed to allow teachers to use their judgement based on their needs and the needs of the school and their learners.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Hefin. If I can be absolutely clear, because I believe the regulations governing who can teach in Wales are clear: only qualified teachers—those with QTS—can undertake specific work, i.e. teach. That is a very different situation that we have in Wales than you would see across the border, and a differentiation that I am very pleased about. Schools can employ a suitably...
Kirsty Williams: I agree with you absolutely. We have a commitment to allow that time to be made available. Members will be aware that I recently visited Finland, which is a nation that is constantly held up as the bastion of great education. One of the things that they are trying to do in Finland to improve their education is to ensure that there is PPA time in school for their teachers. They recognise that...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Hefin. I announced my intention last week to consult on setting up a new strategic authority to oversee post-compulsory education and training. This would promote collaboration, remove barriers to progression and create seamless learning pathways across all elements of post-compulsory education and training, including further and higher education.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you for that. This desire on behalf of Welsh Ministers has already been expressed to HEFCW in an additional remit letter that went out earlier this autumn, and future remit letters would seek to build upon this. I am struck by how important these opportunities are. Again, this morning, with Dawn Bowden, I was in Merthyr Tydfil college. We met students there this morning who were...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you for that. I don’t regard any element of the sector to be more important than any other, and I expressed that quite clearly in my statement on Hazelkorn last week. The purpose of the new tertiary education authority will be partly to ensure we can have that parity of esteem between the different forms of study, and the resources that will help drive not just the life chances of the...
Kirsty Williams: Support for STEM in schools is a key priority and we are investing in capacity-building for science subjects. Our education reforms will see practitioner-led and evidence-based changes to the STEM curriculum, with networks for excellence to support our teaching workforce going forward.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you for that. I’ve been taking a range of positive steps to increase girls’ engagement in the study of STEM subjects, linked to the education actions that were set out in the report that you mentioned, ‘Talented Women for a Successful Wales’. But, to make that difference, I want to see our teaching professionals—they need support to make that happen. That’s why the national...
Kirsty Williams: Diolch i chi, Jenny. O’r cychwyn mae rhaglen y consortia rhanbarthol a’r awdurdodau lleol wedi gweithio’n agos gyda’u hysgolion Her Ysgolion Cymru i annog a sefydlu cydweithio priodol. Bydd fy swyddogion yn parhau i weithio gyda’r rhanbarthau i sicrhau bod yr arfer da hwn yn cael ei gynnal a’i rannu ar draws y system gyfan.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Jenny. As you will know, the programme was initially set up as a two-year programme. The programme was extended for a third year. I have made a decision to extend the support for Schools Challenge Cymru schools until the end of this academic year rather than the financial year. We will also have funding in place to address new types of interventions in those schools that have not...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I believe that all young people, no matter what their background, should have the opportunity to develop their talents and skills through music. I am pleased that, alongside the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, we are announcing £1 million-worth of investment to support the establishment of a national endowment for music. An initial...
Kirsty Williams: So what is the purpose of all of this? Music is an enrichment activity that allows us to express ourselves personally and to share in our collective culture. As Longfellow said, ‘Music is the universal language of mankind’. The national endowment for music is our long-term and sustainable approach to funding. Rather than replacing existing music services, it is designed to enhance them....
Kirsty Williams: I thank you, Llŷr, for your comments and questions this afternoon and for your welcome of the establishment of the endowment. This is, indeed, a joint initiative between myself and my colleague, and the split is 50-50: 50 per cent, or £500,000, from myself, and the same from my colleague. I have to say that, at present, we have no plans to add additionally. The task and finish group, as you...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Darren, for the series of questions and your welcoming of the principle of setting up the endowment. The timing of this announcement is in no way meant to be disrespectful of the work of the committee. I understand that work came to a close on 4 February, but, with all due respect to the committee, we've already had a report that has recommended the establishment of this endowment....
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Michelle, for your questions. With regard to philanthropy—and I think it was Darren who raised this also, and it was remiss of me not to have addressed that—a great deal of work has been done, in conjunction with the arts council, looking at opportunities. We have to get better at philanthropy. There are many organisations that we can be looking to, and individuals, to support...
Kirsty Williams: Presiding Officer, could I thank Rhianon Passmore for her comments and questions and for constantly badgering me on this subject since she was elected to this place? I’m always in awe of people who have talent in this area. I declare that I have none whatsoever. So, people like Rhianon who can play the clarinet maybe could get together with Bethan and her viola and Mick here and his...
