Kirsty Williams: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Could I begin by thanking Darren Miller and the Welsh Conservatives for bringing forward the debate this afternoon and the very thoughtful contributions that we’ve had from across the Chamber? I’m afraid, Deputy Presiding Officer, I have to admit that I am indeed old enough to remember what a ZX Spectrum was, although I have to admit I was...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Presiding Officer. We will hear much today, I suspect, about Rhodri as one of the ‘gwerin’—one of us—and that is, was, indisputably true. But we must also recognise that he stood out and he stood taller than us as well—as a politician, as a leader, as a father figure and friend to those of us from the class of 1999 and in the communities across Wales. Now, many of the...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. The word ‘dysgu’ means both teaching and learning. As Professor Dylan William of University College London has pointed out, this linguistic and cultural perspective neatly demonstrates that the quality of teaching and learning cannot be separated. Assessment for learning means that teaching is always adaptive, specific to the learner’s needs and...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you very much, Darren, for your questions. I had hoped that the statement this afternoon would be able to help develop a broader understanding of the difference between assessment for learning, which is a crucial part of how we raise standards in our schools—and how that is a very different beast to what is accountability. The fact that the two have been melded together in the past,...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you very much, Llyr, for those questions and observations. You’re quite right; Professor Donaldson told us that the frequency of testing should be kept to a minimum, but he was also very clear in his report that external standardised testing provides important benchmarking information and should be used in combination with school tests and teacher assessments. So, in no way did...
Kirsty Williams: Could I thank Michelle for her questions? Let me be absolutely clear for the Member and for the Chamber: this is not about replacing teachers with computers; it is about being able to supply teachers with instantaneous, good-quality information about the abilities of an individual child—something that, at the moment, we do in one way, but I think we can improve upon it. As I said in my...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Presiding Officer. As I have said before in this Chamber, education reform is our national mission, and I am determined to ensure that our young people have the opportunity to reach their full potential. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development recently published a report on our reforms, acknowledging the widespread commitment to improving teaching and learning in...
Kirsty Williams: But my ambition for learners does not stop here. I want our learners to go further than just using the tools and infrastructure that we have made available. I want them to move from being users of technology to being creative authors. Learners’ ability to write code is a key aspect of that ambition and is far broader than just using technology. It is about problem solving, being creative,...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you very much, Darren, for your comments and your questions. As I said in my statement, equity of access to these facilities is very important to me, and you are right to say that, until recently, some schools were not in a position to access the DCF and do the kind of work they wanted to do in digital terms because of a lack of infrastructure. The previous Government had made a...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Llyr, for your support for the importance of digital competency and recognising that if we are to give our children the very best opportunities to compete in the global market place, being digitally competent is absolutely crucial to them. With regard to Hwb—and apologies for not answering Darren Millar’s question in the first session—it is very encouraging to see the...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you very much, Lee, for that. As you said, implementation is everything and the document in itself will not get us there. I think what is absolutely clear is that, in ensuring successful implementation, we need a number of factors. We need individual teachers who feel confident and skilled in the use of the DCF, and I outlined to Llyr some of the proactive ways in which we are making...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you very much, Michelle, for the comments and the questions. I think what is absolutely crucial is that we enable our children to have the knowledge of how they can stay safe online, how they can use technology in everyday life, but also, crucially, as you said at the end, that their knowledge goes beyond that and they actually understand the workings of how that technology is being put...
Kirsty Williams: Gross schools expenditure in Cardiff last year was budgeted to be over £288 million, 3.8% higher than in 2015-16. Cardiff delegated over 88% of the funding to schools giving a delegated budget of over £254 million - a 5.7% increase from the previous year, the highest percentage increase in Wales.
Kirsty Williams: A strong and vibrant higher education sector is crucial to the future wellbeing and prosperity of Wales. The reforms I announced in November in response to the Diamond Report will create a more sustainable higher education sector in Wales and provide the most generous student support package in the UK.
Kirsty Williams: The Welsh Government is committed to improving the continuity and progression in learning for all learners moving from primary to secondary school. We have legislation in place requiring secondary schools and their feeder primaries to draw up transition plans to support the transition of learners from primary to secondary school.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Jeremy. Our national mission of education reform is building an inclusive and equitable education system that supports every learner. We are continuing to strengthen our approach to policy co-construction across the three-tier model, and will work closely with our partners to develop our new curriculum and our new professional teaching standards.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Jeremy. As part of their rapid policy review, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development identified our comprehensive schools system, which emphasises equity and inclusion as one of the strengths of Welsh education. We are making considerable gains towards a self-improving system in Wales. And we must build on these foundations and continue to develop those...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, David. The revised Welsh baccalaureate highlights the importance of developing the essential skills and presents opportunities for the co-operative and mutual sector to engage, through the enterprise and employability challenges, and the community challenges. Organisations are therefore being encouraged to develop or become involved in the delivery of those challenges, within...
Kirsty Williams: Diolch yn fawr, Rhun. Well-planned, structured work experience placements can provide young people with a valuable insight into the world of work. Schools and local authorities are responsible for providing pupils with work-focused experiences as part of the delivery of the careers and the world of work curriculum framework.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Rhun. First of all, I welcome the fact that we both recognise that work placements and work experience have a valuable role to play. I hope you will be pleased to note that I have identified some resource, some £2.4 million over the next four years, to support stronger work between schools and employers, and I will make an announcement shortly on how that is to be spent. I...
