Kirsty Williams: I thank Mark for his question, but postgraduate medical education is not a matter for my portfolio, but for my Cabinet colleague the Cabinet Secretary for health. But I’m always very keen that Welsh universities and institutions look to collaborate wherever they can, whether that be within Wales or outside of Wales.
Kirsty Williams: The Member makes a very valid point, and, from the time that I was on the health committee, which I enjoyed greatly, issues around medical diagnostics are, of course, crucial if we’re to tackle issues around waiting times for those tests. I and the Cabinet Secretary for health continue to work closely across Government to ensure that we are supporting both medical education and professions...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, David. Evidence suggests that family engagement can have over six times more influence on a child’s educational attainment than differences in the quality of the school. Our FaCE toolkit and Education Begins at Home campaign continue to ensure that family engagement in children’s learning remains a priority for practitioners.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, David. I continue to look at new and innovative ways in which we can build relationships between schools and parents, given the crucial role that they can play in raising attainment. The FaCE toolkit, as I said, is being widely welcomed by practitioners in schools. Consortia are working with schools to ensure that it is taken up. You raise a very important point about the issue of...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Huw. Flying Start doesn’t sit within my portfolio, but you’re absolutely right to draw attention to its crucial role. I agree with you that the earlier we can intervene in children’s lives with positive benefit, the better chances that learners from more deprived backgrounds have later on in life. That’s why we introduced the early years pupil deprivation grant—sorry,...
Kirsty Williams: Llyr, the issue around supply teaching is a complex and sensitive one. You will be aware that the task and finish group that was set up by the previous Minister have acknowledged in their own report, which was delivered to me, that there is no single answer to addressing the issue around supply teaching. It’s not fair to say that no action has been taken. A group has been set up by myself...
Kirsty Williams: The issue of the employment of supply teachers is for individual schools. Schools do not necessarily have to go through those individual procedures. Local authorities are encouraged to use the consortia arrangements, because that gives us some level of confidence around, for instance, checks for the individual practitioners who may be working in our schools. One of the issues that we did find...
Kirsty Williams: As I said, the employment arrangements for individual supply teachers are a matter for schools. One of the more interesting examples of an alternative model that the task and finish group looked at was a co-operative model that was set up by teachers themselves in the south-west of England, and I’m very keen to see whether there are any lessons that can be learned from that. With regard to...
Kirsty Williams: What I’m going to do is implement the contents of ‘Education in Wales: Our National Mission’, which was published last week, and which I answered questions on last week in this Chamber.
Kirsty Williams: Can I be absolutely clear with the Member with regard to GCSE pass rates this summer? For 16-year-olds, the pass rate was 66.7 per cent, and that is consistent with historic high levels that we’ve seen over the last three years. Importantly for me, results at A* level—the very highest-performing students—have remained stable, and there were improvements in the summer results at A* to C...
Kirsty Williams: At the heart of my approach to education is the issue of equity. No child should be disadvantaged whether they choose to study through the medium of English, whether they choose to study through the medium of Welsh or whether they choose to attend a bilingual school. I held a summit back in the spring to address this issue around Welsh-medium resources. You were invited and you didn’t come,...
Kirsty Williams: The Welsh Government has been clear in its belief that the English and Welsh higher education systems do not operate in isolation, and we must provide the financial and the regulatory framework to allow our institutions to compete both domestically and internationally. On that basis, I am watching the policy position in England very closely, and I will consider the implications of any changes...
Kirsty Williams: One announcement that has been made by the Conservative Government in Westminster that I welcome very much indeed is that they have agreed to change the repayment threshold for student loans. In fact, I wrote to Jo Johnson, the Minister for universities and science, back in July and in September of this year outlining my concerns about the amount of interest that was being paid on loans, and...
Kirsty Williams: Let me be absolutely clear, because I’m not quite sure if the Member understands. All students in Wales next year will qualify for a £1,000 non-repayable grant. For students from our poorest backgrounds, they will have the equivalent of a living wage whilst they study to pay for the very accommodation that you just talked about. This is the most progressive system anywhere in Europe. You...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Eluned. We have put the well-being of our learners at the heart of our education system and that is reflected in ‘Education in Wales: Our National Mission’. ‘Successful Futures’ contains a specific health and well-being area of learning and experience in recognition of its important link to increased educational attainment.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you very much, Eluned. You raise some really important points. What we do see if we look at the patterns is a drop-off, at each stage, of young women deciding to choose to study science. So, it drops between GCSE and A-level, it then drops again when people go on to university, and drops again at postgraduate study at university. We recognise that and we are working with my colleague...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you very much, Oscar, for that question. I want to make it absolutely clear: I do not accept—and I take a zero-tolerance approach to—any bullying within our education system. We cannot expect our children to make the most of their opportunities and to fulfil their potential if they do not feel safe and supported in our schools. You will be aware that the Welsh Government is...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Llyr. The new professional standards for teaching and leadership have been published on Learning Wales and in the professional learning passport, which is, as you will know, hosted by the Education Workforce Council. Newly qualified teachers starting induction from this September are using the new standards, and serving teachers and school leaders will adopt the new standards by...
Kirsty Williams: Presiding Officer, the Member asks who should own these standards: the profession. The profession should own the standards, and I’m pleased to say there is broad support from the profession for these new standards. Our new proposals replace 55 previous standards with five new key standards, and, of course, the EWC have had a very important role in helping in the development of them. At...
Kirsty Williams: I want to be absolutely clear: the EWC has played a part in the development of the professional standards, together with Estyn and the workforce unions, and they have been kept informed throughout the process. It is not my intention at present to extend their remit to professional teaching standards. With regard to the other issue you have raised, my officials have asked the EWC for hard...
