Kirsty Williams: Now, we have all agreed that learning must be inclusive and draw on the experiences, the perspectives and the cultural heritage of contemporary Wales. Confidence in their identities helps learners appreciate the contribution they and others can make within their different communities, and to develop and explore their response to local, national and global matters. This will also help learners...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Today, I want to share with you my policy decision on the approach to qualifications in Wales in 2021. As I do that, I would first like to thank Qualifications Wales and the independent review, chaired by Louise Casella, for their considered recommendations and advice to me. I have drawn equally on their thinking in coming to my...
Kirsty Williams: In some schools and colleges, COVID-19 has required pupils to self-isolate for weeks at a time. Some schools have, at times, even temporarily had to close. Other schools and colleges have been much more fortunate to date, but we cannot, I cannot, be confident as to what will happen for the rest of the school year. And it is this ongoing uncertainty and ensuring fairness, equity and well-being...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and can I thank Suzy Davies for those questions? Can I begin by saying that absolutely no disrespect was meant to Members of this Chamber with regard to an interview I gave The Sunday Times? The Member is quite right, that interview took place two weeks ago. I'm not clear why The Sunday Times decided to sit on the interview, and it was given to that paper...
Kirsty Williams: Thanks, Siân Gwenllian, for those questions. She began by saying that she believed that exams should have been scrapped at an earlier point. Well, the policy of Plaid Cymru is to get rid of exams, and that's a perfectly legitimate policy to have. It's not a policy I share; I believe exams are an important part of our education system. If I thought it was possible to run exams in a fair and...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you very much to David Rees for his questions. I think what is really important is that we are looking to design a system that is familiar to teachers. Now is not the time to create newfangled and new ways of doing things, when we all recognise the immense strain that individual teachers, schools and colleges are under at the moment. So, carrying out assessments, tasks of this kind and...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you very much to Huw Irranca-Davies. Can I just say, throughout this pandemic, whichever portfolio you find yourself in, there are no easy decisions to be made? Each decision that comes in front of myself, or any other colleagues, often is far from the optimum situation that we would want to find ourselves in. And it's really very, very challenging, as it is very, very challenging to be...
Kirsty Williams: Can I thank Hefin David for his questions and his kind comments? I think I've got the best job in the world, even in the middle of a global pandemic, so thank you for your kind words. It's always the kindness that kills you, isn't it, Deputy Presiding Officer? But thank you very much for that. In terms of moderation, the details of the moderation process is the main job of the design and...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you very much. Can I just say this is absolutely not a question of us being kind or being soft on students in this cohort? It is a question of being fair to them. Their education has been affected in a way that none of us could have imagined in February of last year, so this is not a question of being soft or kind; this is about creating a rigorous system that allows them to be awarded...
Kirsty Williams: Mr Reckless, you talk down Welsh teachers, Welsh students and the Welsh education system as much as you want; I disagree, sir. I have every confidence in our young people, our children, our lecturers, our teachers, our exam board and our independent regulator to ensure that students that leave our education system this year will have qualifications that are equally regarded as anywhere else,...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Members will be aware that, in response to numerous reports into the shortfalls of the current system, this Government introduced new legislation in 2016 that paved the way for a much-improved system for supporting children and young people with additional learning needs. This ambitious legislation was co-constructed with key stakeholders and...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I thank Siân Gwenllian for her comments? She is absolutely right to talk about the not insignificant challenges of making real the promise of the ALN Act. And certainly, the impact of COVID-19 on the work of the Government and, indeed, on the work of schools is not insignificant. However, I'm sure she would agree with me that we must make progress and...
Kirsty Williams: COVID-19 has had a massive impact on our education system, and our priority is to continue to provide the best for education services. Welsh Government has responded by providing an overarching single fund to support local authorities dealing with the impacts, providing financial assistance for additional costs incurred in dealing with the pandemic.
Kirsty Williams: In the October update to ‘Our national mission’, Welsh Government’s plan to deliver our new curriculum, we reiterated the importance of an evaluation, improvement and accountability system that is aligned to the principles of the Curriculum for Wales.
Kirsty Williams: The operational guidance sets out the mitigating measures schools and settings should take. In responding to the latest SAGE and TAG report, I have strengthened the mitigating measures. All learners and staff in secondary schools and colleges should now wear face coverings everywhere outside of the classroom, including on school transport.
Kirsty Williams: Evidence from a range of sources—OECD, Estyn, the Sutton Trust—including those focusing on Wales, suggests most learners have been affected, with the most vulnerable most affected by the pandemic. In response, through our Accelerating Learning Programme, we are providing an additional £29 million to schools to support learners.
Kirsty Williams: Welsh Government has provided Pembrokeshire local authority with a £562,788 grant to recruit, recover and raise standards. This will help Pembrokeshire schools provide extra support at years 11, 12 and 13, as well as for disadvantaged and vulnerable learners of all ages.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Andrew. The Welsh Government is reviewing the regulations and guidance in relation to travel around the Christmas period and beyond as we continue to monitor transmission rates within Wales. It is too early to confirm any arrangements that will apply in respect of universities in the new year.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Andrew. You asked about emerging themes; clearly, I'm determined to minimise disruption to students' education, but, obviously, we need to monitor that as part of the overall Government public health response to the pandemic. We’re working very closely with our universities and our student union bodies, and many of the elements that will allow students to return home for...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Mick. I would like, indeed, to put on record my thanks to universities—the University of South Wales and, indeed, all our institutions of higher education—that have worked incredibly hard over the start of this academic year to maintain quality educational experiences, to look after the welfare of their students, and to play their part in managing public health risk in the...
