Jane Dodds: Diolch yn fawr iawn. Minister, research from the Learning and Work Institute and Gingerbread suggests that the pandemic has hit single parents very hard—loss of work and income, home education, and loss of childcare and caring support. These are workers typically concentrated in low-paid and part-time work and in those industries hit hardest by the pandemic—144,000 lone parent families in...
Jane Dodds: Diolch, Gweinidog. The Organisaston for Economic Co-operation and Development has said 'Providing access to quality education in rural areas is crucial to meet the needs of rural youth, and also to attract young families to settle in these regions.' I was proud that, under Kirsty Williams's leadership, Wales introduced its first ever rural schools strategy and action plan, setting out how...
Jane Dodds: ...work than men. Is this really the way that we want to live? People face burnout, experience in-work stress and mental health issues, miss out on being with children and miss out on leisure and education opportunities. COVID has forced greater flexible working and that is something that we should be looking to lock in post COVID. And Wales is well placed to lead the charge here. A third of...
Jane Dodds: ...devolved to us here in Wales. The rushing of this Bill through the House of Commons is typical of the UK Government's contempt for the devolved nations. Wales is embarking on the largest set of educational reform since the second world war and it's so important that future qualifications arrangements across the UK reflect our distinct and unique approach to education here in Wales. This...
Jane Dodds: ...forward this very important debate and issue. The mental well-being of our children and young people is so important, and I'm pleased that the Welsh Government are continuing with this whole-school approach to mental well-being, which is integral to the new curriculum, as developed by your predecessor, Welsh Liberal Democrat Kirsty Williams. So, thank you very much for profiling this this...
Jane Dodds: ...just ask you what ideas the Welsh Government is taking from those jobs initiatives abroad and how the Government is working with colleges, like Black Mountains College, to expand the provision of education and skills to both meet the challenge of the climate emergency and improve the employment opportunities for young people. Thank you. Diolch.
Jane Dodds: ...a meaningful offer will look very different in Newport or Cardiff than it does in Brecon or Machynlleth, not least given the make-up of businesses, transport and access to further and higher education institutions. And finally, there are schemes across Europe that marry opportunities for young people with economic development in communities reliant on tourism. This helps to transition...
Jane Dodds: It's a desperate situation where access to food is out of reach for many people in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. I welcome the commitment to free school meals in the co-operation agreement. I also welcome the commitment of the Government to universal basic income. A report published by the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales found that universal basic income would...
Jane Dodds: Good afternoon, Trefnydd. I wonder if I could ask for two statements, please, the first from the Minister for education on the decision of the UK Government to bring forward regulations to freeze the student loan repayment threshold. This will result in a real-terms increase in repayments for graduates on plan 2 student loans. I think it's important that we have clarity about the impact of...
Jane Dodds: ...in the pupil development grant, an initiative introduced by the Liberal Democrats again; continuing with the discounted travel scheme for those under 21 years of age; planning to provide free school meals to every child in primary education; and I also look forward to seeing more details about proposals with regard to childcare. And I'm also pleased to see the commitment, following my...
Jane Dodds: ...to do the little things for his community, through setting solar panels on a housing estate in Llay, investing in public transport infrastructure and community health, or through investing in the schools of Wrexham. And I know how much of a privilege it was for him to work on behalf of the Welsh language as the Welsh Language Commissioner, and to ensure that every child in Wales had the...
Jane Dodds: Will the Minister make a statement on the impact of the school organisation code on schools in Mid and West Wales?
Jane Dodds: ...care workers, our shop workers, our factory workers, those working in health. We need to make sure that they are properly supported and compensated as well. We all remember, those of us who were at school, those eisteddfods, those Dydd Gŵyl Dewis where we would dress up. For me, my hat, when I was about six years old, was actually bigger than me. We all remember those eisteddfods that we...
Jane Dodds: ..., actually, that that should ever be suggested. I want to welcome the additional investment in the pupil development grant, which plays an essential role in supporting pupils eligible for free school meals. I'm glad to see free school meals being developed in this budget. It's been a very difficult year—maybe two years even—for children and young people, and so the PDG, now in its...
Jane Dodds: ...all of the remarks made so far, and I will be supporting the Plaid Cymru amendment as well. In 1943, in the depths of the war, more than 120 Czech children arrived in Llanwrtyd Wells, where a new school had been set up. They were Jewish refugees, brought to the UK by Kindertransport, brought here by Sir Nicholas Winton who rescued many Jewish children. This small town took these children...
Jane Dodds: ...They are places of historical and political debate, they are places where we have cymanfa ganus, where our brilliant hymn-writers started—we heard many of those names come forward—choirs, where education is—and Samuel Kurz also highlighted the importance of Sunday schools—we've got welfare services running out of them, debating halls, places where politicians started. Then we heard...
Jane Dodds: Good afternoon, Minister. I wonder if I could ask for two statements please, with the first statement from the Minister for Education and Welsh Language about financial support for small and rural schools. Unions this week have raised the concerns that I raised during the budget process about the removal of the SRSG—the small and rural schools grant—and that the additional funding...
Jane Dodds: 9. Will the Minister make a statement on the impact of recently announced school closures in Powys on the Welsh Government's targets to expand Welsh-medium education? OQ57888
Jane Dodds: Diolch, Weinidog. You will be aware of the decision of Powys County Council to close rural schools in the area, which has been a devastating blow for many communities. I am increasingly concerned about the impact this so-called transformation programme will have on Welsh-medium education in Powys, so thank you for your response. The commitment of many of these rural schools to Welsh education...
Jane Dodds: ..., regardless of their background, is essential if we are to create a brighter future for every child in Wales. Currently, the costs and complexity of the arrangements between nine months and school age are disadvantaging many families. In order to currently qualify for the childcare offer, each parent in the household must be working and earning below £100,000 a year. So, a child whose...
