John Griffiths: ...Secretary, that we do need to protect our biodiversity and these species, including the water vole, on the Gwent levels, and one aspect of that is engagement with local people and local children? Schools are very much captivated by the water voles and it does lead to a greater appreciation of biodiversity and nature. So, I think there are many aspects of Welsh Government strategy that can...
John Griffiths: Cabinet Secretary, the first 1,000 days are vital for language development and so for reading and general education and development, and there are statistics that show that children who live in persistent poverty are twice as likely to score below average for language acquisition at age five than their better off peers. Issues identified in terms of dealing with this include investing in...
John Griffiths: ...statement that sets out the current Government’s thinking on that preventative health and public health agenda. Secondly, I wonder whether we might have a statement on community-focused schools. I think it’s very important that we take forward policy effectively and consistently across Wales, because I think, at the current time, there are some very good examples of community-focused...
John Griffiths: First Minister, as well as building new schools, it’s also important that we continue to build new colleges for further education. Coleg Gwent have ambitious and important plans to relocate their Newport campus to the riverfront alongside the University of South Wales campus and, indeed, further buildings around and about. Would you agree with me that we must continue to improve our further...
John Griffiths: What level of priority will be given to education in deciding Welsh Government policies?
John Griffiths: ...and the new model of community learning centres. I wonder if you could tell the Chamber a little more about how that would work in relation, for example, to existing ideas around community-focused schools. It seems to me that community-focused schools have a lot to offer in tackling poverty. They can support education through getting parents and the community more involved in the...
John Griffiths: ...to get on board, and we will need local authorities and public sector employers in terms of the way they facilitate their staff to make active travel journeys to work and from work. We will need schools, of course, perhaps to do even more around safe routes to schools, cycle training, and I hope sometimes the provision of bikes for children in more disadvantaged circumstances who haven’t...
John Griffiths: ...Professors Brian Morgan and Gerry Holtham recently carried out research on what works in economic development across the globe. They found a very strong correlation between high levels of spend on schools and economic success. As well as the economic advantages, of course, education is a good in itself and benefits all aspects of life. Will Welsh Government work to increase funding to our...
John Griffiths: ..., we have, just today actually, been engaged in scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary and, indeed, the national adviser, and many of our questions focused on healthy relationships and how we get the school educational offer right. We’ve also written to Kirsty Williams and have had a response in that regard, which we will follow up. Much of it, of course, revolves around Donaldson and the...
John Griffiths: ...professionals to carry out those jobs. So, again, I think that will be a significant part of that work. As the Member stated—it’s my experience as well in Newport, as a multi-ethnic area, that schools with high levels of children from a variety of diverse communities do bring a lot of energy, a lot of commitment to education, and a lot of drive to succeed to those schools, for their...
John Griffiths: As others said earlier, Minister, I think it is very important that we get a more physically active population in Wales. I do believe that community-focused schools, as Angela Burns touched on, are a very important way forward. I also think that air pollution hasn’t had sufficient attention. I met with a group recently, for example, that told me that capital conversion costs for their...
John Griffiths: 6. Will the Minister make a statement on the overall budget allocation to the education portfolio? OAQ(5)0065(FLG)
John Griffiths: Cabinet Secretary, a big part of the job of Government is to decide on priorities, and for me there is no higher priority than education. I believe a well-educated population benefits all aspects of life and life chances in communities. In addition to that, the recent report by Gerry Holtham and Brian Morgan looked at economic development policy across the world and found the strongest...
John Griffiths: ...early as possible. I very much agree with the emphasis on the first 1,000 days, and I know there’s a building amount of evidence as to the importance of those early years. We’ve got healthy school networks, of course, and I think there’s some very good practice there. We have new opportunities, I think, to drive improvements to physical literacy, following Tanni Grey’s report,...
John Griffiths: ...to build on the interest that’s being created. Throughout all of this, Dirprwy Lywydd, we’re also looking at other aspects such as healthy eating, linking with healthy eating networks in schools, and there will be particular projects as part of this coming together that address those issues in schools. I hope very much that we drive forward physical literacy in our schools, because...
John Griffiths: ...be anchored around the existing university city centre campus and would involve the relocation of Coleg Gwent’s Newport campus from Nash in the city to that riverfront site. It would put further education and higher education in the faces of local people with its central location and, I believe, greatly strengthen progression routes from FE into higher education. And also, of course, we...
John Griffiths: ...considering those advantages of community centres in deciding on the way forward with Communities First. Also, Cabinet Secretary, I wonder if you could say a little bit about community-focused schools, because I also believe they’re very important in terms of working with parents and local communities around child poverty issues and general quality of life for children. I believe that...
John Griffiths: In terms of the outreach effort, Cabinet Secretary, I know that it’s important to address the issues that Gypsy/Traveller families have in the round, including better educational attainment and better school attendance. I know that that effort involves not just work in the schools, but also within the community and the whole-family approach. In terms of the whole-family approach and...
John Griffiths: ...the Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015. We made a range of recommendations, including ensuring that teaching about healthy relationships is delivered in all schools as part of the new curriculum being put in place following the Donaldson review. The committee was influenced by the view of the national adviser, who told us that the curriculum should...
John Griffiths: Cabinet Secretary, I wonder if you would agree that the prospects for good pupil engagement are greatly enhanced if parents and the wider community are engaged closely with their local schools, and, if so, whether you will work to devise a mechanism or system by which we can be confident that there will be good-quality community-focused schools consistently delivered right across Wales.
