Laura Anne Jones: ..., and do my utmost to continue his work and give a voice to those who I now have the responsibility to represent. I will try to champion the causes close to Oscar's heart: fairness, social justice, education, and even cricket—a shared love of ours. Throughout his time as an Assembly Member and a Member of the Senedd, he was guided by one belief: that everyone of any background should...
Laura Anne Jones: Business Minister, by September, our children will have had no more than three days in school in six months. Not only is their education suffering but their mental and physical health too. Vulnerable children are falling behind in key skills, and, if our children don't go back fully in September, then potentially parents might lose some of their jobs too, because they won't be able to go back...
Laura Anne Jones: Education Minister, I recognise these are difficult decisions for the Government, but the Government must balance the harms and benefits of any policy. And although I see you're trying to keep our children safe, and respect that, obviously, it is, ironically, having an adverse effect on our children and they are suffering, which I've seen first hand, having a 10-year-old son of primary age...
Laura Anne Jones: ...of computer, they were missing out on that. It was great for those that could afford those facilities to enable them to use that, and that is something that we should look at, going forward—that schools should maybe take that role rather than having to rely on a celebrity like him. But I thought that was fantastic, what he achieved. Also, I've been enjoying tennis along with my son,...
Laura Anne Jones: ...please? I cannot understand the logic that this hasn't been announced yet when our premier leagues—and our lower leagues are all part-time players, and, of course, our children are going back to school and yet can't play outdoor matches. When you consider that it's all kicking off soon over the border in England, I just don't understand it. It's paramount now that we give the green light...
Laura Anne Jones: Thank you for your statement, Minister. I also want to take this opportunity to welcome your comments and your opening remarks that you want to keep our schools open during these uncertain times. It was a little concerning this week when I heard that a number of children were sent home with runny noses this week, and obviously, because of the delay in testing, that meant that they missed out...
Laura Anne Jones: ...be the No. 1 priority, but we can't neglect the impact that prolonged periods of lockdown has on people's mental health, children's well-being and people's livelihoods. I do, therefore, welcome the education Minister, in her statement yesterday, being so determined that our schools will keep open throughout these localised lockdowns. My concern is that Welsh Government's approach has been...
Laura Anne Jones: Sorry, I had a problem with the unmute. A lot of what I'll say now will echo what our Conservative shadow Minister for education has already said, but I do think it's important to reiterate some of the points that she made. The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in widespread disruption to so many sectors of our Welsh economy. Some of the economic damage being inflicted will be irreparable,...
Laura Anne Jones: ...that, no doubt, children and parents the length and breadth of our country have had when discussing what they're seeing on their televisions at the moment. And I know it's being discussed in our schools, which is welcome, because education, as Jane Hutt just pointed out, is the key to change. It's hard to respond to my son and others why generations above him have failed to eradicate...
Laura Anne Jones: ...all recognise the value of arts and culture in our society. As well as enriching our lives, arts and culture have a wider more measurable impact on our economy, health and well-being, society and education. The current pandemic is continuing to have a devastating impact on our arts and creative industries. Theatres, galleries, music venues, heritage sites, museums, libraries, archives,...
Laura Anne Jones: ...care are disappointingly thin. There are too many reports of limited options for children who need help, but do not reach the threshold for specialist services. Although progress is happening in education, it was far less confident that the pace of change in health and local government, including social services, is sufficient. I know that the mental health and well-being of children and...
Laura Anne Jones: Diolch, Llywydd. The unmuting took a while, sorry. Minister, our schools, as you know, are doing an excellent job, and work very hard to ensure that the schools are COVID safe for pupils and teachers alike. However, there does seem to be a chink in the armour to me, at drop-off and pick-up. Although there are great one-way systems, phased collections, all those great things happening, parents...
Laura Anne Jones: ...to say that I've also been contacted by a number of worried parents in the Newport constituency area, because, currently, as it stands, there are 1,000 pupils isolating from Caerleon Comprehensive School, my old school. Years 7, 8, 9, 12 and 13 are all off at the moment, which is beyond comprehension really. Obviously, year groups have to stay off if there are enough cases and there's a...
Laura Anne Jones: Business Minister, could I please ask for a statement from the education Minister clarifying the Welsh Government's position on keeping children in schools as much as possible right up until the end of this term? It was encouraging to hear the First Minister share my concerns over year groups in some schools in some authorities being arguably off unnecessarily because of not using the track...
Laura Anne Jones: Minister, the success of the new curriculum will be heavily dependent on how well teachers and other school staff have been able to prepare for its introduction. Given that almost half an academic year was missed earlier this year, and we are now seeing whole year groups being taken out of school on a large scale—. For example, 1,000 pupils in Caerleon Comprehensive School are currently...
Laura Anne Jones: ...you for that, Minister. I think the lack of money is one of the root causes of many mental health problems, as we know. I'd like to talk to you about the mental health of children and young people. Schools act as a leveller, a level playing field, where, wherever possible, children are equal in that environment in terms of equipment, the clothes they wear, access to information. As you're...
Laura Anne Jones: Okay, thank you, Minister. Just a really quick one, before I ask my last question, is that, in a school in south-east Wales, they sent regular questionnaires to see what the biggest barrier was to home-school learning, and it came back that actual devices, not broadband et cetera, were the biggest problem, because when there's a parent at home, or a brother or sister at home, using devices as...
Laura Anne Jones: Business Minister, may I please call for a statement from the education Minister to address a problem in our schools that's now escalated from the last time that I spoke to you? I want to welcome what the First Minister said earlier—that a statement has come out this morning saying that local government and schools are now going to keep open until the end of this term. The First Minister...
Laura Anne Jones: —and admissions from heads that still children are unable to access devices. So, please could the education Minister bring a statement on how she intends to address the problem of frequent isolation now? The impact that is having—
Laura Anne Jones: ...(Wales) Bill marks the first construction of a distinct Welsh curriculum. The curriculum that I was, admittedly, at first, very dubious about and very sceptical of. However, sitting on the education committee and listening to evidence, I now feel reassured in my concerns, although a couple still remain. But on the general principles of the curriculum and assessment Bill, I am genuinely...
