Kirsty Williams: ...the Brexit vote. That is why I have set up a higher education and FE group, which will advise me, as education Minister, with regard to these challenges, and why there is a significant level of HE representation in the First Minister’s European reference group. We are looking very carefully to ensure that any applications that Welsh HEIs already have in the system are approved as quickly...
Kirsty Williams: ...in the PISA tests are good enough, and our performance in science has been particularly disappointing, especially our performance in science from our higher performing children, and our lack of representation on an OECD average level 6, level 5, and level 4. And you will be aware that, earlier this month, I announced the creation of a network of excellence for science and technology. That...
Kirsty Williams: ...also have a UK-wide responsibility on international and research funding matters. The four governments of the UK need to work together on such issues, which further underlines the need for UK-wide representation on the new UKRI board. It simply does not make sense for our nation to walk away from the funding opportunities presented by Horizon 2020. We are the second biggest recipient of...
Kirsty Williams: Can I thank Llyr for his questions and the shared understanding and agreement I think there is between us around the issues that we need to solve with regard to post-compulsory education. You’re absolutely right, the current system does lead to duplication and competition in a way that is often unhelpful. It does not provide, as Hazelkorn said herself in the report, good value for public...
Kirsty Williams: ...welcome that there has been an amendment at the Commons Report Stage that says that there is to be due regard, I do not believe that it goes far enough. I do believe that there should be full Welsh representation on the UKRI. I share the Member’s concerns about the consequences that this may mean for the flow of research funding and we continue to try and push that case. With regard to...
Kirsty Williams: ...that looks specifically at what we can do to support the HE sector as we move through Brexit negotiations, and the HE sector is also represented on the First Minister’s group. I continue to make representations to the previous Westminster Government about a range of measures it could take to assist us in this area. It is a disgrace that neither Wales nor Scotland’s administrations were...
Kirsty Williams: ...base. The board has reached a unanimous consensus that the academy should be a company limited by guarantee. This would enable a flexible governance structure, which can better accommodate sector representation, would have a legal form favoured by the Charity Commission, and could employ staff in its own name. I have therefore instructed officials to start scoping the timescale and...
Kirsty Williams: ...research, innovation, and enterprise activities in universities, colleges and with other providers. Deputy Presiding Officer, I’m pleased with the progress that has been made in embedding student representation into the governance structures of institutions in Wales. But there is still more to do. I would expect to see students’ involvement, both in the commission and at individual...
Kirsty Williams: Perhaps there's one silver lining to the predicament I find myself in: at least the Welsh Liberal Democrats can claim 100 per cent female representation in this particular Assembly term. [Laughter.] Although, I must admit that's not a particular silver lining I would have welcomed. I have always, throughout my political career, paid tribute to other political parties that, I believe, took...
Kirsty Williams: Well, Llyr, I have met with both UK-wide officials of UCU as well as Welsh representation, and I continue to be in correspondence with them. Unfortunately, because of the bad weather in Cardiff on Saturday, I was unable to attend the UCU conference, because the conference was cancelled. Officials keep in close touch with both the employers and the employees, and I have, at every opportunity,...
Kirsty Williams: ...decision, and I'm surprised, as someone who I know takes scrutiny very seriously indeed, that this was not raised, especially given the fact that the party abstained on the budget vote and made no representations that I'm aware of with regard to this. Those documents are in the public domain, Leanne—
Kirsty Williams: ...regard for the school organisation code and to comply with that code. If there are any suggestions that any local authority is not complying with the code, then I would be happy to receive those representations.
Kirsty Williams: ...there were also responses to the consultation that urged the Government to go even further, and to publish a more extended list of schools. Because it's a consultation, I am minded to take those representations on board and, as a result of that, I have now written to all local authorities and dioceses to indicate my desire to extend the list of schools that we initially consulted on. There...
Kirsty Williams: ...best for the school too—pupils can be assessed individually or in small groups. We have not designed these assessments in isolation. We have learned from the best with an expert group, including representation from Denmark and the Netherlands, providing advice throughout. This has enabled us to lead the way. Adaptive assessments for procedural numeracy and reading have been developed...
Kirsty Williams: ...practice. Before imposing a fine, Qualifications Wales must give notice to the awarding organisation concerned, setting out the reasons for the proposal and giving the body the opportunity to make representations. Qualifications Wales must also have regard to these representations, and if it still intends to impose a monetary penalty, it must set out the reasons for doing so, including the...
Kirsty Williams: Well, I'm grateful to the Member for making the representations that he has done on behalf of that cluster of schools. We have acted on that feedback, not only from yourself, but from other schools, and we have, over the summer, made a number of refinements to the system that should address the concerns that were raised in your letter. By introducing assessments on a phased roll-out, we are...
Kirsty Williams: I've not received any representation from the teaching unions about the specifics that the Member mentions around part-time and flexible working, although workload issues in general are a standing item on the agenda every time I meet with the teaching unions. The flexibility that the Member just highlighted is indeed one of the things that the re-imagining the school day commission is...
Kirsty Williams: ...who are knowledgeable about their culture, their community and society and the world, now and in the past, and to respect the needs and rights of others as members of a diverse society. The under-representation of BAME communities in the education workforce is also an issue that I want to actively seek to redress. We have set up a project to specifically look at the issues around...
Kirsty Williams: ...in their own right in rural communities, then such centres are able to look to support from the economic resilience fund that the Welsh Government has made available. But I will certainly make the representations that you have asked for this afternoon, and I will write back to the Member.
Kirsty Williams: ...within a school has to be agreed: first of all, it has to be consulted on with parents, and it has to be agreed by a governing body. And the last time I looked, we had significant parental representation on our governing bodies. This is not a case where a parent is not going to have the opportunity—in fact, the parent will have more of an opportunity to talk about what is discussed and...
