Darren Millar: I fully concur with those views. We’ve got to promote and we’ve got to persuade because there are some people who need more persuading than we’ve done to date. It’s not just in our schools; it’s our pre-school system as well here in Wales that needs to have the opportunity to grow the number of places and its capacity. It’s our further education sector in particular that isn’t...
Mohammad Asghar: Minister, may I ask for a statement from the Minister for Education about the disruption of pupil learning caused by the strike action by teachers at Llanwern High School and Caerleon Comprehensive School in Newport? Teaching unions say that industrial action has been prompted by the overhaul of the curriculum in Wales. The acting general secretary of NASUWT says that the union has not heard...
Kirsty Williams: The Welsh Government is planning to invest more than £225 million over the next two years through the education improvement grant for schools to support our schools, regional consortia and local authorities to improve educational outcomes for learners in Wales. This represents a significant investment in school improvement in Wales.
Kirsty Williams: Local authorities are responsible for planning school places. They are responsible for ensuring that there are sufficient schools providing primary and secondary education in their area. Schools are regarded as sufficient if they are sufficient in number, character and equipment to provide all pupils the opportunity of an appropriate education.
Samuel Kurtz: Thank you, Rhys, and I am enjoying listening to your speech here, but isn't it a fact that Sunday school itself—we're talking about the education of young people through chapels, myself going to Sunday school—is another form of education, which I think is incredibly important? Do you agree that Sunday school is an important part of these chapels as well?
Mark Drakeford: I thank the Member for that question. I commend to him the recent lecture given by the Minister for education to the Bevan Foundation, in which he grappled with exactly the sorts of issues that Dr Hussain has raised with us this afternoon. These are complex matters. I have no wish whatsoever, Llywydd, to penalise any families who are struggling with the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and...
Rhianon Passmore: Diolch, Minister. Thank you for that answer. The Welsh Labour First Minister, Mark Drakeford, has stated that keeping schools open was a top priority for the Welsh Government. For the parents and children in Islwyn, it is imperative for their social and mental well-being that they are able to continue their education in school with all the necessary precautions. From Risca Primary School in...
Elin Jones: Last year, education resources were co-produced with young people and education professionals. These were later adapted for home learning due to the COVID-19 restrictions and they are offered directly to schools through the Hwb platform. Since the beginning of the autumn term, our education team has been delivering virtual sessions to schools and colleges across Wales and they will continue...
Jeremy Miles: Our national mission sets out our commitment to the success and well-being of all learners. Education other than at school is an integrated part of the continuum of education. EOTAS is education provision for children and young people who, for whatever reason, require tailored support away from mainstream schools.
Kirsty Williams: I am sure that there are other examples where we have co-locations of facilities like that. What the twenty-first century schools programme is allowing us to do is find new and innovative ways of providing school places, whether that be in a shared location, whether we see the growing number of through schools, where children are educated on the same campus from the age of three right the way...
Kirsty Williams: Presiding Officer, the Member has come across from a system that believed in competition. The Welsh education system is based on a system of collaboration and co-operation. It is by working together in a self-improving school system that we will deliver the education that our children need. The data that are available at the end of primary school are primarily there to inform teachers both in...
Jane Hutt: ..., Joel James, need to be addressed. I think this is where Rhys ab Owen's question is important, because it is, 'How are we going to develop these relationships?', which I believe goes back to school, education and the curriculum, and particularly our relationships and sexuality education theme that's going to be part of our rolling out of the curriculum. But I'm glad you've raised this...
Suzy Davies: But, of course, not all councils have that money, to that amount, held centrally. I'm very pleased for Plasmarl school, actually, and I'm going to come on to the indicator based assessments here in a minute. Because the point that did impress me in your earlier comments was about prevention. And, of course, schools are not just about academic education; they're community builders. To me,...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Rhianon. As you say, I’m very pleased to acknowledge that the latest data shows that absenteeism from our primary schools remains at the lowest level since the Welsh Government started to collect these figures, and attendance at secondary school continues to improve all the time. And the biggest improvements have, indeed, been for those children who are on free school meals....
Laura Anne Jones: The second statement that I'd like to request is on home schooling. As you know, business Minister, three weeks ago, I requested an urgent statement from this Government on proposals for home schooling in Wales. The community are very anxious for answers, so I'd like to press you for a statement sooner rather than later from the education Minister. Lastly, Dirprwy Lywydd, I'd like to ask for...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Suzy. As you said, we are keeping in close touch with our local education authorities and our directors of education. And in the case you've just mentioned—400 pupils leaving a school—I myself have spoken to the headteacher in those circumstances to understand why that situation arose. That's why, as I said in answer to Jayne Bryant, we are learning the lessons of these four...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, and I was delighted to welcome the Cabinet Secretary for Education to Torfaen last week to officially open two new primary schools in Cwmbran: Llantarnam Community Primary School and Blenheim Road Community Primary School, and these have been constructed as part of the twenty-first century schools programme. With Ysgol Panteg, which is due to open to pupils later this month,...
Jenny Rathbone: ...versus 5 per 10,000 across Wales, though the numbers were the same in the previous year across the country, 5 per 10,000. But, behind these small numbers there are other strategies that some schools use to get rid of pupils they no longer want to be responsible for. Managed moves is one strategy. Looking the other way when challenging pupils fail to turn up is another. Deregistering a...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Hannah. I did, indeed, have the opportunity to meet with some of the children from the school council. Indeed, I met my counterpart, the minister for education on the school council, and she had plenty of good ideas about how we can improve education not only in that school, but across Wales. As you say, currently, these issues are predominantly dealt with in the active citizenship...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Julie. I’m grateful to both you and Steffan for recognising the importance of school trips and foreign visits as a part of an exciting curriculum that we can offer children and young people in Wales. They are an important part of education. Schools and local authorities that organise school trips should be aware of their duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974,...
