Kirsty Williams: I have allocated funding of £400,000 to local authorities this year to provide support to home-educating families in recognition of the additional costs that these families may incur when providing resources and opportunities that are typically available free in school. This provision of funding is unique to Wales.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Darren, for the recognition of the financial resources that have been made available. As I said in answer to earlier questions, it is my sincere hope that examinations will be able to go ahead next year. However, we know that this virus and the pandemic is unpredictable, so we do need to have other provision in place, and we will need to ensure this time—because we have more time...
Kirsty Williams: Huw, I can give you that assurance that any further consultation on these proposals will indeed take into consideration the views of everybody that has something that they feel that they can contribute. It is disappointing that we have found ourselves in the position where we cannot proceed in the way I had intended; it is regrettable indeed. But I should stress that despite the inability at...
Kirsty Williams: I have remitted HEFCW to work with partners in the HE sector to address student mental health and well-being. To support this work, I allocated HEFCW £3.5 million last year to support well-being and health in higher education, including student mental health.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you for that question, Lynne, and also thank you for the opportunity to meet with yourself and Mr Murray, whose testimony was powerful indeed. He outlined, very clearly, the steps that all institutions can take to make them as safe as possible for young people. As you're aware, I gave a commitment, during that meeting, that we would be pursing the issue of Papyrus's advice, to see what...
Kirsty Williams: Andrew, as you say, it's important that we have a UK approach, if at all possible; that is what has been recommended by SAGE. And, as you said, there are significant cross-border flows of students—Welsh students into England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and vice versa, and therefore a co-ordinated approach, I believe, is best. I will be discussing a range of options with Gavin Williamson...
Kirsty Williams: I published learning guidance in the summer, which set out our priorities for all scenarios, including blended learning. I have also announced a Recruit, Recover and Raise Standards programme and extra support for A-level students, and I have modified the curriculum requirements to take pressure off schools.
Kirsty Williams: Can I thank the Member for the supplementary question? Can I make it absolutely clear to the Member that whilst we have indeed seen disruption to education this term, 1,299 Welsh state schools have not suffered a COVID case to date? So, I think we just need to remember that, and give thanks to those teachers, support staff, governing bodies and local education authorities that are doing...
Kirsty Williams: Good afternoon to you, Nick. Like you, I am in awe of the courage and resilience that have been shown by our young people at this time. Supporting them with their mental health and their well-being is important, and that's an important reason why we were determined to reopen schools fully for all children for this academic year and to keep them open, because we understand the impact that...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Jenny, for that. Overall, nationally, attendance rates run at approximately 80 per cent—just over 80 per cent—although there are some significant variations in that. Not surprisingly, those areas with a lower virus transmission are seeing higher levels of attendance. So, we see particularly high levels of attendance in Monmouthshire, in Pembrokeshire and in those areas, as I...
Kirsty Williams: Diolch yn fawr, Helen Mary. Local authority Welsh in education strategic plans outline how demand for Welsh-medium education is met. Our annual monitoring of plans suggests an increase in learners accessing Welsh-medium provision in the majority of Mid and West Wales. New WESP regulations set out a higher expectation of targets, and that is aligned with Cymraeg 2050.
Kirsty Williams: Like you and many other people, Helen Mary Jones, the re-provision of a new school for that community remains a priority for me. I look forward to receiving an application from Carmarthenshire council so that we can proceed with that project.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Paul. Improvements in teaching Welsh as a second language is important right the way across Wales, not only in Pembrokeshire, and it'll be an important part of our reformed curriculum, our professional learning opportunities and our new initial teacher education provision. I myself met with representatives, with my officials and with representatives of Pembrokeshire, prior to the...
Kirsty Williams: The Bill is currently being scrutinised by the Senedd and therefore I do not intend to make a stand-alone statement on this matter. Though, as I have already indicated to Members, I am open to discussions and will listen to concerns.
Kirsty Williams: I can assure the Member, Presiding Officer, that there are plenty of grown-up conversations being had about how we can deliver the targets of Cymraeg 2050. I am perfectly aware of the success of the immersion model in helping children acquire Welsh. My own children have benefited from it. There is nothing currently in the Bill that will prevent immersion from happening, but I am aware of...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you very much, Angela. The first thing that we need to do is increase the number of students who are studying Welsh at A-level, because we know that that qualification is often a precursor for people to go on to study Welsh at a higher level and then converting then into teaching Welsh, and we are promoting a Welsh A-level take-up scheme to promote that subject so that more students...
Kirsty Williams: I understand that, for the week 14 to 18 September, attendance at maintained schools in Caerphilly was running at 77 per cent.
Kirsty Williams: Can I thank the Member for her question? And can I assure her that this Welsh Liberal Democrat education Minister is taking all necessary steps and actions to ensure that children, whether they be in Caerphilly, or, indeed, anywhere else in Wales, have the disruption to their education minimised?
Kirsty Williams: We are supporting schools in their efforts to deliver learning, given the range, scale and variability of disruption. We published our coronavirus control plan, which sets out our expectations for the operation of education and childcare settings at each of the stages in the wider coronavirus control plan for Wales.
Kirsty Williams: Welsh Government was trialling a multi-agency approach to support those schools in special measures. The trial was paused due to the demands of the pandemic. We are now looking to build on that approach this year so that these schools have the support to improve.
