Kirsty Williams: Carwyn Jones.
Kirsty Williams: First of all, can I thank the Member for such an early opportunity to answer questions here in this Chamber? The decision to cut support for part-time postgraduate study in Wales is a matter for the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. The Welsh Government has no power to direct the funding council as to how to allocate the funds made available for higher education.
Kirsty Williams: Can I thank the Member for her supplementary question and her good wishes? Part-time is a priority for this administration and is key to opening up opportunities for individuals to upskill and improve their employment prospects. Therefore, I was very pleased that HEFCW have recognised the importance of part-time provision and have been able to maintain its support at undergraduate level. I...
Kirsty Williams: Could I thank the Member for his question this afternoon also? HEFCW’s remit letter for 2016-17, which was written by the previous Minister, did task the council with developing a strategy for HE in Wales, which, amongst other things, did identify in which ways the councils and providers would work together to find innovative ways to encourage part-time study, and to create opportunities to...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you very much to the Member for bringing forward this debate this afternoon. May I congratulate her on her first short debate, and the speech that she delivered with such aplomb? As we heard from Hannah Blythyn, indeed, schools are not just a building programme, but obviously, a space for budding romances too. I’m grateful to the other Members...
Kirsty Williams: Can I thank the Member for the question? There is not a shortage of school places in Wales. Although some schools are very popular and do not have sufficient places for all those who might wish to attend, I have received no reports of a shortage overall in any local authority.
Kirsty Williams: Could I thank the Member for his kind words? It certainly is a very different experience for me to be answering questions rather than asking them. Can I say to the Member that there are some pressures in some schools in some parts of Wales but there is not an overall shortage of places in Welsh schools? The Member will be aware of my agreement with the First Minister to review the policy on...
Kirsty Williams: Could I thank the Member for the question? She is quite right to point out that the issue of surplus places is not one alone for rural areas; it does have an effect on how we plan provision in urban areas too, and that will form part of the review. Cardiff has well-known plans to expand school provision in key locations, especially at primary level, and has already received capital funding...
Kirsty Williams: Can I thank the Member? I’m well aware of the concerns from those parents in the Swansea area who are seeking Welsh-medium education for their children. You will be aware that the previous Welsh in education plan for the Swansea area was approved by the previous Minister in March of this year, and that plan indeed identified some of the pressures that exist for parents seeking Welsh-medium...
Kirsty Williams: I thank the Member for the question. The latest published pupil level annual school census data, otherwise known as PLASC, show that the number of pupils in classes of over 30 with legally permitted exceptions was 256 pupils from a total of 2,600, making that 9.8 per cent of children.
Kirsty Williams: Can I thank the Member for recognising the importance of this issue? As someone who has spent time at the chalk face, I’m sure she has first-hand experience of knowing how pupil numbers can have a real impact on the ability of children to learn. Reducing workload and enabling teachers to spend that crucial time supporting pupils is a key priority for me and the Welsh Government. I have...
Kirsty Williams: Can I thank the Member for the question and for his kind words? Can I make it clear that David Reynolds is not and adviser to my department? Can I also say that what there is evidence to suggest is that cutting class sizes is especially important to our younger pupils, it is especially important to our most deprived pupils—some of the communities that the Member says that he...
Kirsty Williams: Can I thank the Member for his observations? It is true to say that there will have to be a variety of approaches to how we achieve this. That’s why my officials are scoping out a number of options where we can make this a reality for pupils. That may include employing extra teachers, it may involve making grants available for capital works, or it may involve employing, for instance,...
Kirsty Williams: Can I welcome the new spokesperson for Plaid Cymru? I was grateful to have and early opportunity to discuss with him what joint priorities we have together and I look forward to working with him. As you will be aware, there are a number of initiatives that I wish to take forward in the education field. The finances of those are being discussed in the usual discussions between myself and the...
Kirsty Williams: Can I say that the role of consortia is a role that there is a discussion about? My manifesto commitment to abolish the regional consortia was based on the fact that the manifesto also called for local government reorganisation. Whilst there is still a lack of clarity around what the future map or the future look of what local authorities will do in Wales, I think we have to be cautious in...
Kirsty Williams: First, may I say that PISA remains a very important indicator of how the Welsh education system is performing? It’s not the only indicator, but it is an important one if our students are to compete in a worldwide economy when they leave the education system. The Member will be aware that the last round of PISA tests were undertaken by Welsh students in the autumn of last year. We expect the...
Kirsty Williams: Can I say how pleased I am that Darren Millar will be shadowing me? Having worked closely together for the last five years on the health committee, I would’ve missed him if the change had not been made. You’ll be aware from the First Minister’s statement that the additional learning needs Bill is a legislative priority for the Government; it is long overdue. I know it was of regret to...
Kirsty Williams: The Member will be aware that, when the Bill is published, alongside that there will be a regulatory impact assessment and there will also be a financial assessment, which will outline the resources that will be needed for the successful implementation of that Bill.
Kirsty Williams: Can I urge the Member to read not just the education section of the Welsh Liberal Democrat manifesto but the entire document? There’s much in it to commend to you. The consortia do have an important role to play in terms of educational improvement whilst we still have a system of 22 local authorities, many of which, in the past, have been demonstrated not to effectively have educational...
Kirsty Williams: Certainly. In Wales, we are committed to a comprehensive education for all.
