Ken Skates: Previous Welsh Labour Governments have invested very heavily in education institutions, including schools, through the twenty-first century schools programme in the past, and I'd like to congratulate the Minister on his very, very well-deserved appointment and also invite him to Clwyd South to view some of the twenty-first century schools investment. And I'd be very grateful for any further...
Ken Skates: Yes, I most certainly will. I’m keen to see more 20 mph zones introduced around schools. There is only so much that our financial resources can achieve through educating young people. Other measures must be introduced and I do believe that we should look at reducing the speed of motorists passing places of education. For the next financial year, as the Member has highlighted, we’ll be...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for her question and welcome her to the Assembly Chamber? As somebody who lives not too far from myself, we last debated at Penley high school, I believe it was, in the election of 2015. I must say that I've been incredibly impressed as well by the speed at which the Menai Science Park is being developed. It wasn't long ago that we cut the sod on that particular...
Ken Skates: ...Welsh Football Trust, and I’d like to put on record my thanks to them for doing a sterling job, not just in promoting the game but in engaging many young people who might otherwise disengage from education. And, in doing so, they keep them in education and make sure that they get a good schooling. Now, going forward, the Welsh Football Trust plan to use qualification for Euro 2016 as a...
Ken Skates: ...that are polluting the lungs of commuters, and in particular young people? The irony, of course, is that within those more intensely urbanised areas young people can most easily access places of education on foot. What's preventing them from doing that is either parental fear or their own fear of not being safe on the roads or on pavements, or indeed, I'm afraid, a lack of desire to...
Ken Skates: 6. Will the Minister make a statement on investment in education in Clwyd South through the twenty-first century schools programme? OQ56582
Ken Skates: Well, it's been a particular issue that we've examined very closely over the course of many years, with the current education Secretary and also with her predecessor. Changes to the curriculum will be crucial in driving up an entrepreneurial spirit at an earlier age, but we're already investing heavily in the Big Ideas Wales service that's rolled out across schools in Wales. That...
Ken Skates: ...is in changing people’s behaviour and cultures. For that reason, I’m particularly pleased that we are investing in the Active Journeys initiative, which is operating in primary and secondary schools across Wales. It’s my understanding that, to date, somewhere in the region of 232 schools across the country have been involved in that particular scheme and more than 30 are in Cardiff....
Ken Skates: ...to be one of the primary areas of growth in activities for the national library. In terms of driving up visitors to the actual library itself, I do believe that the outreach work, in terms of education, has a magnificent effect on schools and colleges and universities, but it would be advantageous for more people to visit the library, not just because it is a unique and magnificent place,...
Ken Skates: ...one of the key concerns that particularly young people have in using active travel as an alternative to bus services or other forms of motor vehicles. It's quite telling that, up to secondary school, the majority of people will walk to school, whereas at secondary school they take a bus. Now, in many instances, schools are too far from homes for people to walk, but they're not necessarily...
Ken Skates: ...designated bus and taxi routes, again making the provision and the use of bus services more attractive to people who perhaps would otherwise travel by car, and I'm also keen to go on working with schools and education colleagues in encouraging young people to take part in active travel journeys rather than using private vehicles for the purpose of getting to and from schools and colleges...
Ken Skates: ...active. It's absolutely crucial for your physical health, mental health and well-being. In terms of the importance of other colleagues in Government and other departments, I think in particular education and health are crucial in challenging and changing behaviours of people in order to get more people physically active, not just in terms of physical activity, but generally to be more...
Ken Skates: ...—an extension of the training that's already provided—is absolutely essential to reduce those killed or seriously injured figures. And we're also working with colleagues in the department for education on the potential to include road safety content in the health and well-being area of the learning experience. I think, again, the sooner that we can introduce responsible methods,...
Ken Skates: In terms of safety, one of the most inhibiting factors that prevents many people from travelling to work or travelling to school or travelling to services by foot or on a bike is the fear of fast-moving traffic. Twenty-miles-per-hour zones have proven to be very successful around schools. These are available for local authorities to develop if they so wish. It's certainly something that we...
Ken Skates: ...results, with 70 per cent of young people under the age of 25 now having aspirations to work for themselves. And 375 role models have engaged with more than 56,000 young people in 86 per cent of schools, further education colleges and higher education institutions. I do think that we need to celebrate the successes of young people in business. We have some excellent examples of the...
Ken Skates: I think it's fair to say that higher education gives us the strategic weapons for future economic growth in the fight for competitiveness, whereas further education gives us the tactical arsenal. In terms of FE, I think we have a very, very proud story to tell indeed. We have amongst Britain's best further education institutions based here in Wales. In terms of our higher education estate, I...
Ken Skates: Children can be exposed to higher levels of pollution when travelling to and from school than when on school grounds. I recently issued guidance instructing local authorities to give special consideration to the risks posed to children by air pollution, whether at home, in school or travelling between the two.
Ken Skates: First Minister, there's been a very welcome and significant increase recently in funding for support services for mental health within schools, which will help many young people in the Vale of Clwyd and beyond. We know that the most effective mental ill health prevention and early intervention comes through school counselling services. So, will the Welsh Government commit to facilitating the...
Ken Skates: Can you advise the Senedd of action being taken to promote respect and compassion in the school place, given the vital role that both play in promoting well-being amongst learners, and in shaping confident learners who are not blinded by shame later in life? And would you commit to also reporting to the Senedd any appraisals of the benefits that universal free school meals may have in terms...
Ken Skates: Thank you, Minister, for that answer. I've heard of instances of high-school children who've been turned away at the canteen till because their hard-working parents haven't been able to clear the dinner money debts that they've incurred. Would you agree with me that schools should act with the utmost compassion during these times of financial hardship, and not put young people through such...
