Delyth Jewell: ...that response, Minister. Rhieni Dros Addysg Gymraeg have been in touch with me on their campaign to tackle the lack of Welsh-medium provision in the area. At the moment, there are only two primary schools and no secondary school at all, which is utterly unfair on the children in the area. RhAG want to see a Welsh-medium secondary school established, as well as an additional primary...
Delyth Jewell: Well, thank you very much for that. The 'Cymraeg 2050' strategy does refer to increasing the proportion of each school year group receiving Welsh-medium education from 22 per cent by 2031. There are counties in the south-east where there isn't a single Welsh-medium secondary school. But, even in the primary sector, there are areas that are missing out. Since the closure of the Ysgol Gymraeg...
Delyth Jewell: Thank you, Minister. Plaid Cymru, of course, welcomes the fact that there will be a new Welsh-medium primary opening in Merthyr next September. We also support plans to open a Welsh-medium primary school in Tredegar in 2023. I would like to thank Rhieni dros Addysg Gymraeg and local authorities for their work in progressing this, and the Government for providing the resources. Many other...
Delyth Jewell: Minister, I wanted to ask about the higher education sector, please. The main emphasis has been on ensuring continuation of education in our school sector, particularly the need to prioritise what year 12 students will do for A-levels, but can I ask you what consideration has been given in forward planning for the future to ensuring that we reduce as much as possible the interruption to...
Delyth Jewell: Thank you. At the moment, at the moment, Minister, there is only Welsh-medium school in Blaenau Gwent, and travel there is a barrier, particularly for younger children. Obviously, parents don't want to put three-year-olds on two different buses to go to a school which is two valleys away. And local campaigners have been concerned for many years about the reduction in the number of children...
Delyth Jewell: 4. What discussions has the Minister had with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language regarding the funding of universal free school meals during the current financial year? OQ58274
Delyth Jewell: ...being made here, but that they feel engaged. First Minister, if we look at young people, 16 and 17-year-olds have an exciting opportunity this year to vote for the first time, but political education is still not a required topic in the curriculum. In the coming years, I too would love to see more citizens assemblies for young people to promote engagement, but this year needs action now....
Delyth Jewell: Free school meals aren't just about feeding hungry children—they're about access to education, children's ability to concentrate in lessons, and ensuring well-being, health and attainment. The pandemic we're all living through has forced us to confront many injustices so ingrained in our society they've come to appear endemic. A third of Welsh children are living in poverty, and as the...
Delyth Jewell: ...or make the right decision on their Universities and Colleges Admissions Service form. Growing up in our society is hard enough as it is, but this year, away from their friends and a normal school routine, our young people will have faced unprecedented strain and loneliness. Over the summer, 17 and 18-year-olds went through needless anxiety when they were told that an algorithm would be...
Delyth Jewell: Thank you, Minister. You'll be aware of the recent report of the Education Policy Institute, stating that no progress has been made in trying to close the gap between pupils from different social backgrounds over the past decade. According to the report, the poorest pupils are two years behind their contemporaries from more affluent backgrounds, on average. I know that you are concerned about...
Delyth Jewell: Diolch for that. It's actually revolutionary, isn't it, that universal free school meals will start being rolled out from September in Wales. I'm so proud that this is happening as a result of the co-operation agreement involving Plaid Cymru. I wanted to ask you, Minister, about support being given to local authorities to ensure that schools are able to cope with this change. I'm so thankful...
Delyth Jewell: The school day can contain many stresses. I'm not just talking about maths tests or rushing to finish homework on the school steps, I'm talking about children who go to school hungry and can't afford a snack at morning break, children who feel dread going through the gates because they're worried that someone might notice that they're not wearing the right shoes or carrying the right bag, who...
Delyth Jewell: ...—this is just such a lovely debate, isn't it? I'm delighted about the Government's announcement in this area. I come from a family of musicians, and my sister and I both benefited when we were in school from having music lessons. I had singing, piano and clarinet lessons. Do not ask to play the clarinet; I only got to grade 1 in the clarinet, and it would not sound good, but that's not...
Delyth Jewell: ..., after the pandemic. Friendships and routines have been disrupted. Many young people have been suffering with isolation and loneliness. Could I ask you, Minister, when the guidance on the whole-school approach to well-being and mental health will be implemented in schools and when will young people be able to feel the benefits of that? I am particularly concerned about very young...
Delyth Jewell: ...confirmed that you were aware of concerns that a proposed clause within the curriculum and assessment Bill could have a detrimental impact on the gains that have been made in terms of Welsh-medium education, and that you would look carefully at the situation. However, it doesn't appear that there's been any change in the Government's plans, and yesterday, Ceredigion County Council made a...
Delyth Jewell: ...that this has had on their children—children who were just traumatised by seeing their homes turned upside down; who lost toys; who have to stay away with relatives and friends; children who lost school uniforms; and who have nowhere to do their homework now that schools are back after the holiday. At one point, one resident was in tears telling me that her children were staying with...
Delyth Jewell: ...importance and fragility of the fate of our language—that's what that lesson should be. I started this brief speech with the words of G.K. Chesterton, who said that the soul of a nation is its education. Well, if education is our soul, our heart is our language. As the old saying goes, 'Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon'—a nation without language is a nation without heart. That is our...
Delyth Jewell: ...an alternative election for young people between 11 and 15 years of age, and this gives everyone who'll be able to vote in the 2026 election a real experience of the voting experience. Eighty-five schools across the whole of Wales have signed up to be part of Project Vote already. So, would you join with me in encouraging every secondary school to participate in this innovative and crucial...
Delyth Jewell: ...brothers; their parents are very dear family friends. Music can change people's lives. We're even getting this from this short debate. Sadly, A-level music is too infrequently now being offered in schools, but young people need to be made aware of the exciting career prospects that exist for talented instrumentalists, singers and teachers. Now, I'm biased because my mother was a...
Delyth Jewell: ...most populated areas and improve air quality for those who live and work there? I think there's something particularly to be said about improved monitoring of air pollution, particularly outside schools. Again, these interventions need to be undertaken in concert, of course, with the plan. Finally, do you agree that we need to educate and empower people with the knowledge about the...
