Kirsty Williams: Our operational guidance states that face coverings should be worn by secondary school learners in all parts of the school building if social distancing cannot be maintained, and on dedicated school transport. This is one of a range of measures to keep schools as safe as possible for both staff and learners.
Kirsty Williams: The greatest challenge facing any education Minister is the realisation that education reform and transformation cannot be driven by the will of a single Minister. It has to be done in collaboration and co-operation with the sector. The co-construction of our national mission and our new curriculum has focused on building those strong relationships. I think it will be really important for any...
Kirsty Williams: The Member is correct: sometimes, we are able to release additional resources to the education system later on in the year. The challenges of operating a budget of the size that we do are not without difficulties, but I will never turn down an opportunity from the finance Minister to spend more money on schools. With regard to the bureaucracy and the reporting, I would say to Siân Gwenllian...
Kirsty Williams: ..., to identify the pressures facing teachers and implement new solutions. The workload charter has now been published, with the workload and well-being page on Hwb currently in development. The education support charity that I also spoke of earlier is producing a well-being toolkit on Hwb, which will contain a greater range of resources and practical advice, to be published in April, and...
Kirsty Williams: ...that anybody in the Chamber would ever remember me being mean or sharp or difficult with people, but—. So, I thank you for that. You're right; it is an absolute dream job for me to become the education Minister, and I suspect an unexpected surprise to everybody, including myself. It's been a joy over the last five years. And I am sorry that you weren't here last week, because, if you...
Kirsty Williams: Well, Suzy, I'm grateful for your acknowledgement that the Welsh Government has introduced new secondary legislation that allows teachers from across the world to enter into a process, with our Education Workforce Council, to be accredited to teach in this country. I believe those first applicants are already in process, including a new would-be maths teacher who qualified in the United...
Kirsty Williams: ...the RRRS programme is something to be celebrated? I think it is fair to say that we had initially anticipated that we would have more qualified teachers recruited under the system, but, actually, schools have been given the freedom to recruit professionals as they see fit, and many schools have decided to recruit teaching support staff rather than qualified teacher status staff. Some...
Kirsty Williams: ...It is absolutely important that governors have the skills necessary to provide that supportive challenge to headteachers and to be able to play a full part in developing new curricula within their schools. You're right; this gives us a new opportunity to be able to explain to parents in the roll-out of the new curriculum the important role that governors will have and how parents...
Kirsty Williams: Well, firstly, Llyr, can I thank you for serving as a governor? They are important roles and I would encourage everybody that is interested in education to think about how they can help our children and young people by doing what you do and serving in the role of governor. Clearly, the situation that you have just described is not acceptable. I'm grateful to you for bringing it to my...
Kirsty Williams: Governing bodies have an essential role in improving school performance. Local authorities provide direct support to governors through their governor support services. Under Welsh language standards, all information, advice and guidance provided by the Welsh Government to local authorities is provided bilingually. Local authorities are under the same standard duties.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Nick, for that question. My officials have weekly conversations with the trade unions, discussing a wide range of issues and, clearly, the well-being of school and support staff features strongly. The Welsh Government has had very positive feedback from the services that the Education Support charity has been able to put in place this year, and we will continue to reflect on what...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Jayne, for recognising the tremendous effort of the education workforce throughout the pandemic. They have shown real innovation and resilience in the most difficult of times, and it is important that we recognise that we need to support them in their mental health and well-being. That's why we have engaged with Education Support, a charity organisation with expertise in supporting...
Kirsty Williams: ...this pandemic. This includes funding a tailored package of mental health and well-being support services for teachers and support staff, and providing additional funding to increase capacity in schools across Wales.
Kirsty Williams: The twenty-first century schools programme has seen an investment of nearly £33 millon in Bridgend schools within the Senedd term, of which over £19 million was funded by Welsh Government. Of this, over £11 million will have been spent in the Ogmore constituency, primarily in Pencoed Primary School and Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Ogwr.
Kirsty Williams: Can I thank Mick Antoniw and his committee for their consideration of the Order? I'd just absolutely reinforce the point that not only did the Education Workforce Council perceive there to be no problems with the timing issues highlighted by Mick Antoniw, but that these suspension order powers are very much welcomed by the Education Workforce Council. They have been asking for them for a...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I move the motion to approve the Education Workforce Council (Interim Suspension Orders) (Additional Functions) (Wales) Order 2021. The Order addresses recommendation 21 of the Children, Young People and Education Committee in their report on the teachers' professional learning and education inquiry, namely that the 'remit of the Education Workforce...
Kirsty Williams: ...Deputy Presiding Officer, I must say that I don't want to use all my ammunition, otherwise I'll have nothing to answer the Member tomorrow, because I know she has a question on twenty-first century schools in Islwyn on the order paper tomorrow afternoon. I don't want to use all my best lines today, otherwise I'll have nothing to say to the Member tomorrow, except that, Rhianon, you're...
Kirsty Williams: Over the last five years, one of the things that I am particularly proud of is the instigation of our e-sgol, a virtual school that allows children to be able to access teachers and opportunities from across the globe. Only a matter of weeks ago, students in Wales had the opportunity to receive lessons from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the world's leading university. It did not...
Kirsty Williams: Can I thank, Deputy Presiding Officer, Siân Gwenllian for her comments? She raises an interesting concept of what constitutes a school and I think, over the last five years, we as a Welsh Government have demonstrated our commitment to recognising education in its broadest possible form. I'm sure the Member is very familiar with the absolutely outstanding and innovative building at Ysgol...
Kirsty Williams: ...build and refurbishment. It's really important that we stress once again that the project allows for both. Sometimes, there is a misapprehension that the only way to draw down twenty-first century schools money is to have a new building. That's not the case. The programme also allows for the refurbishment of existing facilities or, indeed, the refurbishment and the extension of facilities...
