Rhianon Passmore: —is rising. Key to that will be a vibrant music education with tuition hub infrastructure across Wales. Minister, when will the national music service concept be realised, as per our manifesto? When will a national music strategy of Wales—part of that cultural strategy—be articulated within Creative Wales, and how will you use the creative skills body to develop that pathway from the...
Rhianon Passmore: ...nation, as a country, cannot separate our identity from our cultural past, our cultural legacy and that vibrant cultural future intrinsically linked to our gross domestic product. Music, our music education system and the performers of music in and across the diversity of Welsh society are key to that identity, our soul and our well-being. As such, I do greatly appreciate, Deputy Minister,...
Rhianon Passmore: ...with growing back the Welsh economy fairer, stronger and greener. I also welcome the Welsh Government's young person's guarantee, providing everyone under 25 in Wales with the offer of work, education, training, or self-employment. I also welcome the innovative and radical universal basic income pilot for our young people who are looked after. It is imperative that we invest in our youth...
Rhianon Passmore: ...start when individuals are children or young people. Therefore, I welcome—I strongly welcome—despite austerity, the additional £5 million of Welsh Government funding to improve and expand school counselling, fund local authorities to recruit and train counsellors, fund the development of professional training for school staff on well-being issues, and improve children's mental...
Rhianon Passmore: ...Opera's recent production. Anyway, in the fifth Senedd—my first as the Member of the Senedd for Islwyn—I advocated strongly for us to ensure that Wales develops a national music strategy and an education plan, sitting within a funded cultural strategy, so that our children across Wales can access music education without there being a financial or access barrier. I do agree with much of...
Rhianon Passmore: ...announced at the final budget, the Minister has agreed an additional £76 million through the hardship fund particularly for social care pressures. The hardship fund has provided funding for free school meals, self-isolation payments and enhancements for social care workers' sick pay, and funded critical testing and visitor pods in our care homes, amongst many other interventions. And we...
Rhianon Passmore: ...trail and a wooden cabin with panoramic—truly, actually—panoramic views of the communities of Islwyn, and that will act as a place for outdoor learning and a catalyst and hopefully, a forest school in the future. First Minister, can I, on behalf of the people of Islwyn, thank you and the Welsh Labour Government, who saw the potential of the natural, stunning environment of the Gwent...
Rhianon Passmore: ...to cut swathes of discretionary public spending. In Islwyn we are now, thanks to the Welsh Government, viewing 3G pitches being built, including at Pontllanffraith leisure centre, Islwyn High School in Oakdale, and Blackwood high school. In Blackwood, the Labour-run council submitted a strong bid for the new 3G facility, and the scheme was given the go-ahead using £810,000-worth of...
Rhianon Passmore: Education Cabinet Minister—can I also begin by congratulating you on your appointment as Minister for Education and Welsh Language? I know that the children of Islwyn and Wales will have no greater champion and I thank you for your informative statement today. Islwyn schools, children, staff, families and governors have done all they can and more to maintain learning and resilience during...
Rhianon Passmore: I'm coming to it. Minister, thank you. How will, then, Islwyn communities and schools benefit from this innovative £3.7 billion programme, going forward, and what do you feel is your legacy?
Rhianon Passmore: Diolch, Minister. As I said yesterday in this Chamber, education, apart from love, is the greatest gift that we can give our children. As a society, it speaks to who and what we are, what we prioritise and all that we value as a progressive, vibrant and dynamic nation. As such, I wish to thank you, Minister, for our often robust interactions and I wish to put on record my support for your...
Rhianon Passmore: 5. What has the Welsh Government done to invest in the physical infrastructure of schools in Islwyn? OQ56463
Rhianon Passmore: Minister, I want to thank you for your statement and for the work of this Welsh Government in ensuring that we can continue with the urgently needed rebuild of our Welsh schools infrastructure. Education, apart from love, I believe, is the greatest gift that we can give our children. As a society, it speaks to who and what we are, to what we prioritise and what we value as a progressive and...
Rhianon Passmore: ...capital package of more than £220 million to pump prime the Welsh economy. This is Keynesian economics at its very best. £147 million to ramp up house building, £30 million for our ambitious school buildings programme to help create jobs. But, then again, what do we see across the political aisle? Well, it's already been said: nothing but wasted billions of public money on appalling...
Rhianon Passmore: ...and learning. This decision affords learners, their families and teachers the certainty that is required at a very uncertain time. Every day, children and their teachers are continuing their education remotely, and I know that, in Islwyn, many schools are adapting their teaching methodologies and ways of connecting with one another, and I do wish to thank all those across the statutory...
Rhianon Passmore: ...subject. I wish to start, if I may, by thanking the leadership and the determined efforts of Welsh Government, and, in my own area, Caerphilly council, in providing an innovative local free-school-meal provision. Free school meals have never been more desperately needed by so many during the increasing desperation of this pandemic, as the punitive UK Government welfare cuts and tax credit...
Rhianon Passmore: [Inaudible.]—Islwyn, working within a holistic apprenticeship, education and training skills drive. So, my question, Minister: what actions will the Welsh Government and the Valleys taskforce consider to ensure even better integration between the communities of Islwyn and one of the natural wonders of Wales? And what actions can the Valleys taskforce take to exploit Islwyn's cultural...
Rhianon Passmore: ...contemplate as a consequence of the work that we do. That we honour those who have fallen in battle and that we honour those who are willing to do battle in our name is right and is proper. Today schools across Islwyn did the same, as did Blackwood Primary School, who also honoured all those who have given their lives, with a virtual whole-school assembly. And I want to place on record my...
Rhianon Passmore: ...would then be well placed. We need to start to co-construct together, as it states within this report, with our stakeholders also, a new national music strategy for Wales with an underpinning music education plan and a funded network of music support services across Wales, to safeguard the music performers of the future. And so there has never been a more important time, as we approach...
Rhianon Passmore: Minister, the operational guidance for schools and settings for the autumn term—version 3, published by the Welsh Government—was updated two days ago. This guidance states that local authorities should communicate the control measures to schools and settings, and that schools and settings should work with staff, parents, carers and learners so that the revised arrangements will work in...
