David Melding: ...found the connection to women suffrage strained and unhelpful, because we're talking about a really important principle here, and I think 16 to 18-year-olds would allow us to focus on a lot of education issues, a lot of care issues—looked-after children, for instance—and many parts of the political debate—future generations, for instance—and the way infrastructure is developed, and...
David Melding: ...data collection. That's another key issue so that we can really map out the extent of the problem. We also touch upon the need to change our society's view of homelessness through greater education of the symptoms and the causes, and we also commit to working with our partners in Westminster to scrap the Vagrancy Act 1824, which is outdated, unpractical, and, for all intents and purposes,...
David Melding: Thank you for that encouraging answer. I'm sure you'll be encouraged by the Youth Parliament also calling for a greater focus on skills in our educational system. The skill of living, the skill of keeping a tenancy going, and the skill of knowing where to go for help when things break down is an essential one, I would say. In those classes that promote citizenship, social awareness and health...
David Melding: 4. What action is the Welsh Government taking to inform and educate young people about homelessness through the education system? OAQ54595
David Melding: ...Heritage Group and what they’ve done in the past to raise awareness of the Senghenydd disaster and keep that memory alive through local displays and such. But displays, records, photographs, education materials, memorials, public art, walking trails are all vital in retaining our memory as a living thing of our past. And I do hope that you’re working with the councils to ensure that...
David Melding: ...reason the support mechanisms don't work. Lots of reasons. But, you know, that is one group that needs careful monitoring, help and assistance. I also welcome the references to the role of the education sector. I welcome the approach in the new curriculum, which is broader and skills-based, including life skills and health and well-being. It’s a natural way to educate the older pupils...
David Melding: Llywydd, I remind the Chamber that I'm on the governing body of two special schools. We are in that in-between zone. I do welcome the shift away from statements, particularly for the flexibility we require. Children have a variety of issues, sometimes, and some of them may not get quite to the statement threshold. Where do they go? They still need real interventions. But I noticed the...
David Melding: ...bills, typically, can be cut in half by this form of technology, so it's fantastic. Secondly, I'm keen to see how this programme now can merge into—or at least be used to improve skills and education in the building industry. One recent analysis found that more modern methods of construction would help increase site management and assembly skills, and create more jobs requiring digital...
David Melding: ...these things are being seen to have big short-term effects, as well as long ones. Research conducted in Israel found that a modest increase in particulates on the day of an Israeli students' high school examination is associated with a significant decline in the exam results of those students. When you really think about it, one significant day of air pollution could have a dramatic impact...
David Melding: .... Our own legal position dates back to 1860, and the changes in public attitudes to physical punishment—I mean, you could be flogged in the armed forces, let alone in prisons, and beaten in schools, severely, then. And there has been a massive and consistent change to outlaw these practices. Now, obviously, smacking in no way is a severe punishment, but it is, I think, part of this...
David Melding: ..., citizenship, and the preparation for active participation in common governance. We can strengthen the concept of citizenship, its rights and responsibilities by a programme of preparation in our schools and colleges. We face a crisis of citizenship, frankly, and its connection to the duties of running a democracy, and this seems to be one way that we can start to put that right and get...
David Melding: Thank you for that answer, Minister. Would you join with me in congratulating Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Hamadryad in my region in Cardiff, which is becoming a pioneer for active travel in schools, not just in Wales but the rest of the UK? Their innovations are quite incredible: personalised travel planning for the pupils and parents; park and stride, so that, where a car has to be used, at least...
David Melding: 6. What is the Welsh Government doing to educate pupils on the benefits of active travel through the education system? OAQ54176
David Melding: ...can't remember what they're called now—the boards, anyway—the new regional public boards. That is an important, I think, forum for us, and it's all the agencies, the courts, the police, health, education, housing—all these agencies need to come together. But the political dimension needs to be there—what we are doing, but also our colleagues at local government level, both the...
David Melding: ...or likely to fall into homelessness. This is the way, I think, of forging a new consensus, which existed between our great parties after the second world war that housing was there with health and education as something every citizen should be able to rely on as something they will receive, and, of course, in receiving it it should be of an adequate standard. I really commend also civic...
David Melding: ...set at a minimum size of 5 hectares or 12.4 acres in Wales. That's something, as we move away to recognising public goods, it may be appropriate to encourage smallholders to provide services like school visits and other environmental impacts that they can make as well. This is a sector we should not forget. It's really, really important to the flourishing of rural life.
David Melding: ..., but what wonderful characters they were. I also appreciate the fact that Alun referred to a teacher, and I want to pay tribute to Roy Adams, who was head of history at Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School when I was there in the late 1970s. Now, I realise what an excellent history department that was. At the time, you think it's just normal and everywhere. The teaching of Welsh history was...
David Melding: ...that the youth opportunity index consistently shows that young people growing up in deprived areas have the least access to opportunities. The index ranks each local authority in Wales by levels of educational attainment and employment outcomes for young people, including a range of measures from GCSE performance to participation in higher education and apprenticeships. We also know that...
David Melding: ...the partial closure of it that has been required so that the improvements can be made. It's a niche business. It's been very, very successful in the past—extremely popular. It provides excellent educational facilities as well, and is an attraction we can be proud of. I just wonder, when these major works go ahead, whether there's a better way for the Welsh Government and the local...
David Melding: ...those remarks that were just made to talk about the need for multi-agency working. The various carers charities emphasise this. We've heard the sometimes lack of support that young carers get at school, then their median grade achieved at GCSE is often a D. That indicates that they were very close to getting a higher grade. I think that's something to be very mindful of. And then when they...
