Andrew RT Davies: ...the productivity and upskilling of our workforce here in Wales. It's also worth reflecting that, in our FE colleges, for example, nearly 170,000 students, in one shape or form, participate in educational experience within FE colleges the length and breadth of Wales, but I'd like to focus on the agricultural sector and in particular, sadly, the very, very small number of agricultural...
Andrew RT Davies: ...the Welsh Conservatives are in this particular policy area, and how we would willingly work with the Welsh Government to create those clean air zones in urban settings and safe spaces around schools, so that come 2021, we are still not talking about this, we do have action, and we can point to areas in Wales that can be beacons of excellence, rather than those statistics that I used in my...
Andrew RT Davies: ...action is putting on study time. I appreciate that universities are independent institutions and this isn't a direct role for Government, but Government obviously does put money into the higher education sector and supports students through their learning environment. I'd be grateful if we could have some sort of statement from the Minister for Education as to what intervention, if any,...
Andrew RT Davies: ...will say. But what is really important, irrespective of whatever qualification someone takes, whether it's vocational or academic, is that there's good support for teachers and careers advisers in schools. Because we heard yesterday from the Member for South Wales West, Suzy Davies, about the gaming of the system within Wales, so that schools can push their academic credentials higher to...
Andrew RT Davies: Thank you for that answer, Minister. I've had correspondence with the headteacher and chairman of governors from Evenlode Primary School in Penarth who have highlighted the real difficult and challenging financial environment they and many other schools face across Wales. Hopefully, there will be consequentials flowing from the announcements made in Westminster, and some of those...
Andrew RT Davies: 5. What discussions has the Minister had with the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd on ensuring that Welsh education bodies receive adequate funding, ahead of the Welsh Government's budget being announced? OAQ54563
Andrew RT Davies: Minister, with the school reorganisation code, as revised, when business cases come before the Welsh Government to be signed off, what weight does the Minister place on the policy imperatives that Welsh Government have put in place at that stage of the process? Or is it merely that you're looking at the financials around such an application? I'd be grateful to understand exactly how big a...
Andrew RT Davies: .... That is just not good enough, I'm afraid, so I'd welcome a statement from the Minister. Secondly, if we could have a statement in relation to any Government work that is being undertaken by the education department—I appreciate the announcement in Brighton about independent schools, and we can argue and debate the merits or not, as the case may be, of independent schools, but there are...
Andrew RT Davies: ...anyone. In fact, in my opening remarks I made the point that we need to empower young people to be engaged in the process and put their views forward. But by your motion, which talks of strikes in education and withdrawing themselves from the formal setting of education—
Andrew RT Davies: ...coal-free and carbon-free and it is green energy that is powering that and that is real progress in the real economy that is happening. And, so, instead of calling for disruptive action within the school setting, let us empower young people to actually engage in the journey that the whole of society—the whole of society—needs to take, and make sure that they stay part of this journey,...
Andrew RT Davies: ...biggest supporters of young people expressing their views, taking part in action, but I do think that we do have to pause and reflect when we actually encourage students and pupils to come out of school on strike, and the damage that might do to individuals. It was put on a radio station this morning—well, I can hear a sedentary voice; I'll happily take an intervention—but I was...
Andrew RT Davies: ...Figures do show that up to 35 per cent of the workforce will have to retrain, remodel, their skills and, indeed, many of those jobs might disappear altogether. So, the demands placed on the further education sector in particular and part-time learners are going to be considerable in the next decade or so. What efforts has the department undertaken to model the work so that they can work...
Andrew RT Davies: ...and our neighbourhoods. It is absolutely vital that we act now to tackle this threat and curb the millions of plastic bottles that we find discarded each day and not sent for recycling. We need to educate and deliver a huge change in the behaviour and habits of people. Without urgent action to cut demand, it is estimated that 34 billion tonnes of plastic will have been manufactured...
Andrew RT Davies: ...children, that are left behind—'overlooked' is the wrong word, but the systems that are in place tend to not respond to their needs. What work has your department undertaken with the Minister for Education's department to make sure that there is the crossover from health and education in providing those bereavement services? And will the review that you have outlined be looking...
Andrew RT Davies: ...Parliament from my own elected area—each and every one of the members highlighted as their priority area mental health services for young people, and the delivery of mental health support in the school setting, in particular. One thing that the mental health Measure obviously didn't confer was that right on anyone under the age of 18. It was a point that we tried to look into at the...
Andrew RT Davies: ...opportunities the length and breadth of Wales, if such a national INSET day was introduced, because surely there potentially is a capacity issue to deliver those training platforms in every school across the length and breadth of Wales?
Andrew RT Davies: ...dealt with various flooding matters in communities from Roath Brook to Llanmaes and Llantwit Major, and Barry as well, and when you do start going into these maps—I like to think I'm a reasonably educated person, but even people in society, the general public, would struggle to understand exactly the demands that are placed on how decisions are made. So, any simplification of that has to...
Andrew RT Davies: I welcome the opportunity to participate in the debate, especially as the principal speaker from our benches opened the debate in such an eloquent way, highlighting the challenges that many of the schools across Wales face. I don't underestimate the challenges that the Cabinet Secretary/Minister now, sorry, faces in the budget discussions that she faces within Government. But, it is a fact...
Andrew RT Davies: .... But what happened here in the Assembly was quite clear, the Government has bailed out the health boards time and time again and has not had budget responsibility within the health boards, and yet education and other key public services have suffered because of that. It's quite clear, the three-year budget rule that was brought in by the finance Secretary when he was finance Secretary was...
Andrew RT Davies: Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's plans to improve education standards across South Wales Central?
