Jeremy Miles: Thank you, Llywydd. Today, I present the annual report on our language strategy, 'Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers', for the 2020-21 financial year, the final year of our previous Government. Before I start today, I’d like to pay tribute to Aled Roberts, the Welsh Language Commissioner. Aled took every opportunity to inspire and support those who needed help and advice. A gracious,...
Jeremy Miles: Well, on the—. The Member's question is focused largely on the school year. I think, just to be clear, at this point we're at the stage of gathering the range of voices, if you like; the next step will be to see what the conclusion is of that process, and there will be an ongoing opportunity, if you like, for discussion and consultation with all affected sectors and parties. But in this...
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for the questions. In terms of the evidence, you are right to talk about the EPI evidence, which is one of the sources of evidence, as you acknowledged in your question. There is a variety of examples from other sources, including internationally, that show patterns that are important to us in terms of how to structure and how to test the different ways of extending the...
Jeremy Miles: Thank you, Laura Anne Jones, for your welcome for this set of trials. I think, as you say, when you talk about reinventing the wheel, we're trying to reinvent a system that has been in place in some ways for a very long time. But you are right to say that it's important to draw evidence from all sources, and there is a very rich seam of evidence both in other parts of the UK and...
Jeremy Miles: Schools, including learners, have designed these activities, and we have also worked closely with the WLGA to provide an on-the-ground adviser to support the schools involved, to provide expertise and to help lessen the workload. The last two years have shown how important the school environment is and continues to be, as the place where children and young people learn, grow and feel safe....
Jeremy Miles: Dirprwy Lywydd, in our mission to ensure an education system that delivers high standards and aspirations for all our learners, every policy, every decision of this Government can help tackle the impact of poverty on our young people's ability and chances to learn and to grow. But we can only do this if we support and value the well-being of all our learners and staff. Therefore, now is the...
Jeremy Miles: Our aim throughout has been to maximise learning and to minimise disruption for our young people, and we haven't done that alone, of course. All our partners, all education staff in Wales, I want to thank for their extraordinary efforts over the course of the pandemic. We absolutely understand the extra pressure that schools face at the moment. I provided planning days at the start of this...
Jeremy Miles: Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. It's very true that schools and students have faced serious disruption in light of the pandemic, and it has been a very difficult situation in many schools and for many of our young people. The decisions taken at a national level, the national regulations and the national guidance that we have put in place as a Government here in Wales have been based on data and...
Jeremy Miles: That includes the use of face coverings, and I worry that Laura Anne Jones's view on that so often is simply, 'For Wales, see England'. Advocating the approach of the Government for England in relation to face coverings seems especially reckless on a day when COVID-related absence in England's schools is at its highest point since the start of the academic year. We want pupils to be in...
Jeremy Miles: Formally.
Jeremy Miles: Well, just to echo the point that the Member is making, I share a very clear personal commitment to making sure we do everything that we can to close the attainment gap. We have made progress in the past, but, as she said in her question, the experience of COVID in our schools and colleges will have not been felt equally by all our learners, and so it's incumbent on all of us to do whatever...
Jeremy Miles: We plan to publish a strategy to tackle the impact of poverty on educational attainment in the coming months. The Curriculum for Wales is central to our aspirations for learners' attainment, which we know has been adversely affected by COVID. The renew and reform plan, at this stage, has been supported in this financial year by £232 million in response to the pandemic itself.
Jeremy Miles: I'd like to thank Rhys ab Owen for that specific pitch for further funding for Tafwyl. We provide over £200,000 per annum to menter iaith Caerdydd and menter Bro Morgannwg to enable them to provide a range of projects, activities and events in Cardiff for families, children, young people and the whole community, and that's to be celebrated. It's wonderful that they're doing that work and...
Jeremy Miles: The menter iaith and the Urdd are active within the capital, offering opportunities to use, celebrate and enjoy the Welsh language. I'm looking forward to see Tafwyl returning to the castle in June. This is all important to support the growth of Welsh-medium education and so that everyone can see Welsh as a living language.
Jeremy Miles: I thank Jenny Rathbone for that very important supplementary. I think it is very important for us, whenever we can, to be able to co-locate and make sure that all learners have access to the widest range of experiences and resources and facilities. She will know that, through the school building programme, the college building programme, twenty-first century schools, which is now renamed...
Jeremy Miles: He has the advantage of presumably having the legislation in front of him with specific sections. But the legislation, obviously, is designed very much to work hand in hand with the additional learning needs legislation, and so the two Acts come together to provide access to the curriculum, and I think the focus on the four purposes and progression that underpin the idea of the curriculum...
Jeremy Miles: The Act ensures the four purposes of the new curriculum become the shared vision and aspiration for every child and young person. In fulfilling these purposes, we set high expectations for all, ensuring each learner gains a broad and balanced education regardless of any barriers to learning they face.
Jeremy Miles: The—. Forgive me.
Jeremy Miles: No.
Jeremy Miles: We want to make sure that the workforce is able to meet the needs of our learners, as do all our colleges. The funding—[Inaudible.]—this year, as I say, has enabled us to restore, perhaps, some of the more challenging budgets that we've seen in the past. It reflects the increasing demand for further education, which we will all welcome, and of course enables provision to be made in...
