Paul Davies: ...would be justifiably alarmed if colleagues in Westminster decided to use their process to call a special debate on the state of our health services in north Wales, or the underfunding of our education system. And I give way to the Member from Mid and West Wales.
Paul Davies: ...this can have on working people. And you will be aware, First Minister, that the Taylor review of modern working practices reports that one fifth of people on zero-hours contracts are in full-time education. And, apparently, 68 per cent of those on such contracts do not want more hours. Therefore, it's crucial, I think, that we continue to create opportunity for flexible employment for...
Paul Davies: ...of learning and using the Welsh language inside and outside business, but we as a nation are going to fall short of the target of a million Welsh speakers by 2050 unless we can get people to educate the next generation. As I mentioned to the First Minister a month ago, the number of those currently undergoing teacher training who are able to teach through the medium of Welsh is at its...
Paul Davies: Minister, I'm sure you'll agree with me that partnerships between higher education authorities and businesses are critical to ensure that the next generation have the knowledge and right skill sets to enter the workforce, which I'm sure will be very different in 10 years' time, given the adoption of automation and artificial intelligence. Naturally, these changes will require workers...
Paul Davies: ...of the comments that have been made in this Chamber this afternoon, what are you and the Welsh Government going to do in order to turn this situation around? What discussions have you had with the education Minister to ensure that more students are encouraged to teach through the medium of Welsh?
Paul Davies: ...issue for everyone in Wales. On this side of the Chamber, we are eager to see more work done to encourage stronger preventative measures and early intervention. For example, we want to see schools the length and breadth of Wales taking steps to develop mindfulness awareness in their school, and we want employers to look at how their businesses can provide greater support to those living...
Paul Davies: ...the target. This means 370 fewer students gained qualified teacher status in 2017-18 compared to four years ago, and we've also seen the number of teacher trainee entrants from Wales on secondary school courses in Wales drop by 37 per cent over the last four years, while the number starting to train in England has actually increased by 34 per cent. Indeed, the number of students from...
Paul Davies: ...one of the most serious and pressing matters relating to broadband provision in Pembrokeshire is at Ysgol Llanychllwydog in north Pembrokeshire, which continues to hold the title for being the only school in the entire country not to have access to broadband. Earlier this year, the school's headteacher, Mrs Lawrence, said, and I quote: 'It's important to me that a child has the same rights...
Paul Davies: ...the 2012 Welsh Affairs Select Committee report into broadband in Wales, which found that 'Increasingly, reliable internet access is seen as a driver of economic performance and vital for business, education and people living alone or in isolated areas.' Indeed, that's certainly the case in my constituency, where small businesses and farmers have been disadvantaged by limited broadband...
Paul Davies: Thank you, Diprwy Lywydd, and I’m pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the debate this afternoon. We've heard from professionals in the field of education recently that they believe that the low levels of school funding in Wales are preventing them from teaching lessons to the standards that they require. There is a lack of resources, and, increasingly, the lack of a full...
Paul Davies: ...1.20, and you cannot deny those facts, given it was you—it was you—who agreed this fiscal framework with the UK Government in the first place. So, is there any wonder there is a crisis in our schools when they have received consistent cuts to their budgets by your Government? Now, let’s look at the figures, shall we, First Minister? We know that, between 2010-11 and 2018-19, gross...
Paul Davies: First Minister, you need to stop giving excuses and start taking responsibility. You are responsible for education here in Wales, and, First Minister, this open letter to your education Minister is a damning reflection on the way your Government has managed education here in Wales. Despite having £1.20 to spend on education here in Wales for every £1 in England, we still see a significant...
Paul Davies: Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, do you agree with the Association of School and College Leaders Cymru that the severe funding crisis in Welsh schools is having a detrimental effect on our young people?
Paul Davies: Of course, with few remaining survivors of the Holocaust alive today, it is our duty to continue to educate our younger generations to have even the most basic understanding of those events and to support the commemorations taking place across Wales to promote awareness. And as politicians, we have a responsibility to show leadership on this issue, we must ensure that anti-Semitic rhetoric is...
Paul Davies: ...higher than in any other part of the United Kingdom. We've also seen the number of racially motivated hate crimes increase here in Wales as well. I'm sure you'll agree with me that awareness and education are the best means of addressing this. Therefore, are you confident that learning about the Holocaust and the consequences of religious or ethnic genocide are given enough emphasis in...
Paul Davies: ...no target for adults. I have yet to see the evidence on which this target is based. The code is heavily tied to the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018, whereas my Bill includes provisions much wider than those Acts. My Bill provides for meeting the needs of people with autism and their carers in relation to...
Paul Davies: Well, I'm glad she's had a very constructive dialogue with Pembrokeshire County Council. Now, as the leader of the house is aware, schools rely on broadband to help deliver parts of the curriculum, and it's imperative that it is available to all schools across Wales. I understand that Ysgol Llanychllwydog in Pembrokeshire is the only school in the area that is not able to receive broadband,...
Paul Davies: ..., free childcare and carrier bag levies to name a few. And I know that in recent weeks you have visited a number of projects delivered during your time in office, and, not least, a number of new school buildings built through local authorities and the Welsh Government's twenty-first century schools programme. While it's fair to say that you took over from a real giant of Welsh politics,...
Paul Davies: ..., closures and downgrades—that's what we've seen since December 2009. Now, a commitment was made by the First Minister during his leadership campaign to spend 1 per cent above the block grant on education every year until the per pupil funding gap between Wales and England had been eliminated. Nine years on and the funding gap still remains, and the education budget is 7.9 per cent...
Paul Davies: ...NRW as ‘out of control’. Many of us have grave concerns about the ability of your Government to manage public services, with our largest health board in special measures, along with 19 schools. NRW is another public organisation that is under your management that is failing to deliver. So, leader of the house, on behalf of everyone who appreciates and relies on Welsh natural...
