Jeremy Miles: Well, the Member is right to emphasise how important the role of teachers is for the system this summer, following what we heard last summer—how important it is in terms of the trust of learners and the system in general in relation to results. So, I just want to put on record my thanks to teachers across Wales for the work that they’re doing to ensure that that’s possible this year. In...
Jeremy Miles: Brevity. Well, certainly my sports career was very brief, Llywydd [Laughter.] I was an incredibly ineffectual sportsperson when I was in school, and I actually regret that in many ways. I think the qualities, which the Member outlined in her question, are spot on in terms of the development of young people, and I share with her the regret that, over the last year perhaps, we haven't been able...
Jeremy Miles: I do agree entirely with the implication in the question that we must not be in a situation where, by virtue of the sort of policy that she's referring to, we create the impression that girls are responsible for the sorts of incidents that the Member is referring to. I don't imagine for a second that that is the intention behind any of the policies that I think she's implying and referring...
Jeremy Miles: Diolch, Llywydd. I'll try and do justice to the questions, because it's a very sensitive topic, in the way that the questions are asked. I welcome the fact that you welcome the statement that issued this morning. I feel that this is a cross-Government priority, in the sense that it engages a number of portfolios. Because some of the underlying causes of the behaviours that we have seen...
Jeremy Miles: Well, providing those resources is part of the work that's currently ongoing. I fully accept what the Member has said on the context in terms of learning about and raising awareness among children and young people of climate change, not only on the impact of climate change but also, as she said, that idea of personal agency—the ability to be part of the response to climate change in way...
Jeremy Miles: Learning on climate and environmental challenges will be mandatory in the Curriculum for Wales. The statements of what matters for the humanities and science and technology areas of learning and experience include explicit references to climate and the environment, to ensure that learners engage with challenges such as climate change.
Jeremy Miles: Well, I thank Joyce Watson for her positive review of the publication this morning. As her question implied, one of the key areas of focus for the Government in the 'Renew and reform' proposals, which I've published this morning following my statement in the Chamber before the half term recess, is indeed a focus on disadvantaged and vulnerable learners, because everything we know from the...
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for the additional question. In terms of face masks, we have administrative guidelines that advise schools and educational institutions to look carefully at the impact of wearing face masks on people who have hearing difficulties, and to ensure that they do understand clearly that the impact of that can be significant on people who do depend on seeing people's faces clearly...
Jeremy Miles: There are a range of measures to support learning. We've committed over £150 million in additional investments to support learners and practitioners in this financial year. This is additional to around £130 million in the last financial year. This funding supports our Recruit, Recover and Raise Standards programme, increasing capacity to support learners.
Jeremy Miles: Every local authority in Wales provides Welsh-medium education. However, laying the foundations of extending access to Welsh-medium education is a long-term campaign. We're breaking new ground with the 10-year Welsh in education strategic plans, and I look forward to seeing that work bear fruit.
Jeremy Miles: Our national mission is to raise standards for all children and young people regardless of where they live in Wales. We will continue to do this through our wide-ranging reform programme and unprecedented investment, as well as targeted support for specific cohorts and disadvantaged and vulnerable learners.
Jeremy Miles: The Welsh Government is committed to achieving equity and inclusion so all learners, including those with hearing impairment, have access to an education that enables them to reach their potential. The new additional learning needs system puts learners at the centre and will ensure support is properly planned and protected.
Jeremy Miles: The South Wales West region benefited from a total investment of £218.2 million during the first wave funding of the twenty-first century schools and colleges programme. A further £304.5 million investment, with a 65 per cent Welsh Government intervention rate, is planned for the second wave of funding, which began in 2019.
Jeremy Miles: Thank you to the Member for his question. Well, we will make sure that our schools are funded in order to be able to continue the good work that they are doing now and to be able to introduce the curriculum in a way that benefits learners right across Wales. As I mentioned in my reply to the earlier question, I think we've learnt over the last year how important it is that we make sure that...
Jeremy Miles: I thank Vikki Howells for the questions that she has asked. I think it is important to recognise that we need to bring a fresh pair of eyes to the question of the bureaucracy or some of the burdens in terms of administration that we place on the profession and to look at that creatively and see what we can lift in terms of that unnecessary bureaucracy, if you like. There is a managing...
Jeremy Miles: I thank Darren Millar for that important question. The point in his question that I think struck me as essential is to listen to the voices of children and young people who are affected by this, and I met with the children's commissioner recently, and, obviously, this was one of the issues that we discussed. A recent focus group of learners held on our behalf by Children in Wales gave their...
Jeremy Miles: I thank Rhianon Passmore for that and for her continuing championing of the needs and interests of young people right across Wales, as well as her own constituency of Islwyn. I join with her in congratulating the educational workforce in the school that she mentioned and across Islwyn, indeed, across Wales, for the extraordinary efforts that they have shown over the course of the last 12 to...
Jeremy Miles: Thank you very much to Siân Gwenllian for her questions and thank you for the offer to collaborate. I am certainly eager myself to collaborate and I intend to send out an invitation to party spokespeople on education and the Welsh language to meet regularly so that we can develop a pattern of open communication about the challenges that we all certainly want to work on in order to solve...
Jeremy Miles: Thank you for your words of congratulation, and for the tone in which you made your observations. I certainly will want to work constructively with all of the parties in this Chamber to deliver for our children and young people, right across Wales. I think if we focus on learner well-being and progression, supporting the well-being of the profession, in the way that the Member referenced at...
Jeremy Miles: I am in no doubt our new curriculum has the potential to transform learning, but only if we support our teachers to make it a success. We must recover and reform, and I'm determined that the emphasis on well-being and flexibility shown over the last year is built upon and closely aligned with the introduction of our new curriculum. Our education system has shown remarkable resilience and...
