Paul Davies: ..., mandated, and that should include training plans. Members will be aware that one of the difficulties that children on the autism spectrum face is making sure they get the right help at school, and so it’s important that autism is included in initial teacher training and enhanced with continuous professional development. There is scope for more to be done here with regional partnership...
Paul Davies: First Minister, a year-long study by the Seale-Hayne Educational Trust and the Farming Community Network has noted a number of concerns about the impact of dementia in rural areas that we need to tackle, including a lack of awareness of the support available in rural areas, as well as the difficulty in accessing support services. So, in light of those concerns, what additional work is the...
Paul Davies: ...for society, and we all have a duty to ensure that children are protected better from the risks of using the internet. As Darren Millar said, the internet is an extremely useful tool, too, for educating children online, and previous generations could only dream of that. Not only is it an excellent academic tool that can support teaching and learning, it also provides access to the latest...
Paul Davies: ...Secretary for her response. Now, you may be aware, Cabinet Secretary, of the reading ambassadors scheme, which aims to improve children’s reading skills by working closely with cluster primary schools in my constituency. This collaboration has been praised in a recent ERW report, with the Schools Challenge Cymru adviser, Hefina Thomas, saying it had resulted in ‘a direct impact on...
Paul Davies: 3. What is the Welsh Government doing to improve education in Pembrokeshire? OAQ(5)0114(EDU)
Paul Davies: ...also provide valuable apprenticeships and work experience placements, which can significantly enhance the provision of skills in our communities. Greater collaboration between local authorities, schools and colleges and local businesses can lay the foundation for lifetime learning in our communities and ensure that any gaps in local skills provision are addressed by the local community....
Paul Davies: ...that the Welsh index of multiple deprivation has historically highlighted that Powys and Ceredigion were also counted as the most deprived in Wales when accessing local services such as libraries, schools and leisure centres. However, I understand that the Cabinet Secretary is committed to reviewing this funding formula and, therefore, perhaps, in responding to this debate, the Cabinet...
Paul Davies: ...Delivering services such as social services for older people, for example, can be problematic over large geographic and sparse areas, as well as many other services, such as the provision of rural schools. Therefore, it’s crucial that the Welsh Government genuinely acknowledges some of the challenges that rural authorities face, and efforts must be made to relieve some of the...
Paul Davies: I’m grateful to the Minister for that response. I’m also very grateful that Ysgol Bro Cleddau in my constituency was named recently as the Assembly’s first ambassador school in Wales, and the success of the programme has led the school to understand more about the work of the Assembly and has given the pupils a platform to discuss current affairs. Now, in light of this success, what...
Paul Davies: Minister, the latest Estyn report also highlights the fact that inspection outcomes for special schools aren’t as positive as previous years, and the results for pupil referral units continue to be poor. In light of this, what specific steps is the Welsh Government taking to improve outcomes in special schools and in pupil referral units specifically?
Paul Davies: 10. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on what the Welsh Government is doing to improve education in Pembrokeshire? OAQ(5)0099(EDU)
Paul Davies: ...our communities. It brings people together, it teaches us about our past and it attracts visitors and tourists of all backgrounds and beliefs. In other words, culture plays a huge part on a social, educational and economic level. That’s something that I hope the Welsh Government will encourage for the future. I’m pleased that the Welsh Government has chosen to market 2017 as the Year...
Paul Davies: ...from the outset, that the Welsh Conservatives will support this motion. Of course, we on this side of the Chamber recognise that Wales faces a number of challenges when it comes to our health, our education system and out economy, and I’ll be focusing on the future. As the second point of the motion says, performance in these policy areas clearly shows that the Welsh Government must be...
Paul Davies: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I’m very pleased I’ve had the opportunity to take part in this debate this afternoon. Members are right to emphasise the importance of the further education sector in Wales and to draw attention to examples of some of the excellent work that our FE providers are doing. In my constituency, Pembrokeshire College offers a strong and varied programme...
Paul Davies: ...Professor Hazelkorn’s report? Can I also take this opportunity to thank Professor Hazelkorn for undertaking this important piece of work, and I believe that she’s absolutely right to say that education plays a vital role in shaping our society? We can’t deny that there has been a raft of strategic policy documents generated by successive Welsh Governments, however those strategies...
Paul Davies: Diolch, Lywydd, and I'm pleased to take part in this debate this afternoon and highlight some of the ways I think we can help our learners achieve better standards in Welsh schools. There’s no doubt that we are all extremely concerned and disappointed by Wales’s PISA figures last week. Despite the hard work and professionalism of teachers across Wales, the figures show that Wales is...
Paul Davies: ...the sector to flourish locally, nationally and, indeed, internationally. Of course, this policy area is one that covers a number of Welsh Government departments—indeed, everything from health to education to the economy. So, it’s essential that any strategy in this area is co-ordinated effectively. So, I hope that the Cabinet Secretary will tell us what specific mechanisms she has put...
Paul Davies: As the Member for Cynon Valley has just said, this programme is making a difference in some schools in Wales, including Milford Haven comprehensive school in my own constituency, but I appreciate that results seem to be patchy across Wales. However, given that the programme will now end just three years after its establishment, is the Cabinet Secretary satisfied that a programme like this has...
Paul Davies: ...Secretary will be aware that a number of consultations have been held regarding secondary provision in Haverfordwest over the last two to three years, which has delayed the progress of improving education for children and young people. It’s now important that Pembrokeshire County Council start delivering, because this number of consultations, which have resulted in huge delays, have been...
Paul Davies: 1. Will the Minister outline the Welsh Government’s plans to develop secondary education in Pembrokeshire? OAQ(5)0036(EDU)
