Mark Drakeford: ...Member knows, back in July of last year. The Minister introduced new flexibilities in the introduction of the new curriculum, and, at the same time, suspended a large number of other duties that schools have to undertake in order to create space for schools to develop their own implementation plans for the curriculum. In September we followed that up with a national framework—exactly the...
Mark Drakeford: I thank Laura Anne Jones for the question, Llywydd. Research reports consistently highlight the strong commitment, motivation and progress that schools are making in the most radical curriculum reform for a generation. We work closely with regional and local partners to ensure all schools receive the support they need as they move towards the curriculum implementation in September of this year.
Mark Drakeford: ...indeed that the Bevan Foundation will be part of Thursday's round-table and very much welcome the work that they do here in Wales. Today's announcement does include £22.5 million to extend free school meals during the school holidays, through the Easter holiday and right through to the end of the summer holiday this year as well. That, once again, is money that goes directly to those...
Mark Drakeford: ...of opportunities there are for young people in Islwyn who want to take the apprenticeship route, and there are apprenticeships available in the local health board, in the local authority, in local schools and in the private sector—in retail, in travel and in fitness. The single largest number of apprenticeship opportunities available in Islwyn comes in the care sector, Llywydd—20...
Mark Drakeford: The programme has invested over £2.2 billion in our educational estate to date, delivering 244 projects. This includes 73 projects that have been approved under second wave funding, of which 21 have been completed and a further 25 are under construction.
Mark Drakeford: ...for the purchase of uniform, sports kit and other extra-curricular activity resources. We have increased funding again this year to over £14 million, allowing us to fund eligible pupils in every school year in primary and secondary schools.
Mark Drakeford: ...skills that get people into the workplace and allow them to make a success of that first experience. I also agree that the more that can be done to make sure that young people, in our secondary schools particularly, have access to work experience, to employers coming in to schools and colleges, the more opportunities there will be for young people, on the one hand, to learn about...
Mark Drakeford: ...will have to find that money because I will not see coal communities go without the remediation that they require, and that money will have to come from money that otherwise is provided to us for schools, for hospitals, for transport infrastructure and all the other things that are devolved to this Senedd. And that's the solution that his Government, in the letters that they write to me,...
Mark Drakeford: First of all, I agree with what Rhun ap Iorwerth has said about the importance of drawing more young people into the programmes available in our schools and our colleges that focus on digital skills. Where we have done it already, we can see the success of those approaches. In the south-east, through our universities, we have developed people with the skills that have, in turn, attracted...
Mark Drakeford: Among the steps being taken to improve digital skills in Wales are the new curriculum for schools, investment in further and higher education, and the creation of higher level apprenticeships.
Mark Drakeford: Well, I thank Alun Davies for that, Llywydd. I said in my original answer that the young person's guarantee focuses on more opportunities in education, in skill acquisition and directly in employment. And I will just very briefly mention examples of all three, especially in the south Wales Valleys and in the Member's own constituency. He will know that part of the inspiration for the idea of...
Mark Drakeford: ...pandemic. Our young person's guarantee is an ambitious programme, designed to provide everyone under the age of 25 in south Wales, including the south Wales Valleys, with the offer of work, education, training or self-employment.
Mark Drakeford: ...success of the tv and film industry in Wales over recent years. So, we are absolutely right to defend the BBC on a whole range of fronts: its independence and its public service remit to inform, educate and entertain, and also to defend it from what the Financial Times characterised in Nadine Dorries's announcement by Twitter on a Sunday evening as simply part of Downing Street's plan to...
Mark Drakeford: ..., even in parts of Wales where the language isn't the strongest, we can still achieve very significant growth. I recognise the points that the Member makes, of course, about the convenience of education through the medium of Welsh and the need to make sure that travel is considered when those plans are being made, and I can assure her that the Ministers responsible—the Minister for...
Mark Drakeford: ...centenary of the Urdd, which, of course, has done so much work to promote the Welsh language among young people. As I've heard when I've been in conversation with officials working on the Welsh in education strategic plans, they have developed the ambition that we were hoping to see in the new plans. And, of course, that does respond to the comments made by Delyth Jewell. We are trying to...
Mark Drakeford: Thank you very much to Delyth Jewell for that question, Llywydd. Demand for Welsh-medium education remains high in the region. The local authorities are about to present to Welsh Ministers their 10-year plan, setting out how they intend to grow Welsh-medium education locally in response to the ambition set out in 'Cymraeg 2050'.
Mark Drakeford: Our national guidance focuses on enabling schools to secure the best outcomes for all learners by considering both their educational needs and wellbeing while managing ongoing risks of COVID-19. We continue to take action to minimise disruption to learners and ensure schools are safe places to learn and work.
Mark Drakeford: ...that the Welsh economy will need, and the optimised retrofit programme represents a massive opportunity for employers and for learners. We are focused on making sure that our colleges of further education are able to teach the skills that will be needed in that programme and others for the future. I was privileged to make a visit to one of our colleges of further education in north-east...
Mark Drakeford: ...when we relied entirely on centre-determined grades last year—I know Jenny Rathbone will know what happened—we saw the gap between grades awarded to the more advantaged pupils and those on free school meals widen from 15 per cent, where it had been before the pandemic, already far too high, to 21 per cent last year. Examinations are an important corrective to unconscious biases in the...
Mark Drakeford: ...examinations in 2022, consistent with the approach taken in other parts of the UK, and adaptations have been made to assessment content so that learners are not disadvantaged. On 16 December, the education Minister announced £24 million in additional support, focused on learners in examination years.
