Lynne Neagle: ...we've got coming to us in Wales. My understanding is that it is less than you said, but I have been very clear in what I've said to Welsh Government that I want to see the bulk of that going into education, and I hope that that will be the case in the forthcoming budget. Can I thank Siân Gwenllian for her contribution, in particular the very strong focus on preventative spend? As I said...
Lynne Neagle: A good education is one of the most important building blocks a child can receive. However, all too often we hear about the huge pressures being faced by schools in trying to manage their budgets where the funding they receive is not sufficient. This is clearly having a negative effect on the provision of education, including schools having to make staff cuts in order to balance their...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm pleased to open this debate today on the Children, Young People and Education Committee’s report into school funding in Wales. Access to high-quality education is a fundamental right for all our children and young people. It should not depend on where you live, on your social background or the language in which you learn.
Lynne Neagle: ...Ann John, but it will only be as good as the implementation. I wondered, too, whether you were aware of guidance issued this week by Public Health England, which stated that a single suicide in a school should be treated as a potential cluster because of the higher risk to young people. Would you agree with me that that emphasises just how urgent it is that where there has been a suicide...
Lynne Neagle: 6. How is the Minister ensuring that the new guidance on talking about suicide is implemented in all schools in Wales? OAQ54602
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, acting Deputy Presiding Officer. As you've acknowledged today, Minister, and as other Members have referred to, we have got a situation where one in four of our children starts school either overweight or obese. And, as you know, the Children, Young People and Education Committee was very keen to influence Welsh Government's thinking in this area and to make sure that children and...
Lynne Neagle: What discussions has the First Minister had with the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd regarding the sufficiency of the funding allocations for education in Wales?
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Minister. You'll be aware that the Children, Young People and Education Committee has raised serious concerns about the sufficiency of school funding in our recent report of our inquiry into school funding. I was delighted that the Welsh Government accepted every one of our recommendations. I also note the very significant amount of extra money that was invested in schools in the...
Lynne Neagle: 1. What discussions has the Minister had regarding funding allocations to the education portfolio? OAQ54345
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Llywydd. I'm pleased to contribute to this Stage 1 debate to outline the Children, Young People and Education Committee's main recommendations and conclusions in relation to the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill. Members will see from our report that the majority of our committee supports the general principles of this Bill. Suzy Davies and Janet...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm pleased to contribute to today’s debate as Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee. In our committee’s recent budget reports, we have highlighted our concerns about the level of attention paid to the rights of children and young people in important financial decisions. We have called repeatedly on the Welsh Government to...
Lynne Neagle: ...about relieving the pressure on teachers. Undoubtedly, workload is a continuing concern for teachers but, again, I think the pressure on teachers comes from how the bac is actually implemented in a school. In a school where you've got good leadership of the Welsh bac, where the staff are being given the appropriate amount of time to deliver it—. The pressure comes when schools aren't...
Lynne Neagle: ...and feeling quite negative about it as a parent. But I do have to say that the evidence we took did not bear that out, really. One of the most powerful things for me was when we did go out to the schools and talked to the young people directly. I went to Crickhowell High—other Members went to other places—and what I was very struck with at Crickhowell High was that none of those young...
Lynne Neagle: ...guidance in due course. We also believe that Welsh Government and Qualifications Wales should work together to deliver a focused awareness-raising campaign especially aimed at business and higher education institutions. If the skills developed under the Welsh bac are better understood by those sectors, it will help secure their engagement and buy-in. We recognise the work that...
Lynne Neagle: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm very pleased to open this debate today on the Children, Young People and Education Committee's report into the status of the Welsh baccalaureate qualification. Concerns about the Welsh bac have, over a number of years and all too often, been appearing in the news and in our constituency and committee inboxes alike—concerns about universities choosing...
Lynne Neagle: Will the Minister provide an update on work to reduce the cost of the school day for families?
Lynne Neagle: ..., because they cannot plan this on their own. So, I would like to know what the Welsh Government is doing. And we questioned the health Minister on this last week in the Children, Young People and Education Committee. What is Welsh Government doing to make sure that those places are available, to avoid children having to be sent so far from their homes? Thank you.
Lynne Neagle: ...Assembly and a Youth Parliament. Our commitment to working together as representatives of the people of Wales, across their ages, is one I warmly welcome as Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee. It’s clear from today’s discussions that, as two elected bodies, we share the same ambition. Our aim is to enable our people, whether young, old or anything in between,...
Lynne Neagle: ...Boris supported tax cuts for the better off, a move that would see nearly £200 million put into the pockets of the richest people in Wales, whilst nearly £500 million would be lost for Welsh schools and hospitals. Does that really sound like someone looking after Wales's interests? Tax cuts for the wealthy is anathema to the aims of the European structural fund programme, which is about...
Lynne Neagle: Imagine being a youngster waking up on one of the last school days in December, a time when excitement and fun runs through the school like electric. It means concerts, games and an exchange of cards, but then you realise you won't be going in that day. You won't be going in because it's Christmas jumper day, and you don't have a Christmas jumper; your family can't afford one. A research...
