Alun Davies: It’s important to recognise, were that to be true, it may be that people would have some concerns, but let me say this: Estyn are continuing to meet with local authorities, local education authorities, to continue to have discussions with them about the sort of the support that they require; the improvement conferences that have taken place across Wales at the moment are designed to look...
Alun Davies: May I begin by agreeing with the point that the Member has made about the traditions of Coleg Harlech and its contribution? I believe that each of us who has visited the college and everyone who has sat in this Siambr representing the Harlech area realises the contribution it’s made to further education over the years. I can confirm that my department has been having discussions with the...
Alun Davies: We recognise that the closure of the Wern Fawr site will be significant, but it should not result in any loss of availability for adult learners. Adult Learning Wales, along with officials, continues to work with the community to deliver adult learning provision in the Coleg Harlech tradition.
Alun Davies: I completely disagree with the assumption. I disagree with the analysis. I disagree with the conclusion. Do you know the difficulty that we face in Wales, Presiding Officer? It is people who make those sorts of comments without any sustaining evidence or without any sustaining means of substantiating those sorts of wild allegations. What really depresses, I think, many people, not just in...
Alun Davies: We understand—we’ve conducted a number of workforce surveys recently and we’ve created, of course, the Education Workforce Council, which will report on these matters in more detail in due course. But we understand that one of the issues that are most important in people taking decisions about where they will live and where they will work is the working environment itself, and by...
Alun Davies: We are seeking to ensure that we have a working environment in Wales that teachers will appreciate, value and enjoy, so that we are able to put in place the sort of support, curriculum and resources—just in answer to Llyr Gruffydd. We are going to be putting in place a teaching environment that will be attractive to teachers, not just from the other countries of the United Kingdom, but...
Alun Davies: Ydw. Ydw, mi ydw i. Nid yw hynny’n ymateb derbyniol, rwy’n deall hynny. Mae’n un peth i restru’r problemau a’r heriau sydd yn wynebu ysgolion; mae’n beth gwahanol i’w datrys nhw. Mae’r Llywodraeth yma amboutu datrys problemau, wynebu’r heriau, ac wedyn sicrhau ein bod ni’n gallu buddsoddi mewn addysg plant ar gyfer y dyfodol, ac rydym yn gwneud hynny. Trwy’r math o...
Alun Davies: Nid wyf yn siŵr fy mod i yn derbyn hynny, achos os ydym ni’n derbyn y dadansoddiad, derbyn yr awgrym mae llefarydd Plaid Cymru wedi ei wneud, mi fyddem ni, wrth gwrs, yn cael un system ariannu ar gyfer ysgolion ym mhob man ar draws Cymru. Mi fyddem ni yn cenedlaetholi, os ydych chi’n licio, ysgolion lleol. Nawr, nid ydw i’n siŵr bod yr Aelod yn gofyn am hynny. Nid ydw i, yn bendant,...
Alun Davies: I understand that schools, wherever they may be, are facing very difficult situations because of the financial position that we all understand, and we understand the reason for that financial position. But may I say this: if the Member has a specific example he wishes to allude to, then if he writes to me, then I will respond on that specific example? But we do understand that headteachers...
Alun Davies: My memory, Darren, of those days when Gordon Brown was bringing the G20 together to rescue the western economy was that the Conservative Party sat opposite, where you are today, like goldfish mouthing nothing in response. Let me say this—[Interruption.] Let me say this: the report from the Wales Audit Office is an important report and I’m disappointed that you’ve chosen not to refer to...
Alun Davies: I’ve enjoyed the contributions of the Member concerned for nearly a decade in this place, where he has railed against the consequences of the policies of a Government that he supports across the border in England. We all know that there are funding difficulties facing us in Wales, and we know why there are funding difficulties facing us in Wales—because a Conservative Government has taken...
Alun Davies: The Member will be aware that the Wales Audit Office has recently reviewed the situation of Welsh further and higher education institutions and not found them to be suffering the same financial difficulties as those that exist in England, as a consequence of a policy of the United Kingdom Government.
Alun Davies: The Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children is leading the roll-out of the childcare offer, as the Member is aware, and a part of that—. One of the reasons for the pilots that will be starting in September in different parts of Wales is to ensure that we have both the workforce available—the workforce that’s appropriate to the needs of the childcare offer that’s being...
Alun Davies: Cover supervisors fall under the registration category of learning support workers. Cover supervisors provide short-term supervision in the absence of a teacher, and this should not involve teaching as defined by the specified work requirements. And it’s a matter for the headteacher to ensure that an individual is willing to undertake such a role and has the aptitude to carry out these...
Alun Davies: As I said in answer to Simon Thomas, we would encourage and ensure that schools do, wherever necessary, use the resources available to them, to ensure that girls do have access to these products, which enables them to receive their education. I think this Government has been on the record over a long number of years in arguing that these products should not be taxed in that way.
Alun Davies: Schools are responsible for identifying their staffing needs and the roles they fulfil. All learning support workers play a vital role in supporting teaching within and outside the classroom.
Alun Davies: As I think I already said, in answer to the earlier question, poverty takes different forms, in different places, with different people, in different ways, at different times. And we have to, as a Government, ensure that we don’t simply respond to issues, but that we are proactive in ensuring that girls attending schools in Wales are not put at any disadvantage at all, and do not face...
Alun Davies: Absolutely. I’m very happy to give you that confirmation. But I think we need to go further than that. Poverty manifests itself in different ways, and we understand that different families are poor in different ways. And it’s not sufficient, just because there is no evidence at present of a problem in this field, that we don’t do anything about it. We will be investigating to ensure any...
Alun Davies: Thank you. No assessment has been made. I take the well-being of all learners very seriously, and schools should have in place arrangements to support their learners. Girls should be regularly reminded that sanitary products are available from named female staff members, if needed.
Alun Davies: I’ll answer your first question first. Yes, it is an option to ensure that the plans are statutory in future. It’s also an option, of course, to move the planning process to consortia across the nation, and we are considering that at present. I don’t have any proposal to put forward this afternoon on any particular ideas, and I don’t want to propose anything yet. I want to work...
