Llyr Gruffydd: 'global showcase and an example of how technology can support change in educational practice.'
Llyr Gruffydd: ...the project would severely disappoint and alienate teachers who are enthusiastic about further take-up of digital learning and have invested their considerable time and effort setting up Hwb+ school sites and promoting it to colleagues at their school.'
Llyr Gruffydd: ..., and, therefore, CPD and the role of initial teacher training in this area are crucially important. We’ve heard reference already to the comments made by Estyn. The Children, Young People and Education Committee have also stated in their inquiry into professional education for teachers that the education workforce isn’t currently prepared for implementing the new curriculum. In terms...
Llyr Gruffydd: Now, I know that Labour Members in this Assembly particularly have been stung by this decision. I'm sure previous Ministers would have come under similar pressures to scrap the school uniforms grant, but they resisted that, of course. They resisted that probably because they knew how sensitive and how key this was to some of the poorest communities that they represent. But, there we are, I...
Llyr Gruffydd: ..., maybe you would want to suggest that to Alun Cairns as well, with reference to the previous debate this afternoon. Now, the Cabinet Secretary tells us that you're going to review the guidance on school uniforms—great, excellent, long overdue, but where have you been? Where have you been until now? Surely, if you're so passionate, and I'm not doubting your commitment, then—. Well,...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I move this motion in the name of Plaid Cymru, which regrets the way in which the Welsh Government has scrapped the school uniform grant, because the grant, as we know, has provided crucially important support to many families—those poorest families in Wales—in order to ensure that their children can have an appropriate uniform to attend...
Llyr Gruffydd: The reality is, of course, that some of these education services are moving further and further away from communities across Wales. You will be aware, for example, that the college in Denbigh is now going to close in the summer. I’ve spoken to some of the students and they are concerned that they won’t be able to juggle their studies and the part-time work that they have because they will...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I’m very pleased to move amendment 2 in the name of Plaid Cymru. I will start by referring to a BBC report back in December that demonstrated that school budgets had declined by some £370 per capita for each pupil in real terms over a period of six years. Now, it’s no surprise, therefore, that some of the teaching unions are warning, as...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...previous speaker on the timing of this statement. I do feel that it does show a little disrespect to the work of the committee, because we’re a matter of weeks away from publishing the report on school support grants, which will, of course, have a strong focus on the PDG, and here we are hearing a statement from the Government that suggests that you’re not willing to wait to see what...
Llyr Gruffydd: ..., because the PPIW report suggests that maybe that isn't necessarily the case to the extent that we'd be hoping it would be. In the paper that you've presented to the Children, Young People and Education Committee—and no doubt we'll go over some of this territory again tomorrow morning when you're joining us in committee—you referred to an OECD report from last year, which talks of...
Llyr Gruffydd: May I thank the Minister for his statement? He’s right, it is a technical Bill, but I look forward to getting to grips with the Bill as the Children, Young People and Education Committee scrutinises it over the next few weeks and months. Now, I want to start with a note of concern, perhaps, because you will know that Plaid Cymru supports the principle of expanding the provision of childcare...
Llyr Gruffydd: But can you confirm that there will be no cut in the budget available—the funding available—to support the purchasing of school uniforms? The response of a spokesperson on behalf of your Government to the censure following the announcement was that school uniforms are now cheaper. Well, I have personal experience—at least two secondary schools in my area have moved to new school...
Llyr Gruffydd: 5. Will the First Minister make a statement on the future of the school uniform grant? OAQ52013
Llyr Gruffydd: ...at the 15-month health visitor family health review. The recent Take Time to Talk, Play and Listen campaign, which promotes oracy, is to be welcomed as well, as is the extra funding and support for schools in the next financial year through regional consortia to help improve the language skills of learners. However, the Take Time campaign has a primary focus on older children, and the...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...skills are passed down from parent to child. Indeed, the statistics are quite frightening and, in fact, speak for themselves. Over half of the children in socially deprived areas may start school with impoverished speech, language and communication skills, and by the time that they're three years old, children from the poorest 20 per cent of the population are nearly a year and a...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...a contribution to the debate. In the debate, I want to highlight how early language development is crucially important to the development of children in the early years, and in preparing them for school, of course. Now, skills make a core contribution to a child's ability to deliver his or her potential in an educational sense, and the social mobility of that child and their life...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...are almost a recruitment agency, but they are also a marketing agency that packages an offer: 'Come back to work in a green, healthy area, an environmentally friendly area where, with the rural schools, the classes are smaller and the pupil-teacher ratio is smaller'—it's a marketing campaign, almost, where they package the offer in a very attractive way to attract those people back to...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...but that's clearly not always possible. The other options would be a true national citizens' service, a paid 12-month placement similar to the AmeriCorps model; support for both higher and further education, removing some of the artificial divides between the two in doing so; and the option, of course, of a new enterprise allowance, assisting young people to start new businesses. Now, we...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...Cymru favours a move from supporting students through the student support programme to maintenance grants, because we are aware that living costs are a barrier to many in accessing university education, and, in the long term, like everyone else would agree, I'm sure, we should ensure that there is education available free of charge for all. But the reality is that the situation persists...
Llyr Gruffydd: I will start by focusing on this point on the barriers that exist in terms of the education workforce taking advantage of CPD opportunities. We know, and we have heard time and time again in the evidence that the committee took, that we need to create the time and we need to create the space within the teacher timetable to train and to share experiences and to look more objectively at their...
