Darren Millar: ...in, which is why satisfaction rates are plummeting under your watch as Cabinet Secretary. I noticed, Cabinet Secretary, that you didn't mention funding in your response, because we all know that school budgets are under significant pressure. Now, according to the NASWUT—they have said that the funding gap per pupil, per year, between England and Wales now stands at £678 per pupil. This...
Darren Millar: You'll be aware that the national survey for Wales was published last week, and it showed a significant deterioration in satisfaction levels amongst the public in our secondary schools in particular. So, it's quite clear that the public are rapidly losing confidence in your ability to deliver against the national mission that you have set. And it shouldn't come as a surprise, because we all...
Darren Millar: Diolch, Llywydd. Cabinet Secretary, what action are you taking to improve public satisfaction in Welsh schools?
Darren Millar: First Minister, public health enemies like problem gambling are things that we have the opportunity to tackle here in Wales through the education system. There were some startling statistics at the Beat the Odds conference last week that 80 per cent of children have seen gambling adverts on tv, 70 per cent of children have seen gambling adverts on social media and two thirds have seen...
Darren Millar: ...it really difficult, actually, to get people with the right skills when they went to the marketplace looking for individuals. So, clearly, there's a mismatch between what is being delivered by our education system more widely and the skills that our businesses actually need. Further education colleges seem to do a better job, actually, of getting that match right, and that's perhaps...
Darren Millar: ...will be able to register to vote. It is clearly very important that we give children and young people a say in politics and that we engage them in the democratic process, and I think that the education that is going to sit around the youth parliament will certainly help to promote participation in the future. Can I just ask a few questions? The campaign for the children and young people's...
Darren Millar: Cabinet Secretary, you'll be aware that the Children, Young People and Education Committee have expressed concerns about the lack of resilience amongst children and young people in our schools. But it did highlight, in its recent report on this issue, some excellent practice that is going on in my own constituency in north Wales at Ysgol Pen y Bryn in Colwyn Bay, which you have also visited...
Darren Millar: What action is the Cabinet Secretary taking to promote Welsh schools’ international links?
Darren Millar: ...panel for the work that she and her fellow panel members have done? Emma Renold, I think, has produced a very decent report that considers thoroughly many of the issues that relationships and sex education present. You'll have to forgive me here, because I'm a bit of a prude when it comes to these matters, but I do think that some people will have some concerns about the fact that you are...
Darren Millar: ..., for your statement, and for an advance copy of it. It is all about leadership, in terms of making sure that all of our children have the very best opportunities to thrive during their time in school and the education system here in Wales. I know that this is something that you are passionate about addressing, in terms of the deficiencies in the system. And I too want to thank Ann Keane...
Darren Millar: ...decision. As has already been said, we're in a situation now where many parents are struggling to pay for uniforms. We know that the current guidance that is going out to local authorities and to schools is not being upheld. Nobody's holding schools accountable for the way in which they expect parents to buy their uniforms, and frankly as well we might well encourage people to buy generic...
Darren Millar: I share the concerns that have been expressed by Mick Antoniw and agree with him wholeheartedly that we need to take more action in our schools to address problem gambling. One of the concerns that has been raised with me is that, in the Welsh baccalaureate, there is a task that has been assigned to some pupils in Wales that asks them to imagine what it's like to win the lottery and then to...
Darren Millar: ..., but the reality is that we have local authorities in Wales—Ynys Môn, Denbighshire and others—that are progressing with school closures in rural communities, and by and large Welsh-medium schools, as a result of the code not being sufficient at present. Can you give absolute assurances, Minister, that you will look carefully at the impact of your changes and make sure that they...
Darren Millar: Diolch, Llywydd. Cabinet Secretary, will you tell us when you'll be in a position to publish the new school organisation code?
Darren Millar: I'm very pleased to hear that, Cabinet Secretary, because, as you will know, I share your aspiration to make sure that the code is balanced and that it doesn't disfavour or do a disservice to rural schools in particular, many of which, of course, as you will appreciate, are small, Welsh-medium schools. Given that concerns have been raised by Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg and many others about...
Darren Millar: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on how many schools have closed since her appointment?
Darren Millar: ...you took forward a comprehensive piece of legislation on nurse staffing levels, which required a national workforce plan and effort. Why are you rejecting a national workforce plan for our education system, for our schools? Why are you saying that you don't want to work with the EWC to develop one? Because that's what you're doing by trying to vote down our motion today. It just doesn't...
Darren Millar: ...growing teacher recruitment crisis that we have here in Wales? If the Welsh Government's ambition for all learners to reach their full potential is ever to be realised, then we've got to have an education workforce that is fit for the future and equipped to deliver that aim. But we know that there are signs of a growing crisis in our schools, and there's been insufficient action to date to...
Darren Millar: ...lack of respect for the children and young people's committee in particular, particularly given that we are in the middle of an inquiry into targeted funding for children and young people in our schools. And you know that, within the purview of that inquiry, we are looking very much at the pupil development grant and the efficacy of it and we're going to be making, probably, a good...
Darren Millar: Diolch, Cadeirydd. Look, while I welcome any additional funding that you might announce on behalf of the Welsh Government for learners in our schools, and particularly those who may face disadvantage, I have to say, I'm extremely disappointed by the timing of this announcement; I think it's a huge discourtesy to the National Assembly, to the Children, Young People and Education Committee and...
