David Melding: I think the relevance of higher education in Wales can be demonstrated by the recent announcement from Cardiff University to spend £23 million on a new maths and computing building and £32 million on new student accommodation. Indeed, the face of Cardiff has been transformed in the last 10 or 20 years, much of it by the investment from our principal university, and I’m delighted to say...
David Melding: Minister, can I commend the Welsh Government for promoting the Careers Wales mark. I think it’s an excellent initiative and it’s I think now attracting the membership of most schools in Wales and leading to more informed career choices and identification of necessary skills for students as they prepare to enter the world of work. But I’m told there have been problems in the last few...
David Melding: ...these people and inspire them and give them the confidence to go forward, and to give them that training in places where they will be comfortable to receive it—it’s not easy to go to an further education college if you feel intimidated by that sort of environment. But these programmes are heavily reliant on EU funding—£7 million in the latest round, and we must protect this funding....
David Melding: Minister, I think you’ve heard from everyone that underperforming schools are turned round by leadership and expectations. We should expect our youngsters, regardless of their social background, to achieve really good GCSE results, and then many of them ought to have a tutor immediately as they enter their A-levels who takes them through the process of applying for the top...
David Melding: ...important to allow our law-making competence to work effectively. Without that scope and flexibility, you can lack the energy to use what appear to be your quite broad powers over, say, housing, education or health. I do fear that we could end up back in the Supreme Court, or bickering with the UK Government, to get that elbow room to have really effective law. The list of reservations is...
David Melding: ...amongst younger people in Scotland when the law was changed for the Scottish referendum. It would also allow us very elegantly to promote in the 14 to 18 age group a whole new concept of civics education and voter participation. This is something we really need to do; citizens have to be aware of their responsibilities, as well, in terms of keeping a healthy democracy going, and education...
David Melding: Minister, whilst the situation is gradually improving, absenteeism is still a concern in nearly a third of our secondary schools. Those who are eligible for free school meals are twice as likely to be absent as those who are not on free school meals, and just under a fifth of those on free school meals are persistently absent, with dire effects on their educational attainment. Yet less than...
David Melding: 9. What measures are in place to improve school attendance, especially amongst pupils who receive free school meals? OAQ(5)0025(EDU)
David Melding: ...have satellite car parks, incidentally, and allow people to walk a mile or so from them, freeing up our urban areas, reducing the number of cars and improving air quality. Also, surely it is around schools that we need to be developing our infrastructure and aiming there, because if schoolchildren just get into the habit of walking and cycling, then there’s fitness for life, potentially,...
David Melding: ...poverty. For instance, the level of economic inactivity has a big impact on the number of children living in poverty. I do hope you’ll be talking to your colleagues, the economic Minister and education Secretary as well, so that we can see FE course, HE courses, for instance, being more accessible—more part-time courses, more financial support—so that people can develop their skills...
David Melding: ...physical attack. We are talking about what previous generations called ‘reasonable chastisement’. But I agree with Julie Morgan, it’s all about supporting parents, and that’s not only just education, but ensuring our public services are there, so that we have effective childcare, for instance, and other areas of support, so that parents don’t feel under great pressure, which...
David Melding: ..., to talk about that Estyn report and ask a specific question. As you said, practice is patchy and the report concluded that looked-after children still face too many barriers to doing well at school, and obviously we must remove those barriers. But it did indicate that looked-after children do best at schools with strong pastoral support, better tracking of pupils, and good listening by...
David Melding: ...have via public transport.’ And better air quality monitoring is also required, especially in Wales’s 36 air quality management areas and in particular, I think, monitoring of air quality near schools. The impact on young people of air pollution is particularly acute. We must ensure that the Welsh Government delivers effectively on its own national air quality strategy, and that is...
David Melding: ...we actually move and look at outcomes, and I suppose that when we look at outcomes, the effective joint working of the various agencies is key, because we’re looking at health, we’re looking at education, we’re looking at housing, we’re looking at skills—all these things inter-relate, either directly, for looked-after children, or when they leave care, for care leavers. But...
David Melding: ..., I’m glad to note that, but do you think, in a more practical sense, it’s time that in Wales, and in Britain generally, we face up to some of the practical consequences of, for instance, the school run? I think we’re of the same generation, and in my day it was only the ill or the mildly delinquent that were taken to school by private transport. This has a big effect, because it’s...
David Melding: ...agreements. Can I recommend this approach or something analogous that is suitable to the Welsh Cabinet is taken, because the inter-linkages—. It’s inevitably going to be the case that education, health and other areas of social care will have a vital interest for looked-after children, and you can’t just put all that into one ministerial responsibility. But, effective working...
