Llyr Gruffydd: I'm glad to hear that you've made representations to the UK Government. Clearly, UCU has said that their colleagues in many other European countries in post-1992 universities, schools, FE colleges, the NHS and Government all have their pensions underwritten and guaranteed by the state of course, and they're asking why UK pre-1992 universities should have a pension scheme with no Government...
Llyr Gruffydd: On the other hand, she’s also recognised there are less positive elements, and one of the most disappointing elements for me is—. Clearly, half of secondary schools and 70 per cent of primary schools are judged to be 'good' or 'excellent', but that, of course, means that half of the schools—as she recognised and acknowledged—are only 'adequate' or 'unsatisfactory'. And in that...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. May I move the amendment in the name of Plaid Cymru? And may I thank Her Majesty’s chief inspector for education and training in Wales—to give him his full title—for the annual report, which certainly makes a great contribution to our understanding of the situation? It is something that we place great importance on and appreciate very much....
Llyr Gruffydd: ...from deprived backgrounds up to a certain level—it's about meeting all of those individuals' needs, some of whom, of course, are more able and talented. I think Estyn has said that very few schools are actually using the PDG to target more able and talented pupils. Indeed, the national pupil database impact analysis shows that the gap between those eligible for free school meals and...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...fact that we’ve had report after report that’s highlighted weaknesses in this area, and we have, at last, reached a point where there is more specific action being taken. In relation to further education, I do think that the point that was being made is a valid one. Yes, there is a programme in place, but we are talking here about a programme that goes to schools to promote these...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...these additional resources for Mudiad Meithrin? But I would disagree to a certain extent with the point that Suzy Davies made, because the evidence shows that if you do go to Welsh-medium preschool education, then you’re far more likely to go on to Welsh-medium education than if you don’t. We are talking here of the Government’s strategy to secure a million Welsh speakers by 2050,...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you for the opportunity just to contribute briefly and to endorse some of the points that have already been made about the schools liaison programme, because it is an important preventative service. It fills a gap, without doubt, in terms of the education provision for children—a gap that wouldn’t be filled unless the police made that provision. They look at online security, the...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...I do have to make that point. Now, of course, it’s not possible to move forward meaningfully to share the target that I’m sure we share in terms of a million Welsh speakers and the role of the education system in that unless the appropriate workforce is in place to provide the necessary education. I will refer to the Aled Roberts review of Welsh in education strategic plans, which said...
Llyr Gruffydd: Thank you, Llywydd. It’s almost four and a half years now since the publication of Professor Sioned Davies’s report on the position of Welsh as a second language in English-medium schools in Wales. In that report, she made it entirely clear that it was the eleventh hour even then in terms of Welsh as a second language, and that attainment levels for pupils in that subject were lower than...
Llyr Gruffydd: We know from figures provided by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists that over 50 per cent of children from socially deprived backgrounds may be starting school with impoverished communication, language and speech skills. Now, do you therefore share the Children's Commissioner for Wales's concerns that limiting the Government's childcare offer to only children of working...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...better achieve that aim than a local authority database, albeit that's probably moving closer to what I'd like to see. The second litmus test, of course, is that every child receives a suitable education. I think, on that front, this is where I find the greatest positivity in your statement today, in that that is being firmed up. Hopefully we'll see that being more...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...this is a step in the right direction, even though it doesn’t go to the very point that we would wish. As far as I can see, it will strengthen the legislative and policy framework around home education, but it does leave some questions unanswered in my own mind, and these may become clearer as more details are published. I would ask once again why you are not taking the advice of the...
Llyr Gruffydd: I'm pleased to hear that you will be monitoring the situation, because we also know, as the budgets of a number of schools where many of us are governors are shrinking, that means that the only true saving that many schools can make is to reduce the staff numbers, and classroom assistants are very often the first to be cut. In a climate where the Government—. Of course, we welcome the fact...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...an Act now. What’s summarised in the report and the recommendations that emerged from that report speak directly to some of the problems and frustrations that we as a Children, Young People and Education Committee had in scrutinising that particular Bill, particularly some of the recommendations around the regulatory impact assessments in terms of securing the quality of the assessment,...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...would be willing to consider not just having one every year, but actually having that intensive engagement targeting specific areas every month? Because that’s the best way, I think, of educating people on what we do.
Llyr Gruffydd: May I ask for a statement from the health Secretary on the impact that cuts to the all-Wales school liaison core programme, or SchoolBeat, will have on the important work that that programme delivers? I know that in north Wales, it employs 16 officials who visit all schools and convey important messages to the children, from the youngest at age four up to those at age 16, on issues such as...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...published last year into the Dylan Seabridge case recommended firmly that changes in legislation were needed to require parents to register with a local authority children who are receiving home education, and also to ensure that those children are seen and spoken to annually. We're all aware that the Children's Commissioner for Wales has consistently also been calling for the current...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...has been less than positive, because the Government’s own evaluation of the implementation of the Learning in Digital Wales Programme in October last year reported positive feedback from schools on Hwb+ and concluded that, 'Abandoning the project would severely disappoint and alienate teachers, who are enthusiastic about further take-up of digital learning and have invested their...
Llyr Gruffydd: ...particular type of provision to another? You stated in June, ‘From the outset— and I quote, —‘we have been clear that being digitally competent is one of the fundamental pillars of a modern education'. Nobody would doubt that. ‘That is why digital competence was identified as the third cross-curricular responsibility, alongside literacy and numeracy’. We have a situation where...
Llyr Gruffydd: Diolch, Llywydd. Cabinet Secretary, it's taken four years to embed the Hwb+ virtual learning platform and get more than 80 per cent of schools using the platform. All schools have been trained to use it after a great deal of time, effort and money. So, can you explain to us why you believe it's the best use of public funds to abandon that project now?
