Siân Gwenllian: ...more is how do you reconcile making some issues statutory, whilst exempting others from the legislation? Now, there's no doubt that introducing the new curriculum is going to be a major change in education in Wales, and you've told us today that schools should take time to understand the curriculum model. And so I'd like to ask you first: do you agree that understanding the new curriculum...
Siân Gwenllian: ...travel in the post-16 sector will be clear? Because these issues do need to be addressed urgently. For example, there are issues arising from all of this related to transport to Welsh-medium education, and the situation causes uncertainty and confusion. I would like to understand some of the rationale behind this delay and what the current situation is.
Siân Gwenllian: ...on some of the issues arising from her responses to the committee report—firstly, the thematic review that Estyn is going to be doing, looking at the arrangements for teaching Welsh history at schools. Have the terms of reference been agreed and what is the timetable for publishing that work? This needs to happen quickly. I presume that the report will confirm what we already know,...
Siân Gwenllian: ...a further opportunity: perhaps we could look at reforming the part that is called 'planning your curriculum', and I would ask you whether you'd be willing to have discussions with the Minister for Education to see whether that section could be amended so that first aid becomes a more core part of the curriculum.
Siân Gwenllian: ...priority and urgent action. Unfortunately, that is not the situation. It was very disappointing to hear the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services say at the Children, Young People and Education Committee this morning that she was not at all confident that it would be possible to improve a critical situation in which 29 per cent of children in Wales live in poverty. It's almost as...
Siân Gwenllian: ...needs to be in order to be in that situation in 2021? Because it is clear that we need to continue with the slight progress that we have seen since 2015, but it is a period of huge change in our education system, and the new curriculum needs time to bed in, and we need to provide resources and sufficient opportunities for professional development for our staff. It does concern me that it...
Siân Gwenllian: ...measuring progress, but we must use the data wisely, and I look forward to having an opportunity to analyse the content carefully over the next few days and weeks, and will also seek the views of educational experts on these latest results.
Siân Gwenllian: ...the move towards targets is to be welcomed, the shift in focus from reactive developments, namely measuring demand from parents, to being proactive in the approach, namely creating the Welsh-medium education places in the first place, and also the long-term planning of three to 10 years in order to be more ambitious—I welcome all of that. But one issue that does need consideration is how...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you, Llywydd. I would like to discuss your recent written statement announcing the results of the consultation to amend regulations on the Welsh in education strategic plans. Seeing specific movement towards change is positive indeed, and we do need meaningful planning in order to develop Welsh-medium education across the country, and there’s a long way to go. The recent situation...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you very much. Last year, Undeb Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Caerdydd was launched, a significant development in terms of the Welsh language in the field of higher education, and I had a meeting yesterday with two of the union's leaders, Wil Rees and Jacob Morris. Last autumn, there was strong support by Cardiff University students in their annual meeting for the next step, which was to create an...
Siân Gwenllian: ...surgeries fail to attract new GPs, particularly those who can provide services through the medium of Welsh. And some of you will also remember that I have been arguing the case for having a medical school in north Wales, at Bangor University. And after a great deal of persuasion and discussion here, the Government yielded, and by now, the first cohort of medical students are studying...
Siân Gwenllian: ...review that we have in recommendation 1 won't be completed until next summer. So, do you think that the Welsh Government needs to re-balance the budget in favour of preventative services, including education, in the next budget, without waiting for the results of the review?
Siân Gwenllian: ...'s the timetable for that, please? My fear is that—. It is complex, the whole area is complicated. Isn't this going to be an excuse to kick the whole discussion into the long grass, because the schools need the money as soon as possible, not 12 months down the line?
Siân Gwenllian: I was very pleased to be part of this important inquiry, and there are important recommendations that are being presented in this report. It should be an exciting period for education in our schools in Wales. The introduction of a new curriculum that respects the skills of our teachers is a concept that Plaid Cymru has supported across the years. But, unfortunately, if this huge change is not...
Siân Gwenllian: ...do need to give long-term consideration to this issue, so that we see hate crime levels reducing once and for all. And this does mean that we have to consider preventative measures, starting in our schools. Education in relationship and sex education would mean that children would gain a clear understanding of the diversity of people and healthy relationships. They would learn about...
Siân Gwenllian: ...on GCSE and A-level results. The Conservative motion gives a negative spin on the results. The Government’s amendment puts a positive spin on the same set of results. Anyone who is involved with education will know full well that meaningful, credible comparisons can’t be made by looking at one set of crude results for one year and setting them against another set from another year. As...
Siân Gwenllian: Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's position on private schools?
Siân Gwenllian: Excellent. I’m extremely pleased to hear that last answer, certainly. Turning to another issue, which is transportation-to-school policy, in response to points raised by Llyr Gruffydd last week, the Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language stated that there would be a refresh of the Learner Travel (Wales) Measure 2008, and that we can expect that in the autumn. There are...
Siân Gwenllian: ...issue, where there has been clear guidance provided by their conference. So, it was interesting to hear your response there. Labour too would campaign to abolish the charitable status of private schools, and I note that a consultation is ongoing with the Welsh Government on this issue and I look forward to seeing private schools paying tax. And this, of course, raises questions about Ysgol...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you, Llywydd. The Labour Party has said that they will abolish private schools, redistributing their properties to the state. A motion was passed in their conference to integrate private schools into the state sector. Now, given that only 2.2 per cent of Welsh children are educated in private schools, do you agree that it would be a relatively simple matter to move immediately to...
