Kirsty Williams: Thank you again, Presiding Officer, for the opportunity to speak to this legislative consent motion. I would also like to thank members of the Children, Young People and Education Committee for their scrutiny of the initial and supplementary memorandum. Additionally, I would like to record my appreciation of the engagement by Universities Wales, NUS Wales and the Higher Education Funding...
Kirsty Williams: Well, Darren, I believe that we are well placed to be able to work with the profession to establish a set of professional standards. I don't think that they have been produced as quickly as perhaps they should have been. It was a commitment within the Furlong report to look at these issues, and part of previous announcements, but we’re making quick progress now, and, as I said, we have...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Could I say I'm very pleased to hear that Plaid Cymru and the Conservative Party will be supporting the Order today? That is in line with the vast majority of the responses that the Government received in relation to its consultation. Over 80 per cent of the respondents to the consultation believe that it is the EWC that should accredit teacher training as we...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Presiding Officer. If I may take just a brief opportunity to outline that the Order sets out the functions that the Education Workforce Council will undertake in relation to the accreditation of initial teacher education programmes in Wales through the accreditation of the initial schoolteacher training committee, the remit for which will be set out in regulations that will be laid...
Kirsty Williams: If I could just make it clear about the practicalities. So, the Arts Council of Wales will be establishing a steering group to guide the set-up of the endowment for Wales. The arts council will be able to draw upon its unique position as a Wales-wide arts, culture and heritage charity to identify members who are best placed to contribute from their respective sectors. Their job will be to...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Huw, for the comments and the questions. You are absolutely right. We have to start from the basis that the arts, and culture in its broadest sense, are for everyone. To deny people access to their cultural and their musical heritage and, innately, what lies within them, is to deprive them of something very important and very special indeed. You’re also right to point out that,...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you very much, Bethan, for your comments and questions. You said at the outset that you didn’t want any more task and finish reports, reviews and updates—you wanted action. Well, this is an action. The task and finish group said that there should be an endowment fund, and I am announcing the establishment of that today. This is an example of how we are actually trying to move things...
Kirsty Williams: Presiding Officer, could I thank Rhianon Passmore for her comments and questions and for constantly badgering me on this subject since she was elected to this place? I’m always in awe of people who have talent in this area. I declare that I have none whatsoever. So, people like Rhianon who can play the clarinet maybe could get together with Bethan and her viola and Mick here and his...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Michelle, for your questions. With regard to philanthropy—and I think it was Darren who raised this also, and it was remiss of me not to have addressed that—a great deal of work has been done, in conjunction with the arts council, looking at opportunities. We have to get better at philanthropy. There are many organisations that we can be looking to, and individuals, to support...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Darren, for the series of questions and your welcoming of the principle of setting up the endowment. The timing of this announcement is in no way meant to be disrespectful of the work of the committee. I understand that work came to a close on 4 February, but, with all due respect to the committee, we've already had a report that has recommended the establishment of this endowment....
Kirsty Williams: I thank you, Llŷr, for your comments and questions this afternoon and for your welcome of the establishment of the endowment. This is, indeed, a joint initiative between myself and my colleague, and the split is 50-50: 50 per cent, or £500,000, from myself, and the same from my colleague. I have to say that, at present, we have no plans to add additionally. The task and finish group, as you...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I believe that all young people, no matter what their background, should have the opportunity to develop their talents and skills through music. I am pleased that, alongside the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, we are announcing £1 million-worth of investment to support the establishment of a national endowment for music. An initial...
Kirsty Williams: So what is the purpose of all of this? Music is an enrichment activity that allows us to express ourselves personally and to share in our collective culture. As Longfellow said, ‘Music is the universal language of mankind’. The national endowment for music is our long-term and sustainable approach to funding. Rather than replacing existing music services, it is designed to enhance them....
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Jenny. As you will know, the programme was initially set up as a two-year programme. The programme was extended for a third year. I have made a decision to extend the support for Schools Challenge Cymru schools until the end of this academic year rather than the financial year. We will also have funding in place to address new types of interventions in those schools that have not...
Kirsty Williams: Diolch i chi, Jenny. O’r cychwyn mae rhaglen y consortia rhanbarthol a’r awdurdodau lleol wedi gweithio’n agos gyda’u hysgolion Her Ysgolion Cymru i annog a sefydlu cydweithio priodol. Bydd fy swyddogion yn parhau i weithio gyda’r rhanbarthau i sicrhau bod yr arfer da hwn yn cael ei gynnal a’i rannu ar draws y system gyfan.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you for that. I’ve been taking a range of positive steps to increase girls’ engagement in the study of STEM subjects, linked to the education actions that were set out in the report that you mentioned, ‘Talented Women for a Successful Wales’. But, to make that difference, I want to see our teaching professionals—they need support to make that happen. That’s why the national...
Kirsty Williams: Support for STEM in schools is a key priority and we are investing in capacity-building for science subjects. Our education reforms will see practitioner-led and evidence-based changes to the STEM curriculum, with networks for excellence to support our teaching workforce going forward.
Kirsty Williams: Thank you for that. I don’t regard any element of the sector to be more important than any other, and I expressed that quite clearly in my statement on Hazelkorn last week. The purpose of the new tertiary education authority will be partly to ensure we can have that parity of esteem between the different forms of study, and the resources that will help drive not just the life chances of the...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you for that. This desire on behalf of Welsh Ministers has already been expressed to HEFCW in an additional remit letter that went out earlier this autumn, and future remit letters would seek to build upon this. I am struck by how important these opportunities are. Again, this morning, with Dawn Bowden, I was in Merthyr Tydfil college. We met students there this morning who were...
Kirsty Williams: Thank you, Hefin. I announced my intention last week to consult on setting up a new strategic authority to oversee post-compulsory education and training. This would promote collaboration, remove barriers to progression and create seamless learning pathways across all elements of post-compulsory education and training, including further and higher education.
