Jayne Bryant: Now, I want to start my contribution by insisting that I'm not that old, yet, when I went to primary school in Newport, I was taught the national anthem in English. I have to say that that's never come in handy, but, thankfully, my parents and grandparents had already taught me it in Welsh. Newport, through its old Monmouthshire county days, was not seen as fully part of Wales, and that...
Jayne Bryant: I'm speaking today in my capacity as the Chair of the Children, Young People, and Education Committee, and, as a committee, we very much welcome the motion tabled today, and the opportunity it provides for us to debate the EMA. My fellow committee members and I have had a keen interest in the EMA since we first considered it as part of our scrutiny of the Welsh Government's 2022-23 draft...
Jayne Bryant: ...team, our researchers and outreach team who've really supported us as a committee. There really is clearly a shared ambition here to ensure that children and young people are able to attend school and engage in school activity as much as possible. The impact absence from school has on young people can't be underestimated. We've heard today as well not only does is effect educational...
Jayne Bryant: ...to play in promoting and supporting sustained attendance. Therefore, it is good to hear from the Minister that this guidance will set out the roles that all partners can play, going beyond just the school staff, but also encompassing local authorities, governors and, of course, parents and carers. During the pandemic, the type of attendance data that was collected and published changed,...
Jayne Bryant: Diolch, Deputy Llywydd. I'm very pleased to open this debate on the Children, Young People, and Education Committee’s report on pupil absence. We undertook a short, focused inquiry last summer to try to understand the impact of the pandemic on school attendance. We knew that, prior to the pandemic, there had been a strong focus, both at school and national levels, to tackle school absence....
Jayne Bryant: I’m speaking this afternoon in my capacity as Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee. As a committee, we are all very much aware of the significant financial difficulties facing the Ministers setting this year’s budget. We know that children and other vulnerable groups of people are disproportionately impacted by the cost-of-living crisis. An estimated 31 per cent of...
Jayne Bryant: ...the Baldwin family in the Senedd to celebrate the life and legacy of Peter Baldwin as we approach what would have been his twenty-first birthday. Peter turned 13 on 10 December 2014. He loved life, school and his friends. He was a fit, healthy teenager who, as we heard from his sister last night, loved ice cream, and he had the world at his feet. Tragically, Peter passed away a few weeks...
Jayne Bryant: I would like to say 'thank you very much' to Natasha for raising this today. It's an incredibly important debate and, on the Children, Young People and Education Committee here in the Senedd, we've already heard about the importance of online safety in our work. Our inquiry into peer-on-peer sexual harassment told us that young people's behaviour in schools is a reflection of trends that are...
Jayne Bryant: ...'s voice was not heard. How can you ensure that children and young people's voices are heard and listened to? I know that you will be very concerned about that. In our work here on the Children, Education and Young People's Committee, we've already seen the power of hearing these voices directly through the work that we're doing on care-experienced children and young people, as well as...
Jayne Bryant: ...petitioner for the important points raised in the petition, but perhaps it would be helpful if I just help to clarify why the committee did not feel able to extend our recommendations to primary schools. We know, and we heard in our inquiry time and again, that sexual harassment is likely to begin in primary schools, but the evidence we gathered over the course of the inquiry did not give...
Jayne Bryant: ...matter for everybody, and that everybody affected should come forward, and our report is titled 'Everybody's affected' for that reason, and I think Estyn told us that 29 per cent of male secondary school pupils experienced harassment. Although lower than girls, that's still almost a third of all boys, which is clearly unacceptable. Also, just to reiterate one of Sioned's points about it...
Jayne Bryant: .... But we are clear as a committee that a lot needs to change. We heard time and time again from professionals and from young people that despite pockets of good practice, sex and relationships education is generally poor. We heard that it was not done well enough, insufficient, poor quality and, sometimes, even completely absent. The Welsh Government must ensure that pupils are taught...
Jayne Bryant: ...Government between February and May this year. We also launched a survey aimed at children and young people to ask them what change they wanted to see to reduce peer-on-peer sexual harassment in schools and colleges. The remarkably consistent evidence we received described a harrowing backdrop to the learning of many children and young people: catcalling, hurtful comments, homophobic and...
Jayne Bryant: ...throughout her tenure, and congratulations, once again, to Rocio Cifuentes on her appointment. I hope you've settled in well, commissioner. Back in December 2021, the Children, Young People and Education Committee held a pre-appointment hearing with Ms Cifuentes. We urged her and her office to reflect on a few things as they plan and deliver their work, including how they ensure that they...
Jayne Bryant: Diolch, Deputy Llywydd. I fully welcome your statement this afternoon, Minister, and your personal commitment to supporting the education workforce. We expect so much of teachers and school staff; their roles extend to being so much more than educators and we know they go above and beyond what is expected of them. This often extends outside their working day, and so many continue to support...
Jayne Bryant: ...jointly with other committees to ensure that the Welsh Government retains a sharp focus on these critical cross-policy issues. I'll now highlight two priorities for the Children, Young People and Education Committee. Our work to date has repeatedly raised concerns about the mental health of children and young people. We're concerned about mental health because of the impact of COVID. We're...
Jayne Bryant: ...of people in Wales, and that number is multiplied several times when you consider the families of those who are diagnosed. Despite the huge number of those affected, awareness, support and education on the disease is still sadly lacking, and I do believe that far more can be done. In terms of awareness, the key to avoiding the more severe complications with diabetes is good management of...
Jayne Bryant: ...continues and all generations are able to experience and contribute to the cultural scene. Fostering a desire in children and young people to actively participate in music making, both in their school and the wider community, can act as a catalyst for creativity, expression and imagination that has the potential to not only benefit them, but society as a whole. This is the mantra that the...
Jayne Bryant: ...'ve all agreed today that it really is a crucial issue. I do recognise the difficulties in tackling it with the additional challenges brought about by the pandemic. The Children, Young People, and Education Committee will be starting a short, focused piece of work, looking at the issues around pupil attendance, and will take account of your statement today and the report. I'd just like to...
Jayne Bryant: ...today. I look forward to working closely with Owen, Claire and their colleagues throughout the sixth Senedd. Unsurprisingly, the pandemic is the central theme of Estyn’s 2020-21 report. Although schools resumed face-to-face teaching in September 2020, pupils, staff and families continued to face significant disruption throughout the academic year. The foreword to Estyn’s report tells...
