We now move on to the next item on the agenda, namely the short debate. For those of you departing or quitting the Chamber, please could you do so swiftly and quietly?

So, we begin the short debate and I call Rhianon Passmore.

Diolch, Lywydd. It is a great honour for me, representing the people of Islwyn, to rise to give the first short debate of this fifth Assembly by an Assembly Member elected in May 2016. As a former teacher, lecturer and former cabinet member for education in local government it comes as no surprise that I have decided to focus this debate on the greatest issue that this home of Welsh democracy is responsible for—education.

Llywydd, I am grateful to the following Welsh Labour Assembly Members who have asked me to speak in this debate. Following my speech I will cede a minute of my allotted fifteen minutes to the following: Mike Hedges AM, Hannah Blythyn AM, Hefin David AM, David Rees AM and Huw Irranca-Davies AM.

The Deputy Presiding Officer took the Chair.

I would like to take this opportunity to personally and formally welcome the Cabinet Secretary for Education to her role on behalf of the people of Islwyn. I wish her well in her vital role and she should know that she will have my support in ensuring that we leave no child behind in our drive to lift educational outcomes.

‘Education is “the guardian genius of our democracy.” Nothing really means more to our future, not our military defences, not our missiles or our bombers, not our production economy, not even our democratic system of government. For all of these are worthless if we lack the brain power to support and sustain them.’

Those are the words of the thirty-sixth President of the USA, Lyndon Baines Johnson. Education was a cornerstone of President Johnson’s worthy dream of a great society for the American people, and it is the cornerstone of the Welsh Labour programme of government. As a teacher by profession, I am also old enough to know what it was like literally to walk and use the chalk. I recognise the journey that we have travelled. It is thanks to Welsh Labour policy and recognition of the importance of transformational teaching and learning, and those learning environments, that we stand today in the knowledge that these are innovative schools and fit-for-purpose educational establishments built in Wales, and that they are second to none. It is because of the twenty-first century schools programme that I say that it is more than a building programme.

The Welsh Government plans to invest £700 million between 2014-15 and 2018-19. Match-funded by local authorities, this would result in £1.4 billion capital investment in schools and colleges in Wales, supporting 150 projects across all local authorities by April 2019. Let me repeat that with the Welsh Labour Government and local Welsh councils working together £1.4 billion will revolutionise the educational landscape of Wales. It is an unprecedented commitment to our children and an unprecedented commitment to the future of Wales by this Welsh Government. It is of vital importance to our communities, our children and our skills and qualifications economy, and it would not have happened without a Labour Government.

It is no exaggeration to say that the twenty-first century schools programme is a flagship policy that marks out Welsh devolution. It aims to deliver: learning environments in Wales that will enable the successful implementation of strategies for improvement and better educational outcomes; it will deliver greater economy and efficiency for learning environments through better use of resources; and it will deliver a sustainable education system in Wales that meets national building standards and reduces the recurrent costs and carbon footprint of education buildings.

It is because of this groundbreaking programme here in Wales that Wales is envied across the UK. In January 2016, our former Minister, Huw Lewis, gave an up update during scrutiny of the 2016-17 draft budget. He confirmed that Welsh Government’s overall target is for 150 schools and colleges to be refurbished or rebuilt by the end of April 2019. Members of this Chamber and our dedicated teaching workforce across Wales are very painfully aware of the state of school buildings in the 1980s and 1990s. This is a time, as a school governor then, where I recall with genuine horror being forced to consider not curriculum planning but the sacking of excellent teachers that we could not afford to lose; a time that I do not wish to replicate, when we also should have been building schools as cathedrals of learning, not portakabins in the playground, as they still remain in some quarters. [Interruption.] Not at the moment. I’ve got enough, thank you.

Very recently I donned my own very hard hat here and wellies to tour the rapidly emerging example in my constituency, the Islwyn High School. As part of the ambitious twenty-first century schools programme, Caerphilly County Borough Council announced in 2013 that both Oakdale and Pontllanfraith comprehensive schools will close in 2016. Pupils from both schools will transfer to a brand-new, shiny, purpose-built, state-of-the-art £24 million school to be built on the plateau 3 site within the Oakdale Business Park. This is thanks to a Welsh Labour Government and the Welsh Labour Party and Welsh Labour policy in action.

The school will initially accommodate 1,150 pupils transferring across from both schools and will be built to permanently educate 1,000 mainstream pupils from the catchment area, and 50 with complex needs, in a specialist resource base, from across the county. Partner primary schools include Bryn, Cwmfelinfach, Penllwyn, Pontllanfraith, Rhiw Syr Dafydd, Trinant and Ynysddu. The main school will be three storeys high, and a sports hall of a similar height will be linked to a two-storey building that will be the school’s dining hall. It will be built in a modern design and plans will include an eco garden and water features. The school will also boast a floodlit 3G sports pitch and a 200-metre athletics track, along with a multi-use sports pitch for netball and tennis. This school will truly be a community school with close working links with all stakeholders, including parents, partner primary schools, local employers and the people living in the local area.

I recently invited a number of children from both Oakdale and Pontllanfraith comprehensives to accompany me on a tour of the new school site. These children, from years 7, 8 and 9, ranged from 11 to 14 years of age, and they will be the direct beneficiaries of this policy and of this new school. What I saw in their eyes was a genuine appreciation of the possibilities that lay before them and a real excitement for their future, and an appreciation, unspoken, that we, as politicians, value them and that society invests in them, and that their futures, by ensuring they learn in such a magnificent environment, will be safeguarded.

I was struck, as we left the building site, by the questions that the children posed to the construction team from Willmot Dixon. The new Islwyn high is being built on the site of the old Oakdale colliery—part of that community’s legacy—which closed in 1989. Whilst looking to their future, it was those children, those pupils, who asked, ‘What is the history of this coal mine?’ and could it be reflected in the physical build of their new school. Welsh twenty-first century children in a Welsh twenty-first century school cognisant of their community’s heritage and proud history, which forms the tapestry of the Welsh story, but in a globalised future—true evidence that twenty-first century schools is more than a building programme, with the true potential to transform lives.

But, twenty-first century schools is more than buildings and concrete; it is integral to our nation’s progress and our place in the world. The long-term aim is to develop an overarching capital investment programme for all education sectors, including both further and higher education sectors, which will aim to deliver priority improvement objective project programme. My good friend behind me, John Griffiths, AM for Newport East, would have spoken in this debate if we did not already have so many speakers. He is rightly proud that the centre of Newport could become the heart of learning for the whole of Gwent if a £60 million-development between the city’s university and Coleg Gwent goes ahead. The University of South Wales and Coleg Gwent have teamed up to develop plans for a new knowledge quarter on the banks of the River Usk. This scheme involves a major development at the university’s city campus, with institutions sharing space in the new building or buildings. Although formal funding arrangements are yet to be finalised, investment is expected from the Welsh Government. As a spokesperson from Coleg Gwent has stated, if we can only realise this ambition, students will be able to come in at 16 or as adult learners to a new, state-of-the-art further education college in the centre of the new city.

Such actions are non-accidental and are purposeful, and they have unleashed Welsh Government resources into an education arena of spending, coupled with a groundbreaking curriculum and Donaldson impacts. I have no doubt these will affect positively pupils’ future life chances and their opportunities—the reason why I came into politics—everything that Labour values and Labour policies achieve in tandem, and for all in our community and not just for the top 5 per cent. Such programmes demonstrate a powerful impact on people and are why I am here today. Education is indeed the key to the social mobility so often spoken of in academic circles, but which in reality protects an individual so that they do not have to rely on zero-hours contracts from an uncaring UK Government. It provides a real pathway forward to a satisfying, rewarding and useful life. Community-focused schools here, and community-flexible hubs of the future are a huge theme within the twenty-first century schools programme, alongside carbon reduction and BREEAM excellence standardisation.

So, comrades—I will say that again to the Chamber—I commend this programme of transformational improvement to our pupils’ teaching and learning environments in the knowledge that research backs the importance of the impact on educational achievement, attainment and attendance, all key drivers for our nation in building our nation’s skills, employability, growth and productivity.

The impact of Brexit and not being able at this point in the future to draw down further European structural funding streams that we currently bid for will, I have no doubt, cause hugely significant challenges to our Welsh Government programme in the future, for phase 2. But this is a challenge that we will collectively as a Government and a nation seek to meet. There is no greater priority than ensuring our Welsh children are equipped to go into the world ready to compete with anybody in the world, and, as such, I am proud to commend to this Chamber the Welsh Labour Government’s twenty-first century schools programme—that it is more than a building programme. Diolch.

You’ve left three minutes for six speakers, so if your six speakers can all do 30 seconds they can all get in, but if they take longer than that then I’m afraid the others will drop off the end. So, we’ll see how we get on. Mike Hedges.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I first of all thank Rhianon for giving me the opportunity to speak in this? In Swansea East, two replacement secondary schools and one replacement primary school have been built. One replacement primary is under construction and planning has been applied for another replacement secondary school. Demountables have been replaced by permanent buildings. These new schools improve the educational environment for their pupils. I spoke to a head of one of these schools who said that when it rains, there is no longer a worry about where the water will come in. They improve the streets in the area and make it look better for those living around it. They provide employment and boost the local economy. I remember when the replacement of schools meant that we expected them to last well over 400 years. Let us hope this scheme will continue for many years to come.

Well done; there you are—he’s shown you how to do it. Hannah Blythyn.

Thank you, and thanks to the Member for Islwyn for this opportunity to talk about the fantastic new learning centre being built in Holywell, nearing its final stages, in my constituency. In fact, I was wondering whether I should declare a tenuous and random interest as the site is of significant importance to me as it was the predecessor school of Holywell Grammar School where my parents met in the sixth form. But, fast forward to the twenty-first century and, today, twenty-first century schools, it’s more than bricks and mortar, as my colleague was saying; it demonstrates the commitment of both Welsh Government and Flintshire County Council, in my case, in investing our community and our future. Ysgol Treffynnon, as it will be called, is a big building that will bring pride back and has even bigger ambitions for our community to ensure that the school becomes a community hub, a centre of activity in the evenings and in the daytime, a venue for sport and recreational clubs, engagement evenings for hard-to-reach families, and a forum to provide support and advice for families, really putting the school at the heart of the community. The headteacher at Holywell wishes to thank those that have made this happen, because, in his words, ‘They’ve helped to ensure a much brighter and promising future for our pupils’ in what is a clear and visible statement in Wales that Wales cares about its young people and its future.

Thanks very much. Hefin David.

Okay, short, short version. Rhianon did a fantastic job as cabinet member for education and now she’s stepped down to be an Assembly Member. Last week, I visited Heolddu Comprehensive School, which has benefited from a new technology block thanks to Welsh Government funding, and Kirsty Williams was there to open it, and it was a great occasion—’I bawb ei gyfle’ is the motto of the school. Finally, twenty-first century schools has led to the building of Y Gwyndy in Caerphilly town, the new campus of Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni, Cwm Ifor Primary School in Penyrheol, and Greenhill Primary School in Gelligaer, which is where I live, and it is fantastic to welcome twenty-first century schools. What a great programme; absolutely wonderful.

David Rees.

Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. I’ll be very, very quick. [Laughter.] Can I thank the Member first of all for bringing this important issue to the Chamber, because what we are doing is providing opportunities for our young children in new, modern facilities to ensure that they’re able to develop into the twenty-first century? Cabinet Secretary, I just want to ask one thing. I’ll be quick. The business plan, when we look at these things, is important, because sometimes we’re taking schools out of communities. We need to ensure those communities are not damaged in any way, but also that we provide safe routes to schools for some of those children as well. So, as part of the plan, could you please ensure that that happens whilst we build the new facilities that are fantastic for those young children?

Finally, Huw Irranca-Davies.

Maesteg high school, Coleg Cymunedol y Dderwen, Ogmore Vale Primary School—

No, no, no. [Laughter.]

[Continues.]—Brackla’s co-funded Archbishop McGrath Catholic High School—the roll call of investment goes on and on. There is more to do, but the investment in bricks and mortar is only surpassed by, I have to say, the labour of love by teachers and support staff, governors and parents to improve the life chances of our children and young people.

So, in these challenging times of increasing pressure on squeezed budgets, can I commend the continued leadership of Welsh Government and that of local authorities like Bridgend, and Cabinet member Huw David, in investing in our schools and investing in the future of our young people?

Well done. Now, you’ve all proved that you can do very short speeches and still get your points over, so we expect that to carry on. I now call on the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Kirsty Williams.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you very much to the Member for bringing forward this debate this afternoon. May I congratulate her on her first short debate, and the speech that she delivered with such aplomb?

As we heard from Hannah Blythyn, indeed, schools are not just a building programme, but obviously, a space for budding romances too. I’m grateful to the other Members for their contributions. I’m sure that their schools will very much appreciate the name checks that they have received here this afternoon.

Now, the twenty-first century schools and education programme does represent the biggest capital investment in our educational infrastructure since the 1960s. As we have heard from Rhianon, the first five-year wave of this programme will see £1.4 billion investment that will pay for the rebuild and the refurbishment of over 150 schools and colleges across Wales. All 22 local authorities will benefit from this investment in our schools and colleges, which is funded 50 per cent by the Welsh Government. Since its launch in 2014, 105 projects have been approved within the programme. Of these, 78 are either under construction or, I’m pleased to say, have been completed.

From the very start, this programme was wider than just construction; it has been designed to ensure strategic investment across our nation and this will continue. The programme drives three key areas: the reduction of poor-condition school buildings; making our building stock more efficient to run; and the reduction of the number of surplus places so that we can serve local pupil demand.

The programme is also designed to take wider learner needs into account, such as the need and demand for Welsh-medium education and for faith education. By having the right schools in the right condition, we can create an asset base that is fit for the future. And by making these assets more efficient and fit for twenty-first century teaching, we can ensure that our teachers can concentrate not on buckets, Mike, but can concentrate on teaching, so that educational standards within their schools can be driven forward and upwards.

Finally, by making sure that our schools are the right size and in the right location, we can ensure that we meet pupil demand both now and into the future. This programme is moving forward, and this is largely due, as was commented upon by Huw Irranca-Davies, to the innovative and collaborative nature of this investment. We do, indeed, work on a co-construction basis, which sees strong partnerships between Welsh Government, the Welsh Local Government Association, individual local authorities and others throughout Wales. This work will continue, but I would like to see the pace of the programme quickened. I will be asking and working with officials to see what we can do to achieve that.

This investment, however, is not just about providing buildings. We want to drive real value through the programme, ensuring that we provide environments that are both inspirational and cost-effective. To date, 41 projects have been completed and these include new state-of-the-art facilities, such as those at the Aberdare Community School in Rhondda Cynon Taf and the Rhyl High School in Denbighshire. Together, these schools provide places for 2,800 pupils. However, this investment is not just about learners; it’s also about driving value for the wider community around our schools and our colleges—for example, through providing additional facilities through our schools that can be accessed by both the school and the public. This includes nursery provision, community rooms, leisure facilities such as new 3G and 4G pitches, and in doing so, that links to our aspirations arising out of our well-being of future generations Act.

We should also not ignore the employment and training opportunities that capital investments of this nature bring. Through our use of regional procurement frameworks, we drive community benefits such as training, apprenticeship opportunities, school engagement in STEM subjects and job creation. We also see huge benefits to the local supply chain, seeing that our investment provides jobs and growth for the people of Wales.

The programme to date has seen the support of schools that meet local demands for educational provision, such as the new 3-19 Ysgol Bro Teifi in Llandysul, Ysgol Hafod Lon, providing special needs facilities in Gwynedd, primary places in our capital city here in Cardiff and investment in Welsh language secondary provision in Ysgol Glan Clwyd in Denbighshire.

We currently have a number of major schemes under construction, and I’ve seen the progress of the new £25.5 million Islwyn High School, which will provide places for 1,100 pupils in Caerphilly, the 1,200-place Eastern High School in Cardiff and the Llandudno Junction primary school in Conwy, all of which are very excellent examples of what can be achieved for pupils, staff and the wider community.

But, post-16 learning has not been forgotten. They, too, have been an important part of this project, with investment in Cardiff and Vale College’s £40 million campus in Cardiff and a post-16 hub with Coleg Cambria in Flintshire.

Delivery of this major strategic investment programme is anticipated to run over a number of bands of investment. Our current programme of £1.4 billion runs until 2019 and my officials are now working to develop our plans for further investment beyond this date. If those who campaigned to leave the European Union keep their promises, there should be no negative effect on this programme.

This major investment in our schools and colleges to benefit future generations of learners in Wales is far more than just a building programme. It is part of this Government’s wider holistic approach across education, regeneration and employment. Our schools and their wider communities, if we can continue to deliver this, will truly become twenty-first century. Thank you.

Thank you very much. That brings today’s proceedings to a close. Thank you.

The meeting ended at 17:22.