I now call on the party spokespeople to ask their questions of the Minister. Welsh Conservative spokesperson, Darren Millar.

Diolch, Lywydd. Is the Minister concerned that almost half of Welsh further education colleges are in significant financial deficit?

The Member will be aware that the Wales Audit Office has recently reviewed the situation of Welsh further and higher education institutions and not found them to be suffering the same financial difficulties as those that exist in England, as a consequence of a policy of the United Kingdom Government.

From that reaction, at least you’re acknowledging that there are problems here in Wales, unlike the leader of the house when I questioned her on this point last week. This isn’t fake news. These are true financial figures from colleges here in Wales. We’ve seen huge cuts in terms of funding for part-time courses in particular—71 per cent in recent years, and a reduction of 13 per cent in real terms to further education colleges. Those are cuts that are now biting hard in those colleges. Some are withdrawing access to certain courses. I appreciate that you want to focus across the border in England, but if you can focus on Wales for a moment, what are you doing in order to improve the prospects of those colleges, so that we don’t see courses being withdrawn in local communities, and we don’t see further education colleges not being able to have the sort of economic impact they’ve had in those communities in the past?

I’ve enjoyed the contributions of the Member concerned for nearly a decade in this place, where he has railed against the consequences of the policies of a Government that he supports across the border in England. We all know that there are funding difficulties facing us in Wales, and we know why there are funding difficulties facing us in Wales—because a Conservative Government has taken the wrong decisions on the economy, the wrong decisions on public finance, and because of their failing economic policy, we’re facing considerably more difficulties in terms of an austerity policy that has failed and failed and failed again. The Member’s aware of this and I can understand that he’s too sheepish to actually admit it.

The Minister will be aware that the legacy of Gordon Brown’s failed economic policy and mismanagement of public finances is one that our country is still trying to get to grips with. And notwithstanding the pressures on public finances, the reality is that the cuts that you have made in the further education sector in Wales are larger than the cuts that have been imposed on the Welsh block grant. So, it’s choices in Wales that your Government has made that have led to the financial blows that have been faced by further education colleges.

Now, there is going to be some additional resource made available to the Welsh Government—some savings as a result of the reforms to higher education support for students. That will give a dividend to the Welsh Government that it can reinvest elsewhere. I wonder, Minister, whether you will be able to tell us whether the further education colleges across Wales will receive some of the investment that will accrue to the Welsh Government as a result of those savings and whether you will be able to restore the commitment to three-year indicative budgets in order to aid their financial planning and whether some of that resource will be put into developing Welsh-medium education in the further education sector.

My memory, Darren, of those days when Gordon Brown was bringing the G20 together to rescue the western economy was that the Conservative Party sat opposite, where you are today, like goldfish mouthing nothing in response. Let me say this—[Interruption.] Let me say this: the report from the Wales Audit Office is an important report and I’m disappointed that you’ve chosen not to refer to it in your questions this afternoon. Had you referred to it and read it, then what you would understand is that we do have institutions facing financial challenges—and I don’t make any bones about that—but are in robust health, particularly when you compare that with the situation across the border, and I think that’s a valid comparison to make.

Let me say this: we understand the situation with Welsh-medium education. My colleague the Cabinet Secretary established a group to look at that last summer. It will report this summer and we will take that forward. We have delivered additional resources for further education. We will continue to protect, as far as we can, further education, and when we’re protecting them, we’ll protect them from a Government that you support across the border in England.

Before I call Llyr Gruffydd, can I just say that no Members in this Chamber are sheepish and, in particular, I’d say that Darren Millar is not known for that particular trait, and so, we’ll have no more name-calling, especially from a Minister who’s standing in for a Cabinet Secretary this afternoon? Llyr Gruffydd.

Well, I fear saying anything now, if truth be told, but, thank you, Llywydd. [Laughter.]

I want to pursue a similar theme, but perhaps in a very different way—let’s put it in those terms. The education committee over the past few months has heard a fair amount of evidence on the pressure faced by schools at the moment in terms of difficulties of capacity, teachers’ workload and so on, and the clear theme emerging time and time again is the funding situation for schools across the nation. The strain on school budgets is very grave indeed in a number of cases. Indeed, one person told us that he had reached breaking point in his experience, and there’s also evidence demonstrating that schools are using funding sources allocated for specific purposes in order just to maintain staffing levels and not to deliver what that funding is aimed at delivering. Are you aware of that reality as a Government, and if you are, do you recognise that such a situation is not sustainable?

I understand that schools, wherever they may be, are facing very difficult situations because of the financial position that we all understand, and we understand the reason for that financial position. But may I say this: if the Member has a specific example he wishes to allude to, then if he writes to me, then I will respond on that specific example? But we do understand that headteachers and governors are dealing with a difficult situation and I believe we should all support headteachers and governors for the way that they’re dealing with this financial situation.

Okay. Well, I could read the quote to you, but I won’t do that; I’ll write to you. But, to all intents and purposes, there is a claim that the PDG funding is being directed at other purposes, which, to all intents and purposes, is propping up staffing levels within schools.

The committee has also heard that there’s a grave inconsistency in the funding provided to schools from one part of the country to another. According to figures gathered by NAHT Cymru on age-weighted pupil units in Wales, the funding per capita for pupils ranges from £1,798 in one county to £3,200 in another. This is another factor that contributes to this picture of financial pressures, which surely does have an impact on the variability in the teaching quality that we hear Estyn refer to constantly, and also the inconsistency in terms of the provision of CPD for teachers in some schools and counties, because the necessary resources aren’t available within schools to provide that. Can I ask, therefore, do you think that this financial inconsistency is acceptable and what is the Government going to do to seek greater equity in terms of funding or at least a more consistent funding system across Wales?

Nid wyf yn siŵr fy mod i yn derbyn hynny, achos os ydym ni’n derbyn y dadansoddiad, derbyn yr awgrym mae llefarydd Plaid Cymru wedi ei wneud, mi fyddem ni, wrth gwrs, yn cael un system ariannu ar gyfer ysgolion ym mhob man ar draws Cymru. Mi fyddem ni yn cenedlaetholi, os ydych chi’n licio, ysgolion lleol. Nawr, nid ydw i’n siŵr bod yr Aelod yn gofyn am hynny. Nid ydw i, yn bendant, eisiau gweld hynny. Felly, mae mynd i fod rhywfaint o anghysondeb, os ydych chi’n licio, mewn rhannau gwahanol o’r wlad sy’n adlewyrchu blaenoriaethau lleol yr awdurdod lleol. Nawr, mae hynny yn fater i bobl leol, ar gyfer ein democratiaeth leol ni. A ydym ni’n meddwl bod y pwysigrwydd o gysondeb yn fwy pwysig na’r anghenion, ac efallai blaenoriaethau, democrataidd lleol? Ac rydw i’n credu dyna’r cwestiwn ehangach.

Na, rŷch chi’n gwneud pwynt digon teg. ‘Rhywfaint o amrywiaeth’ oedd y term ddywedoch chi ond, wrth gwrs, rŷm ni’n sôn yn fan hyn am bron i ddwbl y gwariant mewn rhai ardaloedd o gymharu ag ardaloedd eraill, felly, beth roeddwn i’n trio gofyn oedd beth allwn ni ei wneud i drio cysoni rhywfaint ar yr anghysondeb sy’n bodoli. Ond, nid oes gwadu bod y pwysau ariannol yn ddifrifol, a’i fod e yn mynd i arwain at drafferthion sylweddol yn y dyfodol. Wrth gwrs, pan rŷch chi’n edrych ar yr holl newid sydd yn yr arfaeth yn y system addysg dros y misoedd a’r blynyddoedd nesaf yma—buom ni’n trafod y Bil anghenion dysgu ychwanegol a’r gofynion ychwanegol a ddaw yn sgil hynny; rŷm ni’n gwybod am y newidiadau i’r cwricwlwm, a’r anghenion wedyn o safbwynt datblygu proffesiynol y gweithlu ac yn y blaen—mae’n glir y bydd pwysau cynyddol, aruthrol ar athrawon ac ar yr adnoddau yn yr ysgolion dros y misoedd nesaf, ac ar yn union yr un pryd, wrth gwrs, rŷm ni’n gweld bod staff yn cael eu diswyddo—mae nifer ohonom ni yn llywodraethwyr mewn ysgolion sy’n gorfod gwneud penderfyniadau anodd iawn—lle mae ysgolion yn torri yn ôl ar eu cyllidebau nhw. Nawr, gan gofio gwaith ymchwil NUT Cymru blwyddyn diwethaf oedd wedi datgelu bod rhyw 52,000 o ddyddiau ysgol wedi cael eu colli yn 2015 oherwydd salwch yn deillio o bwysau gwaith, ac o gofio’r pwysau ariannol rŷm ni wedi bod yn sôn amdano, a ydych chi’n hyderus bod gan ysgolion Cymru y capasiti sydd ei angen i weithredu’r holl newidiadau yma sydd ar y gweill, ac nid jest eu gweithredu nhw, ond eu gweithredu nhw yn effeithiol?

Ydw. Ydw, mi ydw i. Nid yw hynny’n ymateb derbyniol, rwy’n deall hynny. Mae’n un peth i restru’r problemau a’r heriau sydd yn wynebu ysgolion; mae’n beth gwahanol i’w datrys nhw. Mae’r Llywodraeth yma amboutu datrys problemau, wynebu’r heriau, ac wedyn sicrhau ein bod ni’n gallu buddsoddi mewn addysg plant ar gyfer y dyfodol, ac rydym yn gwneud hynny. Trwy’r math o newidiadau rydych chi wedi eu rhestru i ryw raddau y prynhawn yma, ac rydych chi’n ymwybodol ohonyn nhw drwy waith y pwyllgor, rydym ni yn mynd i sicrhau ein bod ni’n buddsoddi i wella safon addysg i bob un plentyn ar draws Cymru, ac mae hynny yn mynd i fod yn her, ond beth rydym ni’n sicrhau yw bod gan ysgolion yr adnoddau a’r gefnogaeth i sicrhau eu bod yn gallu gwneud hynny. Ydw, rydw i yn sicr bod ganddyn nhw.

Llefarydd UKIP, Michelle Brown.

Thank you, Presiding Officer. It is pointed out time and time again that there’s a recruitment crisis in Wales. What measures are you taking to ascertain the reasons that teachers from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland may or may not want to work in Wales?

We are seeking to ensure that we have a working environment in Wales that teachers will appreciate, value and enjoy, so that we are able to put in place the sort of support, curriculum and resources—just in answer to Llyr Gruffydd. We are going to be putting in place a teaching environment that will be attractive to teachers, not just from the other countries of the United Kingdom, but people in Wales as well.

Thank you for that answer. I didn’t hear you tell us what you’re trying to do to find out why teachers would or would not want to come and work in Wales. If we’re not supplying our own teachers, we need to be finding them from somewhere else. So, one of the things that we need to understand is why people would want to work in Wales and what’s putting them off. So, what sort of investigations are you holding to find that out?

We understand—we’ve conducted a number of workforce surveys recently and we’ve created, of course, the Education Workforce Council, which will report on these matters in more detail in due course. But we understand that one of the issues that are most important in people taking decisions about where they will live and where they will work is the working environment itself, and by treating teachers with respect, we are ensuring that they are valued in society, valued in the schools, and by putting in place reforms that are supported and funded. You were in the committee this morning and you heard the debate on the additional learning needs Bill. In Wales, that is being funded; in England, it isn’t being funded. That demonstrates how we don’t just institute reforms to teaching methodology, methods and mechanisms, but we also support them. I think that that will be valued and appreciated by teachers.

Thank you for that answer. The Welsh education system has, unfortunately, got a very poor reputation. Whether you agree with that reputation, whether you agree that the Welsh education system deserves that reputation or not, we’re going to find it very difficult to recruit young professionals with young families, researchers and medical professionals, unless that reputation is upped. What are you trying to do to improve the reputation of the Welsh education system outside Wales?

I completely disagree with the assumption. I disagree with the analysis. I disagree with the conclusion. Do you know the difficulty that we face in Wales, Presiding Officer? It is people who make those sorts of comments without any sustaining evidence or without any sustaining means of substantiating those sorts of wild allegations. What really depresses, I think, many people, not just in education in Wales, but elsewhere in public life in Wales is the way that UKIP and the Conservatives will constantly join together to do down the public sector, to do down public schools and to ensure that people are not supportive. This is a Government that will support teachers, support teaching staff, support the education system, and, when you’re talking it down, we’re talking it up.