The Member began by asking about how do I respond to issues raised by the WLGA and ADEW. Well, of course, we rehearsed these at length at the recent meeting of the Children, Young People and Education committee, and my views haven't changed. Indeed, they've only been reinforced. The following Monday, I was at an event where I sat next to two of our directors of local education authorities and both denied that they had any sight of that paper and were unaware as to whom had written it. But, clearly, I do take on board that if there is a lack of clarity from the association of directors or the WLGA, then we must redouble our efforts to work alongside them, and I hope that is happening today. There is a change board being chaired by the Welsh Government's director of education and I hope both ADEW and the WLGA are in attendance as the change board finally signs off on all the AoLEs. 

The Member asks whether I have considered globalisation. Globalisation is one of the driving factors about why we need to reform the curriculum. This is one of the reasons why we are having to do what we are doing, to ensure that we have equipped our children to be those competitors in a global world. The Member asks about whether issues around creativity and critical thinking are part of this process. I would refer the Member to the four purposes, the duty of which the Welsh Government and our schools will have at the forefront of our minds when developing individual curricula. 

Now, the Member does make a very important point about the ability of Welsh qualifications to be a passport to opportunities anywhere in the world and I am absolutely confident that by working alongside Qualifications Wales, who have the legal responsibility to create and to police those qualifications, we'll in no way be disadvantaging Welsh children and young people. Their ability to use these qualifications as a passport, as I said, to universities, work experiences, employment opportunities anywhere on the globe—they will not be stopped because of these qualifications. There may lots of other reasons why they can't go to places to work and study, but it won't be as a result of these curriculum reforms.