Questions now from the party spokespeople. The Conservative spokesperson, Suzy Davies.

Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. First of all, Minister, can I just thank you for the statement you released just before we came to Plenary today? I'm sure you will be getting questions on school closures, but I'm actually going to focus my questions on post-16 education.

It does, however, inevitably mean beginning with a question about those studying for those key exams at ages 16, 17 and 18, as well as PGCE students, who have to complete their school placements in order to qualify. And your answer may also be relevant for childcare students, who are in placements perhaps, if not in a school, at least on a site that's shared with a school. If schools are going to close, or partly close, I think this timetable for getting students ready for their final exams and assessments is going to be significantly affected. We're hitting a time of year when, particularly at GCSE, controlled assessments for GCSEs are about to be conducted. It's got direct implications for pupils and teachers—whether they're absent or not absent. And even with supply teachers, there's a possibility, I suppose, of seconding qualified teachers back into the classrooms from other locations. It also has implications for exam boards and Qualifications Wales when it comes to marking and moderating results. So, what options are you considering now about exams due to be taken next term? Who are you talking to about this? And when can we realistically expect a decision on what might happen about either postponement or predicted grades, or any other alternatives? 

Can I thank Suzy Davies for that question? I very much appreciate that this is a source of stress and anxiety, primarily to those young people, who have been working so hard in preparation for external exams, as well as those teachers who've been working alongside them.

This morning, I met with Qualifications Wales and the WJEC to take advice on this matter. I am also in close contact with Gavin Williamson. I spoke to him yesterday, and I have spoken to him again this morning around the considerations that he is taking with regard to examinations and, yesterday evening, I spoke to John Swinney, the education Minister in Scotland. All three of us are grappling with the same issues, and I hope to make an announcement with regard to the examinations in the very near future. 

Well, thank you for that and for confirming that all the nations are working together on this. I think that absolutely does make sense, particularly when we're talking about exams taken in—it'll be year 13, won't it—for going on to further or higher education where there is greater competition, as we're not talking just about Wales.

On that subject though, I'm quite interested in what conversations you've had with further education and higher education and some work-based learning settings, but in particular higher education—what sort of steer you've had from both vice-principals and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales about how they're going to be approaching entry requirements for this autumn in a way that's equitable with cohorts in previous years, as regards standards for those entry requirements.

I'm wondering also if you could tell us a little bit about whether you've spoken to vice-principals and the Student Loans Company about their attitude to the finances of students who are going to be deprived of supervised study—and I mean, supervised study—by individual universities' decisions to close. 

First of all, can I say that any decision that I take with regard to the examinations will have at its heart the principle of fairness and equity to young people? It is not their fault that they find themselves in this situation. Their efforts should not be constrained or affected negatively by the situation and we want to make sure that we deal with them fairly and equitably, but also in a robust way as well, so that they can have confidence in the system, going forward. 

Discussions have taken place between, I understand, all of the UK versions of Qualifications Wales and close discussions with UCAS, as well as Universities UK, about how we can manage this situation together. Obviously, this has potentially an impact on universities and their recruitment to programmes starting in the autumn. So, there is a joined-up, co-ordinated approach between individual exam bodies, the regulators, Ministers, as well as universities and UCAS itself.  

Well, thank you for that answer. I, along with other spokespeople here, I think, will also be contacting members of the higher education sector to look a little bit further than that again, particularly on this issue of how student loans are going to be affected by the fact that some students are basically having at least one term taken out of their programme of study, and I think there's a question of equitability there as well. 

Just to close though, and it's in the same space really, it's just about a year until this Assembly dissolves, and you have two major pieces of legislation slated for your portfolio, and if we're going to be working on the precedent from this Government, I'm anticipating that both of those will be pretty much framework Bills, which will require full scrutiny, both on the thoroughness of policy development and on the quality detail of likely content of any regulations that will be used subsequently to the passing of the primary legislation to complete it. And I'll be upfront at this stage, I can't see myself supporting any truncating or reduction of time required for this legislature to carry out its primary purpose of thorough scrutiny of legislation.

Now, we're all at the mercy of reduced capacity, as a result of the coronavirus. Legislation to activate the new curriculum is time-sensitive and already delayed for reasons we understand, but it still needs our full attention and maximum support in terms of tested evidence to command confidence. And I really doubt that we can give it that attention if we're also being asked to give equal attention to the very complicated legislation, which fundamentally changes the regulation of FE and HE, with all its implications for standards. So, it's not that post compulsory education and training is unimportant, but it's not as time sensitive.  

And on the basis that I suspect that you're not minded to postpone that Bill until the next Welsh Parliament, can you guarantee, firstly, that you will not be asking to reduce the timetables for scrutiny of both Bills regardless of coronavirus and, secondly, should this Parliament decide that it cannot accommodate proper scrutiny because of coronavirus, that you will consider dropping the post-compulsory education and training Bill in the fifth Assembly?

It was remiss of me, Presiding Officer, not to address Suzy Davies's questions with regard to the student loan company. We are working closely with the student loan company to ensure that advisers are available to respond to students and universities, seeking assurances in relation to their studies and finances.

I should also make it clear that universities are doing the very best they can to move to a system where they can continue to provide education to their students, looking at remote lectures and matters of that kind. So, they're working very hard across the sector to be able to provide as much continuity to students as possible.

With regard to the timetabling, in some ways, I am at the mercy of the Standing Orders within this Chamber. My—it's not mine, is it, but the—[Inaudible.]—legislation is with the Presiding Officer at the moment, going through the usual processes that we do before formal introduction here in this Chamber. And I'm sure we would all want to work together, if we can, to deliver what is a very important and significantly—actually, a radical piece of legislation, which I think will bring greater coherence to our post-compulsory education and training sector, which I think is much needed, and I would hope that we can all work together to make sure that that happens.

Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Siân Gwenllian.

Thank you very much. Could I also welcome the announcement that you made at 1 o’clock today that schools will close for statutory provision? But, of course, we need clarity urgently and clear guidelines from you for the schools about what the definition will be now of a school—what the role of our schools will be as we move forward. They won't need to do the statutory provision, but they have a key role in ensuring that our key workers in public services, including the health service of course, can continue to have support for their children and also the most vulnerable children and those on free school meals. We need those clear guidelines.

A word about the examinations, which Suzy has referred to: I think that the time has come now to say very clearly that we need to get rid of the exams—to postpone them in terms of the GCSEs and A-levels, with the intention of holding them at another time or to adjust the needs. You've mentioned previously, for example, using predicted grades for access to universities. I think the time has come now to move the pressure that's involved with that and the work that teachers feel that they have to do in relation to exams. If that pressure is lifted from them, then it's possible for the schools to be able to give the focus where it's needed and where we agree it should be.

So, I'd just like to ask a few questions about that. What will be the new definition of a 'school'? How are the schools going to ensure that they reach the most vulnerable children in order to give them that support? What are the guidelines for the schools that have already closed? We know that many schools have already closed—will they be expected to be reopen in their new role? And, of course, child safety issues—how is that going to come into or be included in the new definition of a school?

Presiding Officer, as the Member rightly identified, at 1 o'clock this afternoon, I announced that we are bringing forward the Easter break for schools in Wales, which means that schools will close for statutory provision this Friday, 20 March. From next week, schools indeed will have a new purpose—a purpose that is not dissimilar to the one that Siân Gwenllian described. A purpose to ensure that our most vulnerable children are supported during this difficult time, with a particular emphasis on those children who usually would access free school meals and also our children with additional learning needs, for whom attendance at school is an important part of keeping their well-being as good as it can be.

We also have to address the needs of those parents who are at the front line of tackling this public health emergency and that, it's true, does include doctors and nurses, but that list of people who are at the front line of keeping this country going goes well beyond those dedicated medical professionals who are working in our hospitals. So, for instance, social care and domiciliary care workers, as well as others who are ensuring that there is food in our supermarkets and basic local services continue to be maintained. We are already working—I, the First Minister and Cabinet colleagues met with the leader of the Welsh Local Government Association again this morning to explore with him what provisions we will be taking.

Of course, this is not something that is completely new to us. We will be building on the strong foundations and the very, very positive experiences of some of our Food and Fun schemes, which local authorities are well used to running, and we will be identifying with our colleagues in local government key sites and key personnel that can help us ensure that meeting the needs of the most vulnerable children and the needs of those workers that we want out there on the front line can be addressed in the coming weeks. 

Thank you very much. We are very grateful, of course, to the teachers and the other staff in our schools in this period. They are also key workers and their role is expected to change as they move forward, and we appreciate that great flexibility that is going to be needed now.

So, could I ask you about the teachers and the assistant teachers? What will be their role in the new arrangements if the definition of schools changes, or are you still expecting them to be open as much as they can be? What will be the role of the teachers? Will there be a role for supply teachers in this new system? You will know that some of them will be very eager to continue to work because they work for agencies, and perhaps they are going to be short of money. So, there is a specific role there. And what about the people who have teaching qualifications but who are not involved in the schools at present? Maybe they work in the consortia or in other areas, and you mentioned that briefly. So, could you expand a little on that, please?

Educational professionals have indeed been on the front line and holding the line as this country faces this epidemic, and I want to take this opportunity to thank them, each and every one of them, for what they have been doing, often in very difficult and stressful circumstances. Even when they have been worried about, perhaps, their own loved ones, they have had their pupils front and centre in their minds and have been absolutely dedicated in trying to provide as normal as possible an experience for our children and young people at this very worrying time. And as I said, they've been doing that under great, great pressure, for which I am very grateful. 

Of course, there will be a continuing role for teachers and teaching assistants, and we are in daily contact—my department is—with the teaching unions to discuss how best to take things forward. I met yesterday with the Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services to talk about the role of youth workers in this scenario. As I said, I earlier met with the leader of the WLGA to look at the plethora of professional staff that we have within our local authorities with the skills and the aptitude to be able to assist us as we move forward. I will update Members as those plans develop, but there is a role for everybody who has the appropriate qualifications, skills and knowledge to be working with our children at this time. 

Thank you. I just want to return to a couple of things that haven’t been answered. I've asked them already—I’m sorry, I’ve asked you a lot of questions, I know—but I think this is important. What are the guidelines for the schools that have already closed? We know that there is a list of schools that have told parents that they’ve already closed this week. Will they be expected to reopen in their new role? And then, in terms of the new role of the school, how will you be dealing with complex safety issues for children, to ensure that the children who still go to school will still be secure within the education settings at present?

I have to be absolutely clear to Members, I do not anticipate that, at the end of this extended Easter recess, we will be in a position to go back to schools as normal. I cannot give any guarantees and that should be nobody's expectation. So, we will not be expecting, nor do I envisage, that every school will be open. We will be working with local government partners to identify certain sites where these services can be organised and offered, but it is not my expectation that every single school will be opening and functioning as normal at the end of this Easter recess. Clearly, we will be keeping that situation under constant review, but we will be looking to work with local authorities to have the most pragmatic management of our resources as possible as we face this unprecedented pressure.