With regard to exams and assessment, I want to be certain that the decisions that we make now are in the best interests of all learners, and that means making sure that we do indeed learn the lessons from 2020. Unlike the Westminster Government, I have established an independent review to help us learn those lessons and to provide recommendations for how qualifications are assessed in 2021. Qualifications Wales will also be providing further advice about how assessment should be completed in 2021, given the continuing disruption of COVID-19 to those exam classes' education. I will look at both pieces of advice and then will make a decision immediately after the half-term break. I think it's important that that decision is taken whilst children are in school so that they can have the appropriate levels of support and information and conversations with their teachers.

Can I just say, acting Presiding Officer—? When Gareth Bennett makes the accusations that he does about standards in Welsh education and entrance to top-level universities, in 2019, Welsh students gained more top-level A-level results that any other part of the United Kingdom. We have record numbers of students applying successfully to read medicine, veterinary science, engineering at our very top universities. Our Seren programme has ensured that if you are a comprehensive-educated child in Wales, you are more likely to receive an offer from Cambridge university than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. And when you consider the challenges faced in some of our communities of ingrained poverty, that is no mean feat at all. And rather than denigrate Welsh teachers and students here this afternoon, we should thank them for their huge efforts in achieving those issues. Goodness, 'perish the thought' he said. Well, perish the thought that we should be a nation that wants to ensure that all of our children and young people can leave their education system speaking both languages. Perish the thought to have a Member in this place that doesn't see the value in having and creating an education system that allows our children to be bilingual. I think that's much more surprising than anything else that I've heard this afternoon.

Now, I also know that schools are concerned at this time about progressing the curriculum. We have recently published 'Curriculum for Wales: the journey to 2022'. While this shared expectation document doesn't require action at this time, it does provide clear direction towards curriculum reform. Publishing these expectations is an important milestone towards curriculum change, but, of course, under the current circumstances, schools should only use these to support their planning processes when their staff and learners are ready. We're also continuing to work on the content of the curriculum, and I'm clear that it should encompass the breadth of experiences and histories that make up Wales, and that's why we've appointed Professor Charlotte Williams OBE to lead a working group to advise and improve the teaching of themes related to black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and experiences, not just in history, but in all parts of the school curriculum.

Turing to Welsh-medium education, I can assure Members that I am fully committed to ensuring linguistic continuity from pre to post-16. Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol's post-16 plan details the short, medium and long-term actions required to make this a reality. Work has started on strategic projects in health and social care, childcare and public services to establish sound provision and to develop a network of support for tutors and commission resources specifically to embed Welsh-medium provision for our learners. In the apprenticeship sector, more Welsh-medium assessor training is being provided, and the success of the Welsh language awareness e-learning module, Prentis-Iaith, is way beyond our expectations. The coleg is also developing the HE infrastructure, providing academic grants to universities in STEM, health and social care, and social sciences, to name but a few. I'm also working to achieve a common understanding of the expected linguistic outcomes of learners. A review of current school definitions was undertaken last year, and I will be consulting on new non-statutory arrangements around school designations shortly.

But, of course, learning is not just about exams or the curriculum. The mental health and well-being of our learners particularly during this time is of primary importance. Consultation on the whole-school approach to emotional well-being framework guidance ended in September, and we intend to publish the final version of the framework towards the end of the year or in early January. This statutory guidance will support local authorities and schools in meeting their own well-being needs in a consistent and holistic fashion that promotes equity of access. It's also an important tool in tackling the short, medium and long-term response to COVID-19 by addressing the well-being needs of children and young people.

Acting Presiding Officer, mitigating the impact of this pandemic has been a major focus for me and this Welsh Government and we've worked closely with the sector to provide guidance and support to ensure that COVID-secure education can be delivered, and I'm extremely grateful to everyone for the way in which they have worked to ensure that learning has continued. Jenny Rathbone's contribution just highlighted perfectly the hard work that has been going on in our schools, our colleges and our universities.

We have strong foundations in place, and working together, we are determined to continue to raise standards, to reduce the attainment gap, and to deliver an education system that is a source of national pride and public confidence, and we're doing all of that in the face of a global pandemic. And once again, I want to put on record my thanks to those professionals working in the education system who are doing everything that they possibly can in the most trying of circumstances to ensure that our national mission is reached.