1. What action is the Welsh Government taking to support the mental wellbeing of teachers? OQ56460

Welsh Government continues to work with stakeholders to ensure support is available for teachers around Wales during this pandemic. This includes funding a tailored package of mental health and well-being support services for teachers and support staff, and providing additional funding to increase capacity in schools across Wales.

Thank you very much for that answer, Minister. The education sector has faced the most disruptive year in a lifetime, and time and time again teachers and senior leadership teams have been required to totally transform how they operate: online learning, virtual lessons, year group bubbles, key worker provision, exam grading, mass testing, monitoring well-being and adapting buildings. They've done all that they've done, and they've done that and more on top of their own personal situations. Some who have been doing online classes have also juggled that with home schooling their own children. The education workforce have been outstanding, but we cannot forget the impact on their own health and well-being. What further measures can the Welsh Government take to ensure that teachers and staff feel supported in their jobs over the coming months ahead, and what support is available for them to ensure that their own mental well-being is paramount? 

Thank you, Jayne, for recognising the tremendous effort of the education workforce throughout the pandemic. They have shown real innovation and resilience in the most difficult of times, and it is important that we recognise that we need to support them in their mental health and well-being. That's why we have engaged with Education Support, a charity organisation with expertise in supporting the well-being of teachers to deliver a programme of support during this academic year. That has included online facilitation of peer-to-peer support for headteachers, one-to-one support for headteachers delivered by counsellors, a dedicated schools and well-being service being set up, free online learning modules for staff themselves. And, indeed, this very evening there is an online webinar which over 400 education staff have signed up to in preparation for ensuring that they can enjoy their Easter break. I'd also like to commend the work of the National Academy for Education Leadership Wales that run weekly sessions that allow groups of two to three headteachers to provide peer-to-peer support, and to discuss the challenges that they're facing in a safe and secure environment.  

Jayne Bryant has raised a really important issue. Minister, in November, academics at Cardiff and Swansea universities published the results of a joint survey. They spoke to around 13,000 people; half of those were identifying with some degree of mental health issues, and 20 per cent said they were severely affected. This was particularly relevant to younger people and women and, of course, both of those groups are to be found within our primary school sector where there is a higher number of women involved there as teachers. What discussions have you had with the education system, with the trade unions about ways that these mental health issues can be addressed in future? In terms of recruitment, has any assessment been made about the potential effect on recruitment, because it strikes me that as we come out of the pandemic, the last thing we want is there to be a negative impact on recruitment into our primary schools? 

Thank you, Nick, for that question. My officials have weekly conversations with the trade unions, discussing a wide range of issues and, clearly, the well-being of school and support staff features strongly. The Welsh Government has had very positive feedback from the services that the Education Support charity has been able to put in place this year, and we will continue to reflect on what more we can do to support the profession throughout the pandemic, and the period following.

With regard to recruitment, what I can say, Nick, is that we have seen this year very strong recruitment to our initial teacher education programmes. I think the spotlight that has been put on the importance of education, and the crucial role that educators play in the life of children and young people and, indeed, supporting communities, has inspired very many people to think about a career in teaching, and I'm very pleased to see that.