4. Statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Renew and reform: Supporting learners' well-being and progression

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:50 pm on 26 May 2021.

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Photo of Jeremy Miles Jeremy Miles Labour 3:50, 26 May 2021

I thank Rhianon Passmore for that and for her continuing championing of the needs and interests of young people right across Wales, as well as her own constituency of Islwyn. I join with her in congratulating the educational workforce in the school that she mentioned and across Islwyn, indeed, across Wales, for the extraordinary efforts that they have shown over the course of the last 12 to 15 months, which have been, obviously, exceptionally challenging. But I think that teachers and the education workforce more broadly have shown great innovation, great compassion and great creativity in making sure that learners' experience is the best it can be in those extraordinarily challenging circumstances, and I shall be very grateful to accept an invitation if I receive one to visit the school.

She ended by talking about the area that I know has been incredibly close to her heart and that she's worked very hard to ensure we can all make progress on, and that's in relation to music provision in school. She and I have spoken a bit about this many times since we've both benefited from that, very much so, in our time at school. She will know the commitment that we have to introduce a national music service. It will be the privilege of my colleague Dawn Bowden to take that forward, but I look forward very much to working with her. I believe that the Member is meeting with her very shortly, and I shall be meeting with my colleague very shortly after that to support her and her work in taking that forward.