8. Will the Minister provide an update on the role of regional education consortia? OQ56783

Regional consortia play a central role in supporting schools to improve and deliver the new curriculum, including through professional learning and direct engagement. I am meeting with the consortia this week to discuss how they can continue to best support schools as we renew and reform education in Wales.

Thank you for that answer, Minister. Unfortunately, as you'll be aware, Education through Regional Working, or the ERW regional education consortium, is in a bit of a mess. Senior councillors from member authorities have been scathing in the press about the organisation, with Swansea Labour Councillor Jennifer Rayner describing working with ERW over the last few years as being extremely difficult, and Neath Port Talbot Labour Councillor Rob Jones—in your own constituency, Minister—even going so far as to say,

'I have a belief that more and more people are realising that the education consortiums, as they stand, are currently not fit for purpose in delivering education improvements.'

To compound things further, we now know Neath Port Talbot has withdrawn from the consortium, and Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Swansea councils have all issued withdrawal notices to state their intention to withdraw from this consortium too, meaning that four out of the six councils involved have either withdrawn or say they will do so.

So, can the Minister inform the Senedd how the relationships between ERW and its member councils collapsed so disastrously? Does the Minister agree with his colleague in Neath Port Talbot that the consortia are currently not fit for purpose? Can he update us on any future plans for regional consortia in these areas?

Well, I think, given the scale of the challenges faced by all in the education system as we renew and reform after the pandemic, regional, collaborative and co-ordinated working has to be a key feature of how we support schools across Wales. I think that kind of working will be at its most effective when it is voluntary and driven by local authorities with a clear shared vision of its benefits; that's not the only way of doing it, but I think it's the best way of doing it. So, I want to encourage that, wherever possible, and encourage the local authorities in the ERW region, of course, to continue together to work in that spirit.

I'm obviously aware of ongoing discussions and changes to regional working in the ERW region. I think that principle of collaborative working is very important, and I would wish to see that continue. My officials are continuing to engage with all of the six local authorities in south-west and mid Wales in order to understand their plans, and to ensure they'll continue to be able to deliver on our expectations, as a Government, in their support for education reform.

I thank the Minister.