5. Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Welsh in education workforce

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:30 pm on 24 May 2022.

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Photo of Jeremy Miles Jeremy Miles Labour 4:30, 24 May 2022

(Translated)

Well, I thank Huw Irranca-Davies for the question and for providing a spoiler for the S4C news coverage this evening. [Laughter.] I'm sure the viewing figures will go through the roof as a result of that spoiler.

Well, it was a special experience to be at Ysgol Llanhari this morning. I'd like to thank them for their welcome and for the invitation to be there with you, Huw. I had an opportunity, as you said, to have a conversation with some recently qualified teachers and who were enjoying their early careers at Ysgol Llanhari. I asked them what had encouraged them to choose a career in education, and just to hear their enthusiasm and what impact they can have on the lives of young people in ensuring that they get the best possible education. And doing that through the medium of Welsh, which is so exciting in terms of adding to the understanding of our young peoples, who are often from backgrounds where Welsh isn't spoken at home—that's the case more often than not, in fact—but also actually opening their eyes to Welsh-medium culture too, and hearing them talk about that was inspirational for me. So, if I were having a conversation with anyone else in Wales, I would echo what I heard from them this morning. It is an important choice, one of the most important choices that one can make to choose a career in education and in a school.

It was an excellent opportunity to see how much work they had done as an innovative school, leading the way on many of the important approaches to the new curriculum. And I know that he enjoyed as much as I did, the opportunity to sing, and he was dancing too. So, if anyone does watch the news on S4C this evening, they'll have an opportunity to see Huw Irranca-Davies dancing too. [Laughter.]