I thank the Deputy Minister. Item 5 is next, and that's a statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language on our national mission. And I call on the Minister, Jeremy Miles. 

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. Our national mission action plan was published in 2017. Since that time, we have made great strides in education. Amongst many other things, we are rolling out the Curriculum for Wales, implementing a new additional learning needs system, and establishing the commission for tertiary education and research. I am proud of what we have achieved, but we must continue to look ahead and plan for the future. So, I am very pleased to introduce our new road map for education—high standards and aspirations for all. This sets out our priorities for education, and the timetable for delivery this Senedd term.

For the first time, we are setting out a coherent and cohesive road map, which covers the breadth of education in and for Wales, from early years to post-16 and beyond, because our education system should span a lifetime of learning.

Dirprwy Lywydd, it's designed to be a useful tool for practitioners, providing a timeline for our plans and coherence across the portfolio. Our ambitions for education are unchanged: our national mission is to achieve high standards and aspirations for all, and we will do this by tackling the impact of poverty on educational attainment and supporting every learner. The document doesn't simply address what I see are the issues in education. By speaking to teachers and support staff, lecturers and our learners, I know that they are keen to ensure well-being, equity and diversity in education. We've also drawn on the experience and expertise of other nations and organisations, gleaning best practice and ideas from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Atlantic Rim Collaboratory, and plans from Estonia, Ireland, New Zealand, and others. And I am determined not to allow the pandemic and any potential long-term consequences to compound the effects of poverty on educational outcomes. The Welsh Government will commit to this.

We will ensure equity of outcomes for all children and young people in education. With the objectives and actions laid out in this document, I believe that we will achieve this. The marker of an equitable and excellent system is that every learner and citizen benefits from a broad and balanced curriculum. This is embodied in the Curriculum for Wales and its four purposes. The road map we are publishing now highlights our joint priorities to ensure the success, high standards and well-being of all learners. It sets out the six objectives we believe will help us achieve those priorities. These are: learning for life; breaking down barriers; a positive education for everyone; high-quality teaching and leadership; community-based learning; and Cymraeg for all.

This cannot be achieved by Government alone. We will work with providers and employers, and empower learners and communities to develop strong relationships with education providers. We will guarantee career-long professional learning and support for all staff, and promote well-being and resilience for everyone in education. We also share the responsibility of ensuring a prosperous future for our language. I believe that schools and the wider education system are our most effective tool for creating new speakers and re-engaging learners. With local authority Welsh in education strategic plans, we have a firm basis for planning growth in the language for the next decade. We will continue to innovate in the use of digital technology, as it's a crucial tool in promoting bilingualism, supporting lifelong learning, and raising attainment.

These are exciting times for education in Wales. We are in the middle of a reform programme from reception to year 11. We are focused on its successful roll-out and developing new GCSEs to support the new curriculum. Vocational qualifications and the wider 16 to 18 offer is also under review. Transformational reforms to post-16 education are also in train, and need to be aligned so that we can maximise the benefit to learners in Wales, from the early years to adults seeking a second chance. This is really important as we move towards the establishment of the commission for tertiary education and research. The commission will be responsible for the strategic planning and funding for post-16 education and research, which includes sixth forms, further education colleges, higher education, work-based learning, apprenticeships, and adult learning. This whole-system approach to tertiary education will help us narrow educational inequalities, expand opportunities, and raise standards. Our tertiary reforms will support the different but complementary strengths of all institutions. In this way, learners of all ages will have access to the full range of opportunities, and will be able to contribute economically, academically, and to our communities.

We want and need an education system that works together, making the transition from one stage of learning to the next seamless, adapting quickly to changes in the world and in technology. This new road map brings together our policies and ambitions for education. We'll continue to tackle the impact of poverty on attainment, and provide all learners with the knowledge, skills and experiences to be healthy, educated and enterprising citizens of Wales and the world. Wales has a rich cultural heritage, which includes a high regard for learning, and we are building on this. I believe that this road map is strengthening those foundations, which will help us lead to a prosperous, fairer and equitable future.

Thank you, Minister, for bringing forward today's statement—our national mission. As we know, the Welsh Government launched their education national mission back in 2017, which had big aspirations for the people of Wales. The aim of the national mission was to raise standards, reduce the attainment gap and deliver an education system that is a source of national pride and confidence. On these sides of the benches, we share this aspiration wholeheartedly and want to see the best educational outcomes for the people of Wales, and, as you state in your statement, Minister, we must achieve high standards and aspirations for all. In addition to this, we support the need to ensure equity of outcomes for all children and young people in education, which is also raised in your statement today. 

The first point that I'd like to raise today, Minister, is that, when we look closer at educational standards in Wales, we continue to lag behind our counterparts in England. Since this national mission was announced, we have continued to see the attainment gap widen, whilst the Programme for International Student Assessment rankings show that educational standards in Wales are not rising quickly enough. Therefore, Minister, what assurances can you give that, going forward, we will see more positive outcomes from your national mission, resulting in better education outcomes for the people of Wales?

Secondly, Minister, concern on these sides of the benches has been the roll-out of the new Curriculum for Wales. On these sides of the benches, we believe that this new curriculum was rushed out too quickly and should have been delayed. In light of this, what assessment have you made of the roll-out of this curriculum, and were there any lessons to have been learnt? 

Thirdly, Minister, a key failure that we see on these sides of the benches is the Welsh Government's attempted reforms regarding additional learning needs. Many would argue that these reforms have not been successful. Regretfully, many children across Wales are being identified as having additional learning needs later than they should be. This results in children being placed on long waiting lists before actually having access to schools that provide for special educational needs and disability, only then for those same schools to state that they do not have the funding resources necessary to deliver adequate tuition for pupils with additional learning needs. Therefore, Minister, going forward, what guarantee can you give that this national mission programme will ensure that those with additional learning needs, along with their families, receive the help and support that they deserve? 

The final point I'd like to raise today, Minister, concerns teachers. In your statement, you say that you are speaking with teachers and support staff, which is always welcomed. But a key concern of mine when I speak to teachers and those in other education sectors is the shortage of teachers in key STEM subjects, such as chemistry and physics, which I have brought up previously in this Chamber. As I am sure you will agree with me, Minister, STEM subjects are vitally important for our future workforce and the prosperity of our country, therefore, what assessment have you made of the shortage of science teachers in both English and Welsh language-medium schools, and what action will you take to rectify it? Thank you. 

I thank the Member for his questions. He will know from my statement and from other statements that I have made that, closing the attainment gap between those students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers is a key priority for me, as I just outlined in the statement. He somewhat misrepresents the experience in relation to the attainment gap since the publication of the national mission. Actually, there was progress at a number of cohort points, which, unfortunately, the experience of COVID has halted, and in some cases, reversed. The impact of COVID has been similar in different parts of the UK, and I daresay, probably internationally as well. But what he will have seen in the statements that I made last year and the updates I've given since then—and he will be aware that I'm giving an update to the Chamber next week in relation to our policy initiatives in this area—is a whole-system approach to focusing on making sure that every single learner, regardless of their background, has the same access to an excellent education and is encouraged to have not only high standards, but also high aspirations.

He refers to PISA. He will know that the 2022 PISA results will be a baseline from which we can review trends going forward. It's one part of a much broader programme of monitoring and evaluation; an important part, no doubt, but only one part of that. We are looking at how we measure success across the system, as he will know, in terms of what we evaluate, and I set out our approach to that and the next steps that we are taking to that, to the Senedd at the end of January, as he will be aware. 

He may have wanted the Curriculum for Wales to be delayed; I think that underestimates the enthusiasm and commitment that schools and teachers and teaching assistants have for the curriculum right across Wales. He will know that we are about to debate, later on this afternoon, the Estyn report for 2021-22, and he will know from having read that, no doubt, that Estyn provides an assessment of the roll-out of the Curriculum for Wales and demonstrates good practice and commitment in relation to doing that. Understandably, there is a level of variation across the system that is generally not isolated in relation to curriculum roll-out, but relates to other features that some schools have also found challenging as well, and those schools, as he will know, will be getting specialist support in relation to those particular areas.

Similarly, in relation to the roll-out of the additional learning needs reforms, which have been, I think, very, very widely welcomed, obviously introducing a reform of such magnitude, which involves such change across the system—there is a huge amount of effort that practitioners and organisations are making in order to ensure those reforms are a success, and I pay tribute to them for the incredible work and commitment that they are investing in this work. We have substantially increased the funding available to schools, as he will be aware, both from a capital and revenue point of view, in order to help smooth the transition, and I’ll be making announcements in the coming days about further support that we intend to provide for practitioners in order to make sure that the ALN reforms are a success for each individual learner, as we need them to be.

Thank you, Minister, for the statement this afternoon. Certainly, you’ll get our full support in terms of the aspiration in securing high standards and aspirations for all. And certainly, one of the things that we have seen, and you’ve already mentioned this, is that we do have to acknowledge the problems that do arise from COVID, and the impact that that is having since the launch in 2017. One of the things that concerns me, as we haven’t had an independent inquiry into COVID here in Wales specifically, is, clearly, in Scotland they’re looking at the impact of COVID on education, and children and young people have been a big part of that, and I do think that we don’t fully understand the full picture here in Wales. Some work has been done, but not to the same extent.

I think we’re still seeing the impact of COVID in many of our schools now. General practitioners, for example, speak of the concerns that they have in terms of children and young people who aren’t attending school, and the impact that that has, for all sorts of reasons. It can be because of mental health problems that were exacerbated during COVID, and then they don’t feel comfortable in going back to school. Perhaps they haven’t received support in terms of additional learning needs, and have missed out there. There might be a whole host of reasons, and they do have grave concerns, specifically in terms of the most vulnerable people in our communities, and the impact that not going to school will have.

You will also be aware of the inquiry carried out by the Children, Young People, and Education Committee in terms of pupil absence, and I do think that it’s one thing, what we can do within schools to support pupils in school, but, as the children’s commissioner has mentioned, we do have to recognise that attendance levels aren’t back to where they were pre COVID, and that it’s still a concern that many see school as being optional, and also we’re seeing that the cost-of-living crisis is a barrier for some in actually getting to school. We’ve had so much evidence from people saying that they can’t afford the bus fare, and that there are a whole host of reasons why our most vulnerable pupils and learners are missing out on going to school in the first place. So, whilst recognising the excellent work that is happening in our schools, I think the major question that we still haven’t answered yet is: how do we ensure that those attendance levels are raised and that we do get the pupils in school to take advantage of these proposals? Certainly, in terms of some elements here in closing the gap, what I would ask is: we do have plans in place, but how are we going to deliver against those plans if there are still so many barriers preventing learners from being in school?

If I could ask some specific questions on the 16 to 25 cohort in the road map, you mention the opportunities for them to learn Welsh language skills, or to use the Welsh language, but there isn’t much reference, from what I see, in terms of developing specific Welsh language apprenticeships, and we know how important enabling that particular cohort to use the Welsh language in the workplace is. So, perhaps you could provide us with more information on that. You also mentioned leadership, and in your statement you said that this was a positive time in terms of education. But we also know of the huge challenges that exist within the sector. We know that teachers and classroom assistants have been on strike recently, they have been fighting for fair pay, but they are also talking about workload. We see that the numbers of applicants for initial teacher training courses are down. So, how are we going to ensure—? The emphasis in your statement is on ensuring that high standards and aspirations for all are in place, which includes learners but also staff. So, how are we going to resolve that issue? Because there is still a feeling of dispute in many schools because of workload. Whilst I warmly welcome the new curriculum, I am concerned about the workload and all of the additional challenges that our teachers face.

I would also like to ask you in terms of the Welsh in education Bill. Now, you mentioned that Welsh is clearly an important part of this. But, in terms of the Welsh in education strategic plans, how important will the Bill be in terms of delivering this specifically? The main thing that I take from this, I think—. There is nothing to oppose in what you have said, but the main issue is: how are we going to ensure that equality of opportunity for everyone? It's not clear for me as yet—given all of the challenges that we face in terms of child poverty levels, which are increasing, and in terms of absence levels being so high amongst some in schools—how we are going to deliver this. I fear that this is just words on paper, and many of our vulnerable pupils will miss out on the education that they need to develop into confident adults. 

Thank you very much to the Member for those questions and for listing the challenges. I’m sure she is eager too to celebrate the successes in our education system and all of the work being done in our classrooms on a daily basis to provide the best possible education for our young people. I’m sure that she would acknowledge that too.

In terms of her specific questions, I'll do my best to respond to at least some of them. The impact of COVID on schools, of course, is significant. The Estyn report that we will be discussing later on this afternoon gives an analysis of some of the impacts on our schools.

We have succeeded in the coming financial year in increasing what we had intended to contribute to the fund that supports schools to deal with the impacts of COVID. We were expecting to have to decrease that, but, because the impact was so significant, we have been able to maintain that fund, and it's clear from the analyses that have been done across the United Kingdom that the funding and the ways of spending that money that we have provided here in Wales is on the more generous end of the scale with regard to the interventions across the UK, and that they have been invested in the most progressive ways.

In terms of attendance, this is a significant challenge, as the Member said in her question. She will know about the work that we have done in terms of the review by Meilyr Rowlands to look at what more we can do. As part of that, we are updating the requirements and the guidance for schools with regard to how to tackle that. The current threshold for further support for families where children are absent is higher than perhaps it should be in the context that we are currently working in. So, one of the things that we hope to do is lower that threshold before we provide additional support for families.

She'll see that we have announced recently funding to support local authorities to fund officers to work with families to encourage them to send their children back to school and to work with the children themselves to ensure that the relationship is renewed and to attract young people back to school after a period that has been very difficult for them. So, it’s a relationship of trust and tailored support, and I think that that’s the way of ensuring and delivering that, but additional support is needed by the system for that, and that’s the purpose of the investment that I've described.

In terms of post-16 provision, that’s an important element. I will say that the intention of this document isn’t to list every policy that the Government is committed to, but to give a timetable for the main things that have a requirement of the profession, if you will. But she will be aware, from the work that we have done jointly with Plaid Cymru as part of the co-operation agreement, that significant investment has been made into the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. One element of the coleg's work that is so valuable is what they do to increase the provision of apprenticeships through the medium of Welsh, but, of course, there is more to do in that regard too.

In terms of workload, it's right to say that this is a cause of concern for many teachers. We have been working creatively and positively with the teaching unions over the past few weeks to be able to achieve the plans that have been in train for some time to decrease the workload and to do that in a way that is co-ordinated across the system. So, I very much hope that members of the unions will approve the proposals that have been made, but we have a programme of work that I am confident will improve the situation in terms of workload for practitioners the length and breadth of Wales.

She'll know already, of course, that there is an important role for the Welsh language in education Bill in providing a clearer framework in terms of what local authorities will provide in terms of strategies, and I'll be able to see more about that jointly with Cefin Campbell over the coming weeks.

Thank you, Minister, for your statement. There are a couple of things that I'd like to pick up on. Firstly, it was really good to welcome you to Perthcelyn Community Primary School in Mountain Ash a few weeks ago. The school has received just over £66,000 in Welsh Government funding this year for a variety of external improvements. Ensuring the development of sustainable and welcoming learning environments for all is a key objective for Welsh Government, so how do you see this aligning with and being incorporated into the national mission?

There was also a chance at Perthcelyn to see some of the excellent work the school does around tackling the impact of deprivation, with its local area being noted as being affected by deep-rooted deprivation, according to the Welsh index of multiple deprivation. The Welsh Government has put in place lots of positive interventions to help with the impact of poverty, so how are you ensuring that work to promote equality of outcome is at the core of the mission?

Finally, I note your comments about ensuring a prosperous future for the Welsh language. With that being the case, it's good to note that the Welsh Government funded £12 million—[Inaudible.]—extension—[Inaudible.]—for pupils and grow Welsh language provision. What other measures is the Welsh Government taking to nurture Welsh-medium and bilingual provision?

I thank the Member for her questions. I didn't quite catch the entirety of the last question, but I think I had the thrust of it, so I will do my best to respond to it. Thank you, firstly, for inviting me to attend, with her, Perthcelyn school. I found it an incredibly inspiring visit, and meeting the head and the pupils and some of the staff there, I saw a school that was committed to giving each individual learner the best possible start in life, and that is what we want for all our children in Wales.

She's right, of course, to say that the school has benefited from capital investment to what is already a very beautifully designed school, if I may say, and with a focus on sustainability. When I was at the school, I was able to announce a package of £60 million—£50 million for schools, £10 million for colleges—to improve sustainability, energy efficiency and their contribution to the net-zero ambitions that we have. They are fundamental to our national mission.

She will know that all new school investments funded through the sustainable communities for learning programme from 2022 onwards will be a net-zero school, which is very important. I hope to be saying in the next few days something more about our sustainable schools challenge, which she will remember was the opportunity for authorities to bid for funding for schools to be designed and constructed using natural materials, and designed—importantly, from the point of view of her question—with learners at the heart, and that the learners' role in helping to design the school is a curriculum opportunity. So, there's a holistic way in which commitment to sustainability can be at the heart of our curriculum, and any of us who visit schools in our constituencies will know just how passionate young people are about issues around sustainability, addressing climate change, and that manifests itself in a range of ways.

She asked about the commitment to equality of outcome, and I just want to emphasise how important it is that we redouble our efforts, right across our education system, to make sure that every learner's journey is one of equity as well as excellence. I recently appointed, as I think she will know, a group of attainment champions who've been working with schools across Wales to share best practice and to learn from one another around strategies to effectively tackle the impact of poverty on attainment, and I’m very excited about the potential of this to help us spread best practice throughout our education system. There isn’t a head in Wales who isn’t committed to giving every single learner in their charge the best possible start in life, but some find that harder than others for different reasons, and they’re often very understandable reasons. Our responsibility is to make sure that we support them to have the best access to the resources and the guidance that they need to deliver that for their young people.

I think her last question was in relation to investment in Welsh-medium education, and she will know that, as part of our capital funds, we’ve obviously invested very significantly in the fabric of our Welsh-medium estate, but there is an opportunity, I think, partly through the Bill that we hope to introduce, working together with Plaid Cymru, to make sure that every single young person’s experience of education in Wales, whether they choose a Welsh-medium school, a bilingual school, or an English-medium school, is one that, over time, we can be confident gives each young person a level of confidence in speaking Welsh, so that our system, whichever medium school, is united around that goal of equipping our young people with a skill in one of our national languages.

And finally, Sioned Williams.

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd, and thank you for your statement, Minister. In your statement, you make a great deal of reference to the central role of reforms in the post-16 sector to the national vision for education, and we in Plaid Cymru were pleased that the steps to establish the commission for tertiary education and research was part of our co-operation agreement with the Government. I asked you last week to explain the delay in terms of appointing a chief executive to the new commission, because a chair and vice-chair had been in place for some months now, but I didn’t get a clear response, and the closing date for that particular post was back in November. Given the great importance of the role in shaping the form and vision of the new commission, which—in your words—will steer the whole-system approach that you want to see in terms of tertiary education, which will help to reduce educational inequalities and expand opportunities and raise standards, will you confirm when we will have an announcement on the appointment of a new chief executive, or will you explain why that hasn’t yet been possible?

I agree with the Member on the important role of the commission and of the vision that we share in terms of the contribution of the commission to reforming post-16 education in all parts of Wales, and I will refer her to the response that I gave last week on the specific question that she’s asked.

I thank the Minister.