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.