6. Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Tackling the impact of poverty on attainment

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:26 pm on 28 March 2023.

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Photo of Heledd Fychan Heledd Fychan Plaid Cymru 4:26, 28 March 2023

(Translated)

Thank you, Minister, for this afternoon’s a statement. Clearly, this does follow a discussion that we had last week on this issue, where we were emphasising how crucial it is that we do look to ensure that there is equality of opportunity for everyone, wherever they are in Wales and whatever their background, and we know that that isn’t currently the case, and there are a number of steps here that can certainly be welcomed. We also know, of course, in terms of all of the evidence, that, in pupil absence, there is a clear link between poverty and absence, and one of the things I warmly welcome is the ongoing funding with the engagement officers to work with families. I would like to ask—. I see that there has been an increase in that regard—I just wanted to know how you will monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of those programmes. Certainly, the response from schools has been positive, in terms of those that I visited, where this has been enabled, and I think this will be warmly welcomed by them.