, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny of the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Yes. Thank you, Minister. You said about LAs prioritising, but, obviously, as we know, there are very tight budgets at the moment. And as you've probably seen, there's a letter from all the headteachers in Denbighshire saying that one of the things that…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny of the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
But also, it's welcome, obviously, that you've put £5 million for health boards to deliver the national child and adolescent mental health services school in-reach service. But how are you monitoring that it's getting to schools, and is there any way that…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny of the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Okay. Thank you. In terms of mental health support, as I travel around Wales, and as this committee has, and we've had evidence in this committee in this regard, it does differ significantly between schools as to how they're addressing mental health in their…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny of the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Thank you, Chair. Just following on from what Heledd Fychan just said about the learner travel Measure, and I concur with all of her thoughts on that, do you see the need for a Bill on school transport specifically, Minister? There are a lot of concerns about…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny of the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
That's very general. There are big differences between schools, aren't there, in terms of sporting facilities?
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny of the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Can I just come in on that? It's a really good question that those pupils had asked. At the moment, there's 1.5 hours in the timetable of physical activity for children and young people a week. Do you think that's sufficient? School facilities in terms of…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny of the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Just really quickly, I think it would be beneficial for committee, if possible, Minister, if you could just outline some of the things within that workforce plan that you are doing to encourage more people to come forward to teach in the medium of Welsh…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny of the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Okay. Thank you.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny of the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
That was their quote, yes.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny of the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Yes, that makes more sense, actually. My observation then, saying that they are in competition, is something that actually came from a union yesterday, an education union, not myself. Anyway, moving on—sorry, Minister. To what extent are factors such as the…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny of the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
—schools do feel in competition—. My question is: schools do generally feel in competition with each other, so are reluctant sometimes to share best practice, which is a shame, because we all want the same, the best for our learners. How do you think we…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny of the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Okay. Thank you, Minister. That project sounds encouraging. It's always hard to share best practice across Wales, especially with 22 different local authorities, and then you've got everything that cascades down from that, really—
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny of the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Thank you, Minister. The widening of the deprivation attainment gap has occurred at various measures despite over a decade of a stated focus by the Welsh Government on closing the gap and investment, such as the pupil development grant. For example, there is…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny of the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Thank you. Minister, how concerned are you that the attainment gap between pupils eligible for free school meals and their peers was already widening before the pandemic, and has continued to widen since? Why has this continued to happen over such a long…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
General scrutiny of the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Minister, however you dress this up, it's not a good outlook, is it? These are the lowest PISA results that Wales has ever had. It's below the OECD average. We're on a downhill trajectory, however you want to look at the figures. It's not a good picture after…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: Bovine TB
Thank you for your intervention. In Wales we have implemented more stringent controls on cattle movements over the years, yet the stats in some areas of Wales are worsening. They are worsening. If we don't control and eradicate our wildlife reservoir then…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: Bovine TB
I'd first like to start also by thanking Plaid Cymru for tabling this motion today. We wholeheartedly will be backing it as the Welsh Conservatives. Farmers have been let down for years over a solution to bovine TB, with sticking-plaster solutions when what…
, Plenary
90-second Statements
I'd like to speak to you today about a happy little boy called Ivor who has Angelman syndrome. This is a genetic disorder causing severe learning difficulties and issues with movement and balance. Most people with Angelman syndrome will never talk, and some…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
Thank you for your statement on this, Minister, but I do, however, have to agree with Adam Price on this. I feel like, once again, we are seeing the effects of an education budget that has been cut to the bone with nothing left to cut, and the end result is…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Minister, you say you've spoken at length with the sector; the protest, of course, outside says otherwise. So, this means one of two things: you have either failed to listen when meeting farmers and unions when drawing up these current proposals, or you have…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
7. What recent discussions has the Government had with the agricultural sector regarding the proposed sustainable farming scheme? OQ60741
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Economy: Policy Statement on Apprenticeships
Minister, thank you for your statement. Although, obviously, it's welcome that you've now had a rethink, and, of course, we're pleased to see that some of the cuts have been reversed, overall, Minister, however you dress it up—and you do attempt to dress it…
, Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
Diolch. Business Minister, I, too, would like to reiterate calls for a statement from the education Minister about the proposed changes to school holidays. The prioritisation of these plans by the Government is, quite frankly, an insult to all, considering…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
First Minister, firstly can I say I'm very glad to hear a Labour Member actually recognise this as a very real problem, which it is, and yourself, First Minister, because it is a massive problem throughout our schools? Last year, my staff and I uncovered that…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Yet, numbers are still going down, Minister, aren't they, compared to the rest of the UK? And those white, working-class boys in Wales are still at a massive disadvantage compared to their peers. Minister, once again, you have failed to address the failures…
