Agenda and minutes

1.1 The Chair welcomed Members to the meeting of the Children, Young People and Education Committee.

1.2 Apologies were received from Cefin Campbell MS, Sian Gwenllian MS substituted.

2.1 The motion was agreed.

3.1 The Committee considered the lawfulness of the Welsh Government’s proposed extension to the term of office of the current Chair of the Qualifications Wales Strategic Board to December 2015.

3.2 Members agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education for clarification on the issue.

3.3 Following the meeting, the Committee received a letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Education setting out that she had withdrawn her offer of an extension to the Chair of the Qualifications Wales Strategic Board’s term of office. The Committee consequently agreed that it was no longer necessary to write to the Cabinet Secretary.

Christopher Williams, Course leader, Primary ITE, University of South Wales [via zoom]

Dave Stacey, Director of Initial Teacher Education, University of Wales Trinity Saint David and representing the Athrofa's ITE partnership

Dr Sarah Stewart, Director of the PGCE programme in Wales, The Open University in Wales

Dr Angella Cooze, PGCE English Senior Lecturer & PGCE Secondary Programme Director, Swansea University Schools’ Partnership

4.1 The Committee heard evidence from teacher training providers.

4.2 The Open University agreed to provide further information regarding withdrawal rates from the Open University in Wales’ PGCE programme.

Rebecca Williams, Senior Language Skills and Workforce Planning Manager, Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol

Dona Lewis, Chief Executive, National Centre for Learning Welsh [via zoom]

5.1 The Committee heard evidence from Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and the National Centre for Learning Welsh.

Councillor Deborah Davies, Welsh Local Government Association Deputy Spokesperson for Education and Deputy Leader of Newport City Council and the Cabinet Member for Education and Early Years [Via Zoom]

Dr Lowri Brown, Vice Chair of Association of Directors of Education in Wales and Chief Education Officer, Conwy Council [Via Zoom]

6.1 The Committee heard evidence from the WLGA and ADEW.

7.1 The papers were noted.

7.2 The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing to raise the issues regarding perinatal mental health raised in papers to note 3 and 4.

8.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous evidence sessions.