WALES’ education minister has vowed to tackle the “root causes” of antisocial behaviour in schools.

Plaid Cymru’s Anna Brychan was pressed on the Welsh Government’s plans to fix the issue by Reform MS Paul Marr on Wednesday July 1.

Referencing Plaid’s 100 day plan, Ms Brychan said the government will address the root causes of behavioural challenges, including “attendance, wellbeing and wider needs”, through a “co-ordinated whole system approach.”

She noted the importance of early intervention and aligning support services to “enhance learning environments”.

Welcoming Ms Brychan’s commitment to early intervention, Mr Marr said parents in his Ceredigion Penfro constituency want to know “why schools are increasingly being expected to deal with the threat of knife crime without proper resources.”

Calling on the Welsh Government to commit to funding preventable security measures and emergency response training, he noted: “Policies and plans, with respect, Minister, do not stop blades.”

Mr Marr also referred to his experience working in the prison service, where he said attacks on staff with bladed instruments became “a regular occurrence”.

He called for assurances for teachers from Ms Brychan that, with rising numbers of incidents, these attacks are “not expected to be their new norm”.

She said: “Every learner has the right to feel safe and know they belong in a school, are able to attend, participate and achieve.

“And the same is true of members of staff, and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our school workforce is equally a priority for us.”

Labour’s Shav Taj spoke of the importance of correctly framing the debate around antisocial behaviour in schools.

She said: “While challenging behaviour is obviously a real concern, we’re hearing very clearly from unions but also staff on the ground, that it is actually increasingly linked to unmet needs, particularly around mental health and additional learning needs as well.”

Ms Taj went on to emphasise the importance of ALN reforms and ensuring the right level of support is in place through “a person-centred, needs-led system”.

She continued: “What teachers and teaching assistants are continuously telling us is that too often they’re being left to manage increasingly complex needs without it.

“So while some may frame this purely as an issue of discipline, isn’t the reality that where needs aren’t being met early, those pressures are simply playing out and compounding in the classroom?”

Ms Taj asked how the Welsh Government plans to ensure mental health provision in schools is properly resourced, including school counselling and wider ALN support.

Ms Brychan responded saying her points are “exactly the reasons” the programme will look at “wellbeing, attendance, and wider needs through a co-ordinated whole-system approach.”

She added: “She [Ms Taj] touches on ALN; that is a wider issue in our system, and that’s precisely why we want to bring all of these areas together and to recognise the barriers to learning that are part of this area of concern for us, and that’s why we have framed our response in this way.”

Ms Brychan was also pressed for an update on the progress made so far towards introducing a foundational literacy and numeracy plan.

Reform MS David Mills told the Siambr that Estyn found roughly 20% of pupils leave primary school functionally illiterate – a figure he described as “frightening”.

He called for the minister to set out “a clear timetable” for bringing the plan forward, and how it will deliver “measurable improvements” in both literacy and numeracy.

Ms Brychan stressed the problem is not with Welsh learners, and said: “Our learners are able to achieve and have potential comparable to anywhere in the world. It isn’t the lack of a willing workforce either.

“It is, I think, a lack of understanding of the expectations around progression in literacy and numeracy, and that’s precisely why we are introducing this literacy and numeracy foundational plan.”

Ms Brychan reassured the member that she is working “at pace”, noting that on her second day in the job she wrote to schools to outline the Welsh Government’s work on the plan, promising an update at the end of the summer term, before the framework is introduced in the autumn.

Natasha Asghar, of the Welsh Conservatives, questioned the deputy minister on what steps the Welsh Government is taking to boost the number of apprenticeships in Wales.

Noting that university isn’t “for everyone”, Ms Asghar stressed the importance of apprenticeships as a route into the workplace for “those who want to earn and learn at the same time”.

Recalling a commitment from Plaid’s election manifesto, she noted the party promised to expand both work experience and apprenticeships.

However, Ms Asghar went on to share a conversation she had recently with Jane Blackwell – a franchisee of five McDonald’s restaurants in the Newport area – who noted that despite wanting to take on more apprenticeships she is limited to due to the strict criteria of the apprenticeship levy.

Ms Asghar said: “We have a situation here where a business owner with multiple sites is contributing towards the apprenticeship fund, but isn’t able to access it to take on her own apprentices; it is, frankly, absurd”.

She called on the deputy minister to commit to meeting with Jane to discuss the issue and “iron out the problems” to start getting more young people into work.

In response, Cefin Campbell – the deputy minister for skills and tertiary education – said the Welsh Government is currently investing £151 million in apprenticeships to support delivery across Wales.

He said: “We believe that apprenticeships are a cornerstone of Wales’s post-16 skills system and a key policy, as you mentioned, for economic growth, fair work and productivity.

“They provide high-quality routes into employment, supporting people of all ages and helping employers develop the workforce they need.”

The deputy minister agreed with Ms Asghar that the current apprenticeship offer needs changes to reflect both “changing economic needs and the needs of businesses”.

He added: “A new apprenticeship programme from August 2027 will deliver a more flexible and responsive model for employers and delivery partners, shaped by extensive engagement, led by Medr.

“Now, this reform should be seen as part of a wider drive to create clearer pathways, improve parity of esteem with academic routes, and strengthen alignment between skills and economic growth.”

A PEMBROKESHIRE school at threat of closure as part of education reorganisation in the south of the county is now expected to remain open following a call from the council’s deputy leader.

Stepaside CP School was being earmarked for closure by Pembrokeshire County Council, as part of proposals to establish a new 3-11 primary school on the Saundersfoot School site, discontinuing both Saundersfoot School and Stepaside school.

The Stepaside proposal was based on surplus places for all the schools in the proposals, with Stepaside having a surplus capacity of over 50 per cent, councillors had previously heard.

An e-petition on the council’s own website, started by Angela Robinson, called upon Pembrokeshire County Council “to Save Stepaside School and work with local communities to look at alternative solutions” attracting nearly 2,000 signatures.

In March, a vote at a full meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council reaffirmed the decision of last December, that the Director for Education be authorised to commence statutory consultation to discontinue Stepaside and Saundersfoot schools and establish the new three-11 primary school.

Since then, Pembrokeshire’s deputy leader, who has recently taken on Cabinet member responsibility for education, is now recommending the school doesn’t close.

That takes the form of a notice of motion, due to go before full council meeting on July 16 which, if approved by, rescinds the earlier December 2025 decision.

Cllr Miller said: “Following a thorough review, I have decided to recommend to Council that it not proceed with the closure of Stepaside School. I believe the school is providing good educational outcomes for its local population and is sustainable in its current form.”

The statement was welcomed by Angela Robinson of Standing Together for Stepaside School, who said: “After months of challenges for our dedicated staff, students, families, and the Kilgetty community, we’re thrilled to share that Stepaside School is here to stay!

“With 1,952 signatures backing our cause, we’ve shown just how vital our school is to the community. We’ve held meetings with council members and engaged our Senedd and Parliament representatives, resulting in countless discussions, reports and late nights trying to challenge an unfair process.

“Our community has truly rallied together, building stronger relationships along the way.”

Local county councillors Alistair Cameron and Alec Cormack, who both battled to keep the school open, said they were delighted by the decision, indicating their support for the motion.

Cllr Cameron said: “We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Mr Jones, Headteacher at Stepaside School, and all of his colleagues at the school for their continued dedication and hard work to the school children during this very unsettling time.

“Thank you also to the parents, governors and local residents for their magnificent support for our local school. I never believed it was right to consider closing Stepaside School with its modern building, stable pupil numbers of over 100 and excellent report from the school inspectors, Estyn.

“The school staff can now concentrate on what they do best, which is to provide excellent education in a caring and nurturing environment.”

Cllr Cormack welcomed the Cabinet decision: “This decision removes the cloud of reorganisation hanging over both Saundersfoot and Stepaside/Kilgetty. Now both head teachers, staff and governing bodies can continue to deliver excellent education to their local communities.”

PLAID CYMRU’S Rhun ap Iorwerth was challenged on budget decisions and the NHS in this week’s First Minister’s questions. 

Tuesday’s plenary also saw the First Minister face questions on biological sex and funding for children with additional learning needs.

There was disruption in the chamber as shouting broke out when the First Minister admitted he had met with Reform UK’s Welsh leader Dan Thomas.

In his questions to the First Minister, Mr Thomas pressed him to disclose if he had had any talks with other political parties, if there are any potential areas of compromise within the supplementary budget, and if he’d be willing to work with Reform.

The First Minister responded: “It really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody that I have met all leaders of political parties in this Senedd.

“When I speak of wanting to be a co-operative government, that means having conversations with leaders of Reform, the Conservatives, Labour, and the Green Party.

“I’m sorry if that’s come as a surprise to anybody.”

Mr ap Iorwerth said his government is “determined” to put in place their programme for government and recognises that to do so it will need cross-chamber support.

Leader of the opposition Dan Thomas began his questions to the First Minister by drawing attention to the “plight” of student nurses.

He called on Mr ap Iorwerth to share if any of the £145 million allocated to the NHS in the supplementary budget will be used to “guarantee student midwives and student nurses a job when they finish their training.”

Noting that there are “some things […] that money can’t buy”, the First Minister said the current problems facing graduates are due to “over-commissioning” in 2022.

He said: “There’s a specific problem that has arisen this year, which should not have arisen, but it has arisen because training numbers for this cohort who are looking for jobs in September this year were commissioned in 2022.

“Now, we are living now with the challenges posed by the over-commissioning back then.”

Acknowledging how “unsettling” the lack of jobs must be, the First Minister confirmed his health minister has started work on improving the outcomes for graduates.

Mr ap Iorwerth said: “We will help those graduating now to get jobs. They have careers in the NHS. We need them.

“But we have a problem that we face right now, which this government is working around to quite rightly support those who are worried in a way that they shouldn’t be, when they signed up to those courses in 2022.”

Funding for children with additional learning needs was once again at the forefront of discussions in the Siambr.

Interim Labour leader Ken Skates pressed the First Minister to say how much he expects to receive from the UK Government in additional learning needs consequentials between now and 2029.

Noting the importance of the prioritisation of government money, the First Minister did not provide a specific figure in response to the Labour member.

Instead he pledged to concentrate on helping “children in education, patients in the health service and families who need support with childcare.”

Answering his own question, Mr Skates said: “The answer is more than £0.5 billion – more than £0.5 billion that will come to the Welsh Government as a result of increased spending by the UK Government on additional learning needs. That is a huge additional sum that your government will be receiving. 

He added: “Every one of the 22 local authorities in Wales is calling for this year’s consequential to be passed to councils so that they can then pass it to schools for investment in children and in the teaching profession.”

He called on the First Minister share how much additional ALN funding he is willing to allocate in the supplementary budget.

Mr ap Iorwerth responded: “Those who have been in government will know that there are two sides of the ledger when it comes to budgets. There are consequentials, yes, from time to time, there are pressures, too.

“This government has inherited significant pressures, which have to be addressed – and we have inherited those pressures from previous governments – whilst taking a long-term and sustainable approach to the whole ALN system.”

The First Minister told the Siambr that the ALN pressures will be solved through “long-term thinking in developing policy” not by a one-off payment.

Natasha Asghar, the Conservative health spokesperson, pressed the First Minister to reveal what action the Welsh Government will be taking following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the “definition of biological sex”. 

Ms Asghar told the Siambr she was recently contacted by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board staff who had received a presentation titled ‘transcending boundaries, celebrating transgender awareness week and how to be an ally’.

She said: “I’m all in favour of diversity, but I would much rather NHS staff focus on patients and delivering care, than them being distracted by training sessions that do not improve patient care and frontline services.”

Ms Asghar said the staff who contacted her said they felt extremely uncomfortable with the session, describing it as highly sexualised and inappropriate.

She added: “I can’t say I blame them when you hear some of the presentation’s content.

“Part of the presentation involved a man talking about his genitals, alongside a photo of a rocket, and he states, and I quote, ‘No Viagra needed’.

“The presentation also includes a photo of a man when he was naked as a child. The presentation also talks about transgender bathroom issues and supporting men in women’s spaces.”

Ms Asghar asked the First Minister how the Welsh Government will ensure public bodies are following the law and “protecting women’s spaces”.

Noting the Supreme Court decision was not “a victory of one side over another”, the First Minister expressed the need for political leadership.

He said: “She [Ms Asghar] mentions ‘concerned members of staff’. We hear from very concerned trans people who feel that they are being disempowered and put at risk, even, by the current debate.

“And that, I think, is where political leadership comes from. I can’t comment on the particular material that she mentioned because I’m not aware of what it is. But that Supreme Court ruling wasn’t a victory of one side over another.

“I was listening at the time when the judgment was given. What it did usher in was a new era of the need for greater understanding between people who have divergent views.

“All of us have to be aware of that in trying to cool down the temperature on what has become a heated debate but also a very painful debate for many individuals.”

The First Minister was also quizzed on his government’s position on puberty blockers for under-18s, by Reform MS Paul Marr.

Mr ap Iorwerth said: “Where clinically appropriate, puberty suppressing hormones can be prescribed for children in Wales who started treatment prior to the UK Government’s order restricting their prescribing other than through the NHS, and to children accessing NHS gender services, as part of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence research study when that commences.” 

The First Minister said gender identity services in Wales will continue to be “led by the evidence.”

Suggesting the Cass Review highlights “significant uncertainties” around the “long-term safety” of puberty blockers, Mr Marr pressed the First Minister on the “specific steps” his government will take to ensure that “vulnerable young people are not subject to avoidable harm”.

Mr ap Iorwerth informed the Reform MS that the author of the Cass review is supportive of that research.

Mr ap Iorwerth added: “This is a careful study, an academic study, that is about reducing harm to children and young people.

“I would have thought that that is something that, as a whole, we would eager to sign up to.”