WELSH Labour leadership candidate Jeremy Miles has said that a Welsh Government under his leadership will do more to help working class boys thrive and achieve their full potential.

Mr Miles said he firmly believes every child’s capacity to aspire is equal. To help every child realise their potential, a government he leads will continue to have unapologetically high expectations in education. To deliver that, he is committed to progressively increasing the share of the Welsh Government budget spent on schools.

As Welsh Labour Minister for Education, Miles has supported schools to open their doors to parents and carers to learn how to cook low-cost meals, and understand more about financial maths and internet safety through the community focused schools programme – all of which has a positive effect on supporting their children’s learning.

But he said the evidence for the attainment challenges facing some working class boys in particular “argues for fresh, bespoke approaches.”

These include:

• Making early years a bigger priority than ever before – with the aim over the long term that all young children, wherever they live, can benefit from access to high quality universal child care and support, with parenting support.
• Drive up standards by driving down unnecessary workload by freeing and supporting teachers and teaching assistants to do what they excel at – focussing on the needs of their learners and delivering excellent teaching.
• Driving up standards of literacy and numeracy as the best way to access the richness of Wales’ new curriculum, and opportunities in life.
• Take forward the work to improve the links between schools, colleges and employers – ensuring young people receive high quality work experience so they understand the new jobs available in the economy, and the skills they’ll need to do them.
• Build on the strong commitment to further education, delivering reform of vocational qualifications with improved progression pathways, informed by a new vocational education and training plan, and an ongoing national assessment of future skills needs aligned to our economic policy.
• Extend apprenticeships provision and prioritise this as resources become available.

Jeremy Miles said: “I grew up in a working class family during the 1970s and 1980s when times were incredibly tough for many people. The miners’ strike in 1984 had a profound effect on my school friends who were the sons and daughters of striking miners. The poverty and inequality I saw with my own eyes has left a deep mark on me, and has shaped the political beliefs I hold today.

“I firmly believe every child’s capacity to aspire is equal. A good education is the most precious asset we can give anybody in today’s world. Investment in education is the best economic policy and it is the best social justice policy. And that’s why increasing the funding we provided to schools is one of my main priorities.

“By doing so, we will do our all to give each child the best start in life, whatever their background – because it is the right thing to do, and the best investment in our future as a nation.

“I’m particularly determined that a Welsh Government I lead will do more to support working class boys to thrive and reach their potential. Some of that is about having a curriculum that enthuses them to learn and role models to inspire. It’s also about addressing the link between attainment and the support learners have at home. I want to raise aspirations, and ensure our early years providers, schools, colleges, employers and wider society play a full part in giving them every opportunity to succeed.”