Education

Mark Drakeford slams Lynne Neagle over school holidays

Published

2 years ago

June 5, 2024

AN ANGRY Mark Drakeford criticised Wales’ education secretary for shelving plans to shorten the school summer holidays.

The former First Minister lambasted Lynne Neagle as she announced a decision on school year reforms will be pushed back until after the 2026 election.

Mr Drakeford accused his former Welsh Government colleague of rowing back on a manifesto commitment to reform the school calendar.

Visibly riled, he said: “Let’s be clear that what we’ve heard this afternoon is the abandonment of a manifesto commitment made by the Labour Party at the last election.

“And the minister shouldn’t seek to shelter behind semantics in saying to me that this was a commitment to explore reform of the school day.”

Mr Drakeford argued reforming the school year, which has hardly changed in more than 150 years, would improve outcomes for children in Wales.

“I regret the political damage,” he told the chamber. “I regret the reputational damage that will be done to Wales.

“Just as other parts of the UK were looking at Wales and pointing to us as an example of what a progressive government could do.

Referring to the experience of the Ely estate in his Cardiff West constituency, he warned some families approach holidays in a spirit of anxiety, sometimes even amounting to fear.

Mr Drakeford, who stood down as First Minister in March, said: “When those children go away in July, in those six weeks, they will not see a book.

“They will have no opportunity to play in a way that allows them to appreciate what maths can do for them in their lives.

“And when they come back in September, the school starts all over again. The idea that there is no learning loss in the lives of those children is absolutely absurd.

“What this policy would have done is it would have begun to close the gap …. Here is a government that could have done something to help but it has decided not to.”

The Labour backbencher, who plans to stand down as an MS in 2026, warned children are playing second fiddle to reactionary forces attached to maintaining the status quo.

Elin Jones, the Senedd’s speaker or Llywydd, rebuked Labour MS Hefin David, for heckling the former First Minister and describing his contribution as ridiculous.

Lynne Neagle, who succeeded Jeremy Miles as education secretary in March, defended the decision to pause plans to spread out school holidays more evenly.

Hitting back at her former boss, she said: “I do regret the tone of some of those comments, which I do feel call into question my own commitment to children and young people.”

Ms Neagle stressed the decision was based on a consultation which received 16,000 responses, more than any launched by the Welsh Government’s education department.

She said: ”With respect, Mark, I think I have set out very clearly my reasons for this decision. It is about listening to a consultation. You cannot have a consultation and then just ignore that consultation. That would not be acceptable.”

Ms Neagle warned Wales’ schools are overwhelmed with other reforms, such as a new curriculum, and struggling under funding constraints.

She said: “To think a week’s change in the school year is going to make a difference to the systemic challenges we’re facing in education is, quite frankly, fiddling while Rome burns.”

In a statement to the Senedd on June 4, she warned the evidence base is not clear cut: “There is evidence that suggests the summer period contributes to learning loss, and … concerns around how we support those children for whom school is safer than home.

“But there is also evidence that shows the benefit of an extended break for the wellbeing of both children and the workforce, and how that contributes positively to family life.

“This is just one example of many.”

Ms Neagle said she will continue to explore a five-week summer, two-week autumn break and decoupling the Easter holidays, but no decision will be made until post-2026.

Community

Plea to save Tegryn Ysgol Clydau school heard by councillors

Published

6 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A PLEA to not “pluck the heart out of a community” by closing a Pembrokeshire village school was heard by councillors just days after a consultation into its future was launched.

At the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, members received a petition opposing the potential closure of Ysgol Clydau, Tegryn, which had generated 648 responses on the council’s own website, meaning it crossed the threshold to be heard at full council.

A council statement accompanying the launch of the consultation said: “At its meeting on May 8, Pembrokeshire County Council considered a report of the School Modernisation Working Group which outlined the findings of a review of education provision in the Preseli area.

“In particular the review considered the extent of surplus school places in the area, set against a significant decline in the pupil population.”

The Ysgol Clydau petition states: “We demand that Pembrokeshire County Council reconsider its decision to close Ysgol Clydau and instead prioritise the needs of our community by keeping the school open. We oppose the closure of Ysgol Clydau and call for full public scrutiny before any decision is made.

“We urge you to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the community, listen to our concerns, and work with us to find alternative solutions that support the needs of our children and families.”

Sarah Farnden

Speaking at the meeting on behalf of the petitioners, Sarah Farnden, in an emotive plea, said the school was “not just a school but a sanctuary, a nurturing environment,” which offered “warmth, belonging and safety”.

“A village without a school becomes a village without families, a village without families becomes a village without a future,” she told members, adding: “Ysgol Clydau is not in debt, it’s not overspent, we’ve done everything asked of us, so why are we being punished?

“There has been a school on this site for 145 years, if you close Ysgol Clydau you are not closing a building you are closing a heritage; we are not here to fight you, we are here to beg you.”

Cllr Iwan Ward

Local member Cllr Iwan Ward said: “The decision of Pembrokeshire County Council to release this consultation on the closure a few days before Christmas is extremely disappointing, a time of year families should be concentrating on being together, not a time to have to face the threat of losing the heart of our community.”

To applause from the gallery, he added: “It’s not a matter of numbers on a paper, it’s a moral matter; the school is much more than four walls, it’s a safe place for children to grow and a cornerstone of community spirit.

“Closing a school like this rips the heart out of rural life, to threaten a school that isn’t failing is an action I cannot, and am not willing to, take quietly.

“I will stand with the staff, the governors, and the children also.”

Members heard the consultation had been expected to launch back in September but had been delayed due to staffing issues; its 42-day period due to now end in late January.

Members agreed to note the petition ahead of the consultation end, recommendations on the school’s future expected to be decided in March.

The final word went to Sarah Farnden, who said: “We’re not asking for special treatment, we’re asking for fairness and compassion; do not pluck the heart out of the community.”

Education

School leaders deliver Christmas cards to Senedd calling for fair funding

Published

8 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Tom Sinclair

SCHOOL leaders from across Wales are delivering Christmas cards to the Senedd today in a symbolic call for fair funding for schools.

The cards, one for every Senedd member, are being delivered by school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru, urging politicians to give children in Wales what it describes as the “best Christmas gift” – a fully and fairly funded education.

NAHT Cymru national secretary Laura Doel and president Kerina Hanson are gathering outside the Senedd at 1:00pm today before handing the cards in at the Senedd reception.

The action follows the union’s warning last week that while £339m came to the Welsh Government as a result of increased education spending in England for the 2026/27 draft budget, only £39m has so far been allocated to core school budgets in Wales.

Earlier this week, an additional £112.8m was allocated to local government following a budget agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru, with some of that funding expected to reach schools.

However, NAHT Cymru says the additional money will fall well short of what is needed. The Welsh Local Government Association has predicted a £137m shortfall in school budgets in Wales for the next financial year, while local authorities are also facing a £200m deficit in social care funding.

The union has also raised concerns that the First Minister has declined to explain how the £339m of additional education funding has been allocated, prompting calls for urgent and transparent scrutiny of the budget.

Speaking ahead of the card delivery, Laura Doel said: “Christmas is a time of giving, and we’re urging the Welsh Government to give schools in Wales the funding they rightfully deserve.

“The money that comes to Wales for education should be spent on education, yet we know much of it has never reached schools. We urgently need clarity on where this money has gone and to see greater investment going directly to pupils.

“The system is at breaking point, and without action we are facing an incredibly bleak new year for schools across Wales.

“We’re calling on every member of the Senedd to act this Christmas and give children in Wales the best possible gift – a fully and fairly funded education.”

The Welsh Government says education remains a priority, pointing to additional funding agreed with Plaid Cymru for local government, some of which is expected to support schools.

However, teaching unions and local authorities continue to warn that funding pressures remain severe.

Education

School issues safeguarding alert over children’s use of Roblox

Published

1 day ago

December 15, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi warns parents about addictive gameplay, unsafe chat functions and scammers

YSGOL PENRHYN DEWI in St Davids has issued a safeguarding warning to parents after concerns were raised about children’s use of the popular online gaming platform Roblox.

In a letter sent to families today (Dec 15), Assistant Headteacher Louise Gray said the school had been made aware of a series of risks linked to the platform, which is widely used by children aged 8–13 – and in some cases younger.

Roblox allows users to create and play games developed by other players. However, the school says this user-generated model can expose children to inappropriate or harmful content depending on which games they access.

Range of risks highlighted

The letter sets out several specific safeguarding concerns, including:

Inappropriate content in user-created games
Highly addictive gameplay, with daily quests and reward systems designed to increase screen time
Easily changed parental controls, allowing children to adjust settings without verification
Chat features that expose younger players to inappropriate messages
Peer pressure from in-game ‘connections’, with children believing they know other users
Emotional dysregulation linked to heavy use of the platform
Scams, including fake offers of free Robux or cosmetic items

Parents are being urged to closely monitor how their children use the platform, who they interact with, and what content they can access.

Guidance available

The school has directed families to the Welsh Government’s Hwb website for further advice on parental controls and safe use of Roblox.

A Roblox spokesperson said: “Roblox is committed to providing a safe and positive experience for every member of our community, especially children and young people. We use a combination of chat filtering, human and AI-assisted moderation, parental controls and age verification tools to help protect our users from inappropriate content or behaviour.

“Younger players have more restrictive settings by default, and features such as voice chat and unfiltered text chat are limited to age-verified users. We encourage parents and carers to make use of our safety features, review their child’s settings regularly, and talk with them about staying safe online.”

“We continuously update our policies and systems in response to emerging risks, and we work closely with safety experts and regulators to help ensure Roblox remains a secure environment for creativity and play.”