Monday, January 23, 2017
Welsh Lib Dems continue to deliver in Government
The Welsh Liberal Democrats may have been reduced to just one Assembly Member but that has not stopped us delivering a number of items from our 2016 manifesto.
As the Western Mail reports, Welsh Education Secretary Kirsty Williams today delivered on one of our key pledges when she announced a new £36m fund to reduce infant class sizes and raise standards.
The money, consisting of revenue and capital funding, will be invested over the next four years up until 2021 and will target classes, starting with the largest ones, where teaching and learning need to improve and where there are high levels of deprivation.
As the paper says figures compiled by the Welsh Government showed there were 8,196 pupils in large classes in 2016 (7.6% of all infant pupils), compared to 7,835 pupils (7.3%) in similar-sized classes in 2015. The number of pupils aged between four and seven in large classes was as low as 6,969 (6.6%) in 2013.
As Kirsty says: “There is a positive connection between smaller classes and attainment, particularly for pupils from poorer backgrounds. This is most significant for younger children, which is why we are targeting this investment at infant class sizes.
“This announcement, linked to our other reforms, will create the space for teachers to teach and for pupils to learn.”
The whole point of being in politics is to get things done and to deliver reforms that improve people's lives. Kirsty Williams is exemplifying that maxim.
As the Western Mail reports, Welsh Education Secretary Kirsty Williams today delivered on one of our key pledges when she announced a new £36m fund to reduce infant class sizes and raise standards.
The money, consisting of revenue and capital funding, will be invested over the next four years up until 2021 and will target classes, starting with the largest ones, where teaching and learning need to improve and where there are high levels of deprivation.
As the paper says figures compiled by the Welsh Government showed there were 8,196 pupils in large classes in 2016 (7.6% of all infant pupils), compared to 7,835 pupils (7.3%) in similar-sized classes in 2015. The number of pupils aged between four and seven in large classes was as low as 6,969 (6.6%) in 2013.
As Kirsty says: “There is a positive connection between smaller classes and attainment, particularly for pupils from poorer backgrounds. This is most significant for younger children, which is why we are targeting this investment at infant class sizes.
“This announcement, linked to our other reforms, will create the space for teachers to teach and for pupils to learn.”
The whole point of being in politics is to get things done and to deliver reforms that improve people's lives. Kirsty Williams is exemplifying that maxim.
