Decision details

Welsh Conservatives Debate

Decision Maker: Plenary - Fourth Assembly

Status: Recommendations approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Purpose:

Debates are one of the most frequent items of business on the Plenary agenda. Many types of debate are brought forward in Plenary, including:

  • Opposition party debates on a topic of their choice;

Other than in the case of Government debates, the time allocated for all other types of debates and their frequency are determined by the Business Committee

Decision:

The item started at 15:01

 

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

 

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

 

NDM4998 William Graham (South Wales East)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes that:

 

a) forty per cent of pupils start secondary school with a reading age at least six months below their chronological age, according to Estyn’s Annual Report 2010/2011;

 

b) Welsh performance in the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessments (PISA) was significantly below that of other UK nations;

 

c) there has been a decline in the number of pupils in Wales achieving top grades at A Level;

 

d) performance in GCSE and A Level examinations in Wales is worse than in England; and

 

e) there are presently no Welsh Universities in the World Top 200 Times Higher Education Rankings 2011/12, whereas there are 27 from England and 5 from Scotland.

 

2. Regrets that the Welsh Government has not effectively utilised its education budgets to drive up standards in the Welsh educational system.

 

3. Urges the Welsh Government to outline how education expenditure is monitored to ensure resources, where possible, are focussed on activities which deliver services directly to learners.

 

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to re-prioritise education spending effectively in order to best deliver improvements in educational attainment in Wales.

 

Estyn’s Annual Report 2010/2011 can be accessed through the following hyperlink: http://www.estyn.gov.uk/english/annual-report/annual-report-2010-2011/

 

The Top 200 Times Higher Education Rankings can be accessed through the following hyperlink: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2011-2012/top-400.html

 

For

Abstain

Against

Total

13

0

44

57

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

 

Delete point 4.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

39

0

18

57

Amendment 1 was agreed.

 

Amendment 2 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Welcomes the pupil deprivation grant which is aimed at improving the educational attainment of disadvantaged pupils.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

34

10

13

57

Amendment 2 was agreed.

 

Amendment 3 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that spending of the pupil deprivation grant is effectively monitored so that it delivers improvement in attainment.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 3:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

56

0

0

56

Amendment 3 was agreed.

 

Amendment 4 - Aled Roberts (North Wales)

 

Add as new point at end of motion:

 

Calls on the Welsh Government to develop plans to increase the pupil deprivation grant in future years to help develop further improvement in attainment.

 

A vote was taken on Amendment 4:

For

Abstain

Against

Total

5

13

39

57

Amendment 4 was not agreed.

 

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

 

NDM4998 William Graham (South Wales East)

 

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

 

1. Notes that:

 

a) forty per cent of pupils start secondary school with a reading age at least six months below their chronological age, according to Estyn’s Annual Report 2010/2011;

 

b) Welsh performance in the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessments (PISA) was significantly below that of other UK nations;

 

c) there has been a decline in the number of pupils in Wales achieving top grades at A Level;

 

d) performance in GCSE and A Level examinations in Wales is worse than in England; and

 

e) there are presently no Welsh Universities in the World Top 200 Times Higher Education Rankings 2011/12, whereas there are 27 from England and 5 from Scotland.

 

2. Regrets that the Welsh Government has not effectively utilised its education budgets to drive up standards in the Welsh educational system.

 

3. Urges the Welsh Government to outline how education expenditure is monitored to ensure resources, where possible, are focussed on activities which deliver services directly to learners.

 

4. Welcomes the pupil deprivation grant which is aimed at improving the educational attainment of disadvantaged pupils.

 

5. Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that spending of the pupil deprivation grant is effectively monitored so that it delivers improvement in attainment.

 

 

For

Abstain

Against

Total

14

13

29

56

The motion as amended was not agreed.

 

Publication date: 30/05/2012

Date of decision: 30/05/2012

Decided at meeting: 30/05/2012 - Plenary - Fourth Assembly