NDM8445 Plaid Cymru Debate - Child poverty and educational attainment

NDM8445 Heledd Fychan (South Wales Central)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes that 28 per cent of children in Wales are living in poverty.

2. Notes the correlation between child poverty and the education attainment gap.

3. Notes the latest PISA results and national report which showed that 11 per cent of learners in Wales had missed a meal because of poverty.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) extend the provision of free school meals to years 7 to 11 for those households in receipt of Universal Credit, without a cap on earnings; and

b) implement statutory targets in the final Child Poverty Strategy to contribute to closing the attainment gap and improving education outcomes.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

Delete point 4 and replace with:

Believes high quality teaching and learning is the most important school-based factor in tackling the impact of poverty on attainment.

Welcomes:

a)   a sharper focus in Initial Teacher Training (ITE) on the range of approaches to teaching and learning that are needed to tackle the impact of poverty on learner experiences and outcomes.

b)   the protection in the draft budget of the Pupil Development Grant and new guidance to support schools to better target this funding.

c)   the work undertaken by the Welsh Government’s Attainment Champions in sharing their experiences of tackling the impacts of poverty on attainment, and the intention to build on this.

d)   the role Community Focused Schools can play in supporting parents and families to become engaged in children’s learning, and to develop the home learning environment.

e)   programmes such as Schools Essentials and the School Holiday Enrichment Programme that provide invaluable support to reduce the cost of living for families.

Notes that the PISA results found education in Wales to be more equitable than the OECD average and other UK countries, with the attainment gap between more disadvantaged learners and less disadvantaged learners smaller.

Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25

Pupil Development Grant: guidance

If amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2, 3, 4 and 5 will be de-selected.

Amendment 2 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

In point 4, delete sub-point a) and replace with:

promote the provision of free school meals to years 7 to 11 for those households in receipt of Universal Credit;

Amendment 3 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

Add as new sub-point at the end of point 4:

tackle the economic underperformance which is driving child poverty in Wales;

Amendment 4 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

Add as new sub-point at the end of point 4:

improve the efficiency and effectiveness of grant-funded programmes;

Amendment 5 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

Add as new sub-point at the end of point 4: 

recognise that for the vast majority of children living in poverty, simple solutions focused on enabling them to get the best of mainstream education is paramount;