Yesterday in the Senedd, James Evans MS asked a question of the Education Minister Jeremy Miles MS regarding the upcoming teacher strikes in Wales.
Evans said, “The Welsh Government do hold all the levers here to prevent the strikes, and it's time that the Welsh Government did take some responsibility for this, by, for example, not cutting the education budget in real terms.”
He added “perhaps the Minister goes back to his Cabinet colleagues and asks them to free up more hundreds of millions of pounds earmarked for vanity projects that aren't in his portfolio, like the expansion of this Senedd, the owning of Gilestone Farm, owning an airport that is losing money. And if the Government gets its priorities in order, I'm sure you, Minister, would have more money to spend on our teachers.”
The Minister offered his ‘commitment to working with partners to secure a resolution to the dispute’, adding “the best way to resolve disputes of this sort is through discussion, respectful discussion, with our partners, with goodwill and an in attempt to reach a constructive solution”.
A one-off payment has since been offered to teachers and school heads, but this has been rejected.
James said:
“Our teachers need to be in the classroom, educating our young people so they are fully prepared for the rest of their lives.
“Instead, we face the chaos of strikes. It’s clear that children in Wales are being left behind, not long after they missed more school days than anyone else in the UK due to lockdowns.
“Remember, the Welsh Government receives £1.20 for every £1 spent on education in England. Welsh Labour wasting that money is a political choice, and our children are paying the price.”
