Extract from Wales Assembly questions to the Minister for Education - Jun 5

Kirsty Williams AM (Minister for Education): Equity of provision for all learners constitutes a major priority for this Government. I strongly encourage schools to ensure that inclusivity and equity are at the forefront of all decision making when it comes to any activities that could lead to additional costs for families.

Mick Antoniw AM: Minister, thank you for that answer. I know the efforts that have been taken to ensure that there is inclusivity. But, of course, there is the growing concern, arising from the Musicians' Union report, about the accessibility of music lessons, the issues that arise now in terms of the affordability of children being able to attend external trips—arts, culture, and so on. And, of course, there's one new one, which we seem to have inherited from America, and that is the development of school proms, where the cost seems to be not only rising, but it appears to be a competition between parents—some having limousines, and so on, going to schools. And it does raise this concern more broadly, when put within the context of all the other things, that there is a growing issue with regard to those who may or may not be able to afford to participate in some of these. And I wonder if this is an area, Minister, where you could indicate whether you'd be prepared to undertake further research and analysis, to assess what the scale of this is, and how it might be tackled.

Kirsty Williams AM: I am familiar with the phenomenon that is the prom, and it's a world away from the senior school discos I'm sure we all attended. The cost of the school day is an issue that I'm very interested in. I am fully aware of the significant impact it can have on some children, often from groups that would benefit most from those extra-curricular and out-of-school activities. I have asked Children in Wales to produce resources for schools, to encourage the consideration of the impact of additional costs on families, and the first series of guides will be available by September and will cover a range of specific issues. Of course, additional to that, we will be investing more than £5.1 million in the pupil development grant access fund this year, to help parents with the costs associated with the school day, including school uniform, and kit and equipment, as well as spending a record amount on PDG in itself to support the education of some of our most disadvantaged children.