Amongst the main topics of debate will be:

• Regional Pay
  - firm opposition to the Westminster Government’s plans for regional pay
  - concerns about the effect on Wales’s economy
  - calls for the Welsh Government to assume responsibility for teachers’ pay, alongside the pay of all public sector workers, rather than accept regional pay from Westminster
• Higher Education Fees
  - a proposal for the Welsh “top-up” grant to be restricted to Welsh students who choose to study at a Welsh university
• Aggressive Pupils
  - an increasing problem in Welsh schools
• Early Child Development: Self-care skills
  - concerns about the increasing number of children starting school without having been potty-trained, unable to feed themselves and with limited speech development
• Regional Consortia
  - questions about their capacity to support schools effectively
  - concerns about the loss of subject-specific expertise at the expense of emphasis on general schools support
  - serious concerns about willingness/ability of consortia to operate through the medium of Welsh

The Timetable

Friday, 27 April:

• 15.00 – Discussion of motions
• 16.30 – Special debate on Regional Pay and Pensions

Saturday, 28 April:

• 09.00 - Discussion of motions
• 10.45 – Guest Speaker: Dr Brett Pugh, Head of the Welsh Government’s School Standards Unit/Chief Education Officer, Newport City Council
• 11.15-12.30 - Discussion of motions

Please get in touch if you would like a copy of the motions or if you would like to attend.

The proceedings will take place in Welsh, with simultaneous translation available.

For further information, contact:

·        Rebecca Williams (Policy Officer) on 01970 639950 / 07787 572180