James Evans has called for action over a damning Estyn report into Powys County Council’s education service, urging the Welsh Government to “step in and deal with the Liberal Democrats in Powys once and for all.”
The Conservative Brecon and Radnorshire MS asked at the Senedd this week for an “urgent statement” from Education Secretary, Lynne Neagle, on the report.
Video from Senedd.tv
The Conservative Brecon and Radnorshire MS asked at the Senedd this week for an “urgent statement” from Education Secretary, Lynne Neagle, on the report.
Video from Senedd.tv
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00:00I'd like an urgent statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Education into the Dam in Estyn
00:05report into the education service in Powys County Council. The report highlighted what
00:11many parents and teachers have been telling me and others, that the education in Powys
00:15under the Liberal Democrats is failing. The report highlighted political leadership as
00:21one of the failures in the report. And what we're seeing is the council, led by the Lib
00:26Dems, running those services into the ground. So can we please have an urgent statement
00:31on this matter? I do not agree with me Trevena that I think the time has come to look at
00:37putting commissioners into Powys County Council, because it is clear that the Liberal Democrats
00:41are a party of protest. They're not a party for delivering for the people who I serve.
00:47And I think it's about time that the Welsh Government grasped the metal and actually
00:50stepped in and dealt with the Liberal Democrats in Powys once and for all.
00:55Thank you for your question. We're aware that the outcome of Estyn's recent inspection
01:00of Powys education service wasn't positive, and the local authority has been judged to
01:05be causing concern. This is a disappointing outcome. But as you are aware, regular independent
01:10inspection of the local authority is a fundamental part of the accountability system, but also
01:16plays a major role in driving and directing improvement. So Estyn has made, as you're
01:21aware, a number of recommendations. There now is a process to follow. The local authority
01:26will produce a post-inspection action plan, set out how it intends to address the recommendations
01:33set out in the report. Estyn will undertake a series of monitoring visits to measure progress,
01:39and this is a fully transparent process. But senior officials of the Cabinet Secretary
01:45for Education and Skills are in regular contact with the leadership at Powys and Estyn to
01:51ensure that the local authority also receives the support it needs to improve.