Posted By Site Administrator at 16/12/2009 16:52:21
He is Leighton Andrews, AM for the Rhondda, previously Deputy Minister for Regeneration and co-founder of the pro-devolution ‘Yes for Wales’ campaign in 1997.
We’ve not met him yet but hope to do so early in the new year.
Mr Andrews will be our fourth Minister for Education since 2000, though it should be remembered that the second of the four, Carwyn Jones (now First Minister no less) was only in post for a matter of weeks while a government coalition deal was being negotiated. So on the whole our Education Ministers have the kind of staying power that can only be dreamt of on the other side of Offa’s Dyke.
What we’ve heard from our new Minister so far has been welcomed by members. He wants to increase funding for education and make sure that more of the resources in the system reach the front line. We hear he’s already been through the various education budget lines with a fine tooth-comb. With 16 months to go before the Assembly elections in May 2011, Mr Andrews is clearly in a hurry to get things done.
So are we. We will soon find out whether they’re the same things…but initial indications are that the Minister’s manifesto – and that of First Minister, Carwyn Jones - do reflect the concerns of our members.
