Rhagor o gyllid ar gyfer Rhaglen y Cyfnod Sylfaen

Yr ydym yn galw ar Gynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru i ddarparu digon o gyllid ar gyfer cyflwyno’r Rhaglen Cyfnod Sylfaen yn llawn. Yr ydym yn credu bod y cyllid a gyhoeddwyd ar hyn o bryd gan Lywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru yn annigonol. Yr ydym yn gofyn i Gynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru ymchwilio’n llawn i’r achos am ragor o gyllid.

Gwybodaeth Ychwanegol (darparwyd gan y deisebydd)

The Foundation phase is a major pillar of the Welsh Assembly Government’s aim to improve outcomes for our children.

The original roll-out date of 2006 was delayed to allow to ensure that enough staff could be trained up, and so that resources and funding could be organised. However a few months before the new curriculum is due to start I am horrified to find that there has not been enough money offered by WAG to allow the Foundation Curriculum to be implemented efficiently.

Within the Building the Foundation Stage documentation (2006) it was clearly stated that an “integral part of the roll-out will be a change in the adult to child ratios”.  We believe that staffing ratios should be a statutory requirement as these ratios were and are followed within all the pilot sites delivering the foundation curriculum. Directed play is a key component of the foundation stage. Surely - and as many parents will know - that to learn through a directed play then an adult needs to be actively involved. As the adult to child ratio climbs then the play becomes less directed and devolves into free play.  We feel that the staffing ratios followed within all the pilot schools delivering the foundation curriculum should be enforced for every school by statute.

The pilot sites which had the lower staffing ratios have been very successful while following the new curriculum. However this funding shortfall could easily lead to a different delivery experience of the Foundation Stage Curriculum than has been observed within the pilots, but at the cost of our childrens education.

Local authorities submitted clear costings in September 2007 during the LEAs Expenditure Sub Group, which were not then covered. The extra £5 million recently announced will not be sufficient to fully deliver and implement the foundation phase. Headteachers, teachers, governors, LEAs, parents have all called for £15 million which was the shortfall and out of new money not existing budgets.

Wales will be starting an exciting journey into a completely different curriculum for our 3 and 4 years old in September 2008 - how terrible it will then be if only a few children get to experience the full benefits of the Foundation Phase.

Llofnodwyr y ddeiseb