Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, wants to see more support for the outdoor education sector.
Mr Rowlands, Chair of the Senedd’s Cross Party Group for the Outdoor Activity Sector, recently highlighted the importance of outdoor education for young people.
Mr Rowlands has previously tried to get a Residential Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill passed in Welsh Parliament which would have made residential outdoor education part of Wales’s curriculum.
Speaking in the Senedd he said:
One of the benefits of working through that legislative process that I went through, just over a year ago now, was that it showed there are some non-legislative items of work that can be done to further promote the good work that outdoor education provides to young people up and down Wales, supporting their well-being, their personal development and just an appreciation of the natural environment as well.
One of those areas is the work undertaken by the Outdoor Partnership, a North Wales-based organisation, on their adventure learning framework, which is a vehicle to provide educational rationale, aligned with the Curriculum for Wales.
That framework is taking off in England across many, many schools and local authorities over there, but it's not happening here in Wales at the rate it should do, in my view.
Mr Rowlands asked Lynne Neagle, Cabinet Secretary for Education if she would be willing to engage with the Outdoor Partnership to see where that work can be pursued further in Wales.
The Cabinet Secretary said the Welsh Government is committed to working with partners across the outdoor education sector to ensure learners benefit from meaningful engagement with the outdoor environment.
Mr Rowlands added:
I am a strong advocate for this economically important area and I know the benefits a thriving outdoor sector can provide; supporting positive mental health, physical health, understanding of our natural environment and expanding educational attainment.
I sincerely hope the Welsh Government will work with organisations like The Outdoor Partnership so that more young people will have the opportunity to take part in outdoor education.
Sam Rowlands AS yn tynnu sylw at waith darparwr addysg awyr agored yn y Gogledd
Mae Sam Rowlands, AS Gogledd Cymru, eisiau gweld mwy o gefnogaeth i'r sector addysg awyr agored.
Yn ddiweddar, tynnodd Mr Rowlands, Cadeirydd Grŵp Trawsbleidiol y Senedd ar gyfer y Sector Gweithgareddau Awyr Agored, sylw at bwysigrwydd addysg awyr agored i bobl ifanc.
Mae Mr Rowlands wedi ceisio cael Bil Addysg Awyr Agored Breswyl (Cymru) drwy’r Senedd, a fyddai wedi gwneud addysg awyr agored breswyl yn rhan o gwricwlwm Cymru.
Wrth siarad yn y Senedd, dywedodd:
Un o'r manteision o weithio drwy'r broses ddeddfwriaethol honno yr euthum drwyddi ychydig dros flwyddyn yn ôl bellach oedd ei bod yn dangos bod rhai eitemau o waith anneddfwriaethol y gellir eu gwneud i hyrwyddo ymhellach y gwaith da y mae addysg awyr agored yn ei ddarparu i bobl ifanc ledled Cymru—fel y dywedwch, i gefnogi eu llesiant, eu datblygiad personol a'u gwerthfawrogiad o'r amgylchedd naturiol.
Un o'r meysydd hynny yw'r gwaith a wneir gan y Bartneriaeth Awyr Agored, sefydliad yng ngogledd Cymru, ar eu fframwaith addysg antur, sy'n gyfrwng i ddarparu sail resymegol addysgol i gyd-fynd â'r Cwricwlwm i Gymru.
Mae'r fframwaith hwnnw'n weithredol yn Lloegr ar draws llawer iawn o ysgolion ac awdurdodau lleol yno, ond nid yw'n digwydd yma yng Nghymru i'r graddau y dylai ddigwydd yn fy marn i.
Gofynnodd Mr Rowlands i Lynne Neagle, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg, a fyddai'n fodlon ymgysylltu â'r Bartneriaeth Awyr Agored i weld ble y gellir mynd ar drywydd y gwaith hwnnw ymhellach yng Nghymru.
Dywedodd Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i weithio gyda phartneriaid ar draws y sector addysg awyr agored i sicrhau bod dysgwyr yn elwa ar ymgysylltu’n ystyrlon â'r amgylchedd awyr agored.
Ychwanegodd Mr Rowlands:
Rwy'n eiriolwr cryf dros yr ardal economaidd bwysig hon ac rwy'n gwybod y manteision y gall sector awyr agored ffyniannus eu darparu; cefnogi iechyd meddwl, iechyd corfforol, dealltwriaeth o'n hamgylchedd naturiol ac ehangu cyrhaeddiad addysgol.
Rydw i wir yn gobeithio y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio gyda sefydliadau fel y Bartneriaeth Awyr Agored fel y bydd mwy o bobl ifanc yn cael y cyfle i gymryd rhan mewn addysg awyr agored.
