As I’m sure many will agree, Outdoor Education is extremely important, with a whole range of lasting benefits. Yet sadly, too many in our schools don’t get the opportunity to participate.
I have an aspiration that all children in Wales should be given access to an Outdoor Education residential visit at least once in their school career, regardless of where they live, their family income or background. Moving this experience from a nice to have enrichment to an entitlement for every child – such is the importance of this proposal.
The Welsh Government’s own research recently stated that Outdoor Education has well established benefits for children and young people in their physical and mental health as well as their well-being, personal and social learning, cognitive development, and understanding their place in the world.
That’s why in July I was delighted to be selected in the Welsh Parliament’s Member Ballot Bill to seek the Parliament’s approval to introduce my Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill.
Since then, I have had the pleasure of working with some incredible people from the Outdoor Education Sector in preparing an Explanatory Memorandum regarding the proposed objectives of the Bill. And it’s been great to be overwhelmed with support from those in the Outdoor Education Sector.
In October, I had the pleasure of introducing my Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill to the Senedd. I was absolutely delighted that this received the support of the Parliament, with a majority of Members supporting an introduction of the Bill.
Over the next 12 months, I have now been given the opportunity to work with the Outdoor Education Sector, public bodies, Members of the Senedd, the Welsh Government, other organisations, parents, and children in producing a full scale consultation and a detailed Bill to bring my aspiration into reality.
Along with this, I have had the enjoyment of visiting some of Wales’ fantastic Outdoor Education centres to see first-hand the real life experiences and benefits that Outdoor Education entails. In addition to this, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Liz Smith MSP, who has a very similar Bill going through the Scottish Parliament.
Outdoor Education residential visits can form an important part of many children’s experience of transition from primary school to secondary school, developing the organisational skills, self-reliance and resilience needed to thrive in a secondary school.
It’s clear that Outdoor Education also has potential cost savings relating to long term physical and mental health as well as educational outcomes, shaping our future generation. Not only does my Bill have the opportunity to deliver long-lasting benefits to young children, but it can actually save the taxpayer money.
On January 31st of this year, I launched a consultation of my proposals for an Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill. The purpose of this policy is to invite people from up and down Wales to give me their views on my policy objectives, and proposed law. If you’d like to respond to my consultation to let me know what you think of my Bill, then please visit https://tinyurl.com/2p85f84f or use the QR code below.
Over the coming year, I look forward to working with the Outdoor Education Sector in making my Outdoor Education (Wales) Bill a reality, which will ensure children in Wales will have access to an Outdoor Education residential visit at least once in their school career, and deliver long lasting benefits.
As a Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, I’m here to help you with any issues that you may have. Please email me on [email protected], call my office on 0300 200 7267, or visit my website www.samrowlands.org.uk.
Barn Sam Rowlands – Wrexham.com
Fel y bydd llawer ohonoch yn cytuno dwi'n siŵr, mae Addysg Awyr Agored yn hollbwysig ac yn cynnwys pob math o fuddion parhaol. Yn anffodus, mae gormod o blant yn ein hysgolion yn colli'r cyfle i gymryd rhan.
Fy nod yw gweld pob plentyn yng Nghymru yn mwynhau ymweliad preswyl Addysg Awyr Agored o leiaf unwaith yn ystod eu cyfnod yn yr ysgol, waeth lle mae maen nhw byw na beth yw eu hincwm na’u cefndir teuluol. Gan sicrhau bod y profiad yn hawl i bob plentyn yn hytrach na’i fod yn brofiad gwerth ei gael i gyfoethogi bywyd - mae'r cynnig mor bwysig â hynny.
Yn ddiweddar, nododd ymchwil Llywodraeth Cymru ei hun fod Addysg Awyr Agored yn cynnwys manteision sydd wedi hen ennill eu plwyf i blant a phobl ifanc o safbwynt eu hiechyd corfforol a meddyliol yn ogystal â'u lles, dysgu personol a chymdeithasol, datblygiad gwybyddol, ac o ran deall eu lle yn y byd.
Dyna pam roeddwn wrth fy modd o gael fy newis ym Mhleidlais Biliau’r Aelodau o’r Senedd ym mis Gorffennaf, ac i gael y cyfle i ofyn am gymeradwyaeth y Senedd i gyflwyno fy Mil Addysg Awyr Agored (Cymru).
Ers hynny, dwi wedi cael y pleser o weithio gyda phobl anhygoel o'r Sector Addysg Awyr Agored wrth baratoi Memorandwm Esboniadol am amcanion arfaethedig y Bil. Dwi hefyd wedi cael cefnogaeth eithriadol gan aelodau'r Sector Addysg Awyr Agored.
Ym mis Hydref, cefais y pleser o gyflwyno fy Mil Addysg Awyr Agored (Cymru) i'r Senedd. Roeddwn wrth fy modd o gael cefnogaeth y Senedd, gyda mwyafrif yr Aelodau yn cefnogi cyflwyno'r Bil.
Dros y 12 mis nesaf, byddaf yn cydweithio â'r Sector Addysg Awyr Agored, cyrff cyhoeddus, Aelodau o’r Senedd, Llywodraeth Cymru, sefydliadau eraill, rhieni a phlant wrth gynhyrchu ymgynghoriad llawn a Bil manwl er mwyn gwireddu fy nyhead.
Ar ben hyn, dwi wedi mwynhau'r cyfle i ymweld â rhai o ganolfannau Addysg Awyr Agored gorau ein gwlad i weld o lygad y ffynnon y profiadau a'r manteision bywyd go iawn a gynigir gan Addysg Awyr Agored. Yn ogystal, dwi wedi cael y pleser o ymweld â Liz Smith MSP, sydd â Mesur tebyg iawn yn mynd drwy Senedd yr Alban.
Gall ymweliadau preswyl Addysg Awyr Agored fod yn rhan bwysig o brofiad llawer o blant sy'n pontio o'r ysgol gynradd i'r uwchradd, gan feithrin sgiliau trefnu, hunanddibyniaeth a'r cadernid sydd eu hangen i ffynnu mewn ysgol uwchradd.
Mae'n amlwg bod gan Addysg Awyr Agored arbedion cost posibl yn ymwneud ag iechyd corfforol a meddyliol hirdymor hefyd, yn ogystal â deilliannau addysgol, gan lywio ein cenhedlaeth i'r dyfodol. Mae fy Mil nid yn unig yn gyfle i gyflawni manteision hirdymor i blant ifanc, ond fe allai arbed arian i'r trethdalwyr hefyd.
Ar 31 Ionawr eleni, fe wnes i lansio ymgynghoriad ar fy nghynigion ar gyfer Bil Addysg Awyr Agored (Cymru). Pwrpas y polisi yw gwahodd pobl o Fôn i Fynwy i roi eu barn ar fy amcanion polisi, a'r ddeddf arfaethedig. Os hoffech ymateb i’m hymgynghoriad a dweud eich dweud am fy Mil, ewch i https://tinyurl.com/2p85f84f neu ddefnyddio'r cod QR isod.
Dros y flwyddyn i ddod, dwi’n edrych ymlaen at gael gweithio gyda'r Sector Addysg Awyr Agored wrth wireddu fy Mil Addysg Awyr Agored (Cymru), a fydd yn sicrhau y bydd plant Cymru yn gallu cael ymweliad preswyl Addysg Awyr Agored o leiaf unwaith yn ystod eu cyfnod yn yr ysgol, gan ddarparu manteision hirhoedlog.
Fel Aelod o'r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, dwi yma i'ch helpu gydag unrhyw fater neu broblem. E-bostiwch [email protected], ffoniwch fy swyddfa ar 0300 200 7267, neu ewch i'm gwefan www.samrowlands.org.uk.
