Responding to the election of Vaughan Gething as Wales' new First Minister, Laura Doel, national secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru, said:

“We congratulate Vaughan Gething on his election as First Minister.

“The education of our children should always be a top priority - but this is more important now than ever.

“Schools are facing a myriad of ever more difficult challenges, and in particular, we urge the new First Minister to address the critical funding situation many are facing.

“Leaders are having to make impossible choices, including making teachers and teaching assistants redundant, while there is nowhere near enough money in the system to ensure children with additional learning needs (ALN) receive the support they need.

“It’s also important that our talks with the government on reducing the intolerable levels of workload of school leaders and teachers continue and lead to tangible action.

“Despite the best efforts of leaders and their staff, it is becoming more difficult for them to provide the education all pupils deserve, and this needs to change.”