Last month, the Institute for Fiscal Studies released their
‘Major challenges for education in Wales' report, which revealed
some shocking revelations regarding education in Wales, and the
Labour Government's responsibility regarding this.
The report highlighted that Wales' 2022 pisa results were the
worst on record. But worryingly, the report also highlighted that
this explanation was due to Welsh Government policy and approach,
and that Labour Government reforms were running the risk of
widening inequalities, increasing teacher workload, and limiting
future education opportunities.
In the Senedd today, the Welsh Conservatives are bringing forward
a Senedd motion regarding this shocking report, whilst calling on
the Labour Government to take proactive measures to improve
educational outcomes in Wales.
Commenting ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow
Education Minister, Tom Giffard MS, said:
“The IFS Education report is extremely concerning and
highlights how badly the Labour Government have got it wrong with
their educational reforms.
“It's completely unacceptable that Wales has the lowest pisa
results in the UK, with direct Welsh Government policy and
approach being the reason for this.
“In the Senedd today, I look forward to bringing forward a
Welsh Conservative debate to bring forward proactive solutions to
improve educational outcomes across Wales.”
The motion which will be debated today reads:
To propose that the Senedd:
-
Notes the Major Challenges for Education in Wales report
published by the Institution for Fiscal Studies which
highlighted that:
-
a) PISA scores declined more in Wales than in most
other countries in 2022;
-
b) post-16 educational outcomes in Wales are the worst in
the UK;
-
c) pupils in Wales were performing only as well as
disadvantaged children in England;
-
d) the explanation for lower educational performance in
Wales is likely to reflect Welsh Government policy and
approach; and
-
e) the new curriculum for Wales and Welsh Government
reforms run the risk of widening inequalities, increasing
teacher workload, and limiting future education
opportunities.
-
Calls on the Welsh Government to:
-
a) commission an independent review into the current
educational reforms being brought forward;
-
b) prioritise children's education by getting 5,000 more
teachers back into classrooms;
-
c) ensure those with additional learning needs are provided
with the right support sooner; and
-
d) roll-out the introduction of free schools and
academies.
ENDS
Notes to editors: The debate in the Welsh
Parliament is due to start around 5pm on Wednesday
24th April and can be watched online here. The IFS
report can be found here.
