Commenting on today’s Estyn report, which highlights weaknesses in the way English is being taught and understood in schools in Wales, Aled Roberts, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Minister, said:
“This report is yet another sad indictment of the standards of learning in our schools, and shows that much more needs to be done to make sure that pupils have the necessary grasp of basic reading, writing and comprehension.
“Despite some improvements since 2011, the rate of improvement has been too slow, and Wales still lags behind the other UK countries.
“Differences still exist between pupils on free school meals and their better-off counterparts. Just yesterday, the Education Minister said in a statement that poverty and disadvantage influence learning at a pre-school age, and I believe that now is the time for the Minister to give serious consideration to extending the Pupil Deprivation Grant to the under-5s.
“Estyn’s recommendations within the report provide guidance on how standards can be raised for all pupils and I would urge the Education Minister to heed their advice”.
