Labour’s First Minister has declined to repeat his earlier optimism that Wales will make improvements compared to other OECD nations, when the 2012 PISA test results are published next week according to Andrew RT Davies.
In 2009, Wales ranked bottom of all UK nations in reading, maths and science.
Earlier this month, the Education Minister talked down the prospect of any improvement and urged educationalists to hold off judgement on Labour’s management of education until the 2015 test results are published in December 2016.
Carwyn Jones’ Welsh Government has been responsible for education since the onset of devolution in 1999.
During the First Minister’s exchange with the Leader of the Opposition, Andrew RT Davies AM, he also fended off claims by the Wales Audit Office that members of the Cabinet did not see the full tuition fee subsidy costings. Carwyn Jones pledged to publish minutes of Cabinet meetings.
Andrew RT Davies said, “Labour Ministers have been responsible for education in Wales since 1999 and for too much of that time, we’ve seen Wales dragging along the floor of UK league tables.
“Three years ago Carwyn Jones and his Labour Ministers promised to drive up standards after a decade of decline, but now on the eve of authoritative test data, Labour Ministers are talking down the prospects of improvement.
“The international PISA test results are highly regarded, are an accurate and robust reflection of academic performance in developed western countries and must be taken seriously.
“In Wales, we have tremendously talented teachers, ambitious parents and children with an insatiable appetite for learning, but our schools are under-resourced, teachers are bogged down in paperwork and too much money is wasted in local education authorities.
“Young people in Wales are in a global race and if their international competitors in other OECD countries perform better in key skills, Wales risks being left behind in the international jobs market.”
Commenting on the First Minister’s pledge to publish minutes of Cabinet meetings in response to Wales Audit Office criticism of the approval of Labour’s tuition fee subsidy, Andrew RT Davies said:
“The Wales Audit Office report included stinging criticism of Carwyn Jones’ leadership style, clearly stating that cabinet ministers were expected to sign off a costly flagship policy without seeing the full cost implications.
“It is right that Carwyn Jones should come clean and publish evidence that Labour Ministers were well aware of the massive cost of its botched tuition fee subsidy.”
