A report into the Welsh education system published by the OECD today has concluded that:
- The Labour-run Welsh Government lacks ‘long-term vision’
- Implementation of policy by Labour Ministers is ‘weak’
- Teachers are ‘overwhelmed’ by constant reform
The 2012 PISA test results ranked Wales bottom of all UK nations in key skills, with scores alongside countries like Israel, Croatia, Slovenia and Lithuania.
In January 2014, Labour’s Welsh First Minister admitted that ‘we took our eye off the ball’.
Angela Burns AM, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Education, said:
“This scathing report rips apart Labour’s management of the Welsh education system over the past 15 years.
“Under Labour, teacher morale is at an all-time low, policies are poorly implemented and there is no long-term vision to raise standards and help young people compete in the global race.
“The Welsh Government is a barrier to the success of young people in schools, who are being held back from achieving their potential.
“Wales is competing in an increasingly international jobs market and if Welsh students don’t excel in key skills of communication, numeracy and science, they will lose out.
“Labour Ministers have admitted they took their eye off the ball and have apologised to Welsh students for their managed decline of Welsh education.
“After yet another scathing report, a series of damning Estyn inspections, successive poor PISA rankings and the GCSE fiasco, what does it take for Labour Ministers to act?
“Successive Labour Ministers meddled in the curriculum and fiddled with qualifications, while Wales’ international competitors in the global race unashamedly drove up standards.
“This report sets out the monumental challenges in turning around 15 years of stagnation and decline in educational standards under Labour.”
