Welsh Conservatives bring forward Senedd motion on disastrous PISA results

Commenting ahead of the Welsh Conservative debate on the Labour Government’s disastrous PISA results in the Senedd tomorrow, Laura Anne Jones MS, Shadow Minister for Education, said:

“It is deeply concerning that the latest PISA results have seen Wales’ performance fall to its lowest ever level in maths, reading and science, with Wales’ results the lowest of all UK nations, and below the OECD average.  

“This all comes after the Labour Government in Wales have been running the Welsh education system for 25 years, resulting in Wales languishing at the bottom of education tables. All whilst the Labour Government are proposing to cut the education budget in real terms for the 2024-2025 draft budget, yet they prefer to spend taxpayers’ money on more Senedd politicians and blanket 20mph speed limits.   

“I will be delighted to lead this Welsh Conservatives education debate and offering practical and real solutions to the Labour Government to improve education performance in Wales, such as getting 5,000 more teachers backs into classrooms, ensuring those with additional learning needs are provided with right to support sooner, and developing an enhanced programme for more able and talented learners.”

The motion which will be debated on Wednesday reads:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, published on 5 December 2023.
2. Regrets that:
3. a) Wales's performance has fallen to its lowest level ever in maths, reading and science tests taken by 15-year olds;
4. b) Wales’s results were the lowest of all UK nations, for the fifth consecutive time; and
5. c) Wales’s results were lower than the OECD average.
6. Calls on the Welsh Government to:
7. a) prioritise children’s education by getting 5,000 more teachers back into classrooms;
8. b) ensure those with additional learning needs are provided with the right support sooner, with no cuts made to additional learning needs in the 2024-25 budget;
9. c) reintroduce a form of standardised testing across schools and local authorities to help parents and teachers monitor learner progress at key stages and compare performance;
10. d) develop an enhanced programme for more able and talented learners; and
11. e) scrap the regional education consortia and invest savings made into school budgets.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. The debate in the Welsh Parliament is due to start around 4.15pm on Wednesday 10^th January and can be watched online here.