School Standards in Wales 2025-03-12
2025-03-12
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The question follows the Welsh Government's budget vote, where Conservative colleagues attempted to block funding. The context is that children in Wales have low PISA scores and are below OECD average.
Children in Wales have the lowest PISA —programme for international student assessment— scores in the United Kingdom and are significantly below the OECD average. Does the Minister believe that that could be related to 26 years of Labour government in Wales?
I will take no lectures from the Conservatives. Their attacks ring hollow given the chronic underfunding of education and public services over the 14 years they were in power. Now, the UK and Welsh Governments are working together to ensure that every young person has the opportunity to succeed, by investing over £260 million extra in education and more than £260 million in local government, which sets school budgets in Wales.
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Assessment & feedback
The Minister avoided addressing whether poor educational performance is linked to Labour governance for 26 years.
I Will Take No Lectures From The Conservatives
Response accuracy
Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
The Welsh Government announced an additional £20 million for education last week, and the budget was voted against by Plaid Cymru and Conservatives.
Does my hon. Friend welcome, as I do, the additional £20 million announced by the Welsh Government last week to improve education standards, on top of the £262 million extra in total for education in Wales? Is she as perplexed as I am as to why the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru voted against extra money for education in the Welsh budget?
Like my hon. Friend, I am absolutely astounded by the way that Plaid Cymru and Conservative Senedd Members voted against the budget, but the important thing is that this year the Welsh Government will be investing an additional £1.1 million in literacy, numeracy and science support in schools. The Welsh Government have also announced a £10 million investment package for literacy and numeracy in the coming year, increasing local capacity to support schools, national support programmes and interventions to support budding learners.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy