With Welsh Conservatives set to call for the Welsh Government to commission an Independent Review into its Current Educational Reforms today, North Wales MS Mark Isherwood yesterday asked the Welsh Government’s Chief Legal Adviser, Counsel General, Mick Antoniw MS, what advice he would give to Ministers regarding this.
Last month, the Institute for Fiscal Studies released their ‘Major challenges for Education in Wales’ report, which not only highlighted that Wales’ latest PISA results were the worst on record and significantly below those seen across the rest of the UK, but also concluded that this was due to Welsh Government policy and approach.
Questioning the Counsel General in Tuesday’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood referred to the Motion that the Welsh Conservatives will put forward this afternoon, which calls on the Welsh Government to commission an independent review into the current educational reforms being brought forward, and asked what advice he would give to the Welsh Government regarding this.
He said:
“On 21st March the Institute for Fiscal Studies released their ‘Major challenges for education in Wales’ report, which found that the latest round of Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores brought those in Wales to their lowest ever level, significantly below the average across OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries and significantly below those seen across the rest of the UK, that low educational outcomes are not likely to be a reflection of higher poverty in Wales, a different ethnic mix of pupils, statistical biases or differences in resources, and that they are more likely to reflect differences in policy and approach.
“They recommended a pause and, in some cases, rethink of past and ongoing reforms in areas including placing greater emphasis on specific knowledge in the new Curriculum for Wales, and delaying reforms to GCSEs to give proper time to consider their effects on long-term outcomes, teacher workload and inequalities. Tomorrow, a call will therefore be made for the Welsh Government to commission an independent review into its current educational reforms.
“In the interests of public concern, what advice would you therefore give to the Welsh Government regarding this?”
The Counsel General told Mr Isherwood he should direct his question to the Cabinet Secretary for Education.
Responding, Mr Isherwood said:
“Well, thank you, but I trust, given your role as Counsel General providing advice to Welsh Government, relevant Ministers would come to you for advice accordingly. And your priority, as I said, on such important matters, should be public concern and not otherwise.”
Speaking afterwards, Mr Isherwood added:
“His responsibilities as Counsel General include provision of legal advice to the Welsh Government and my question related to the legal advice he is providing the Welsh Government in light of this call for an independent review.”