Education
A long road back for education
EVEN before schools find out what the new normal will be, the pressure is already on the education system to deliver significantly more.
Some talk about a ‘lost generation’ needing to ’catch-up’ amid concerns those comments stigmatise children. However, the reality is that children have missed months of face-to-face teaching, and that has inescapable consequences.
DISADVANTAGED SLIP FURTHER BEHIND
Wales’s learners have been part of the pandemic’s ‘collateral damage.’
Although, for now, there are more questions than answers, solutions to repair that ‘damage’ will need to be carefully considered and delivered during the Welsh Parliament’s sixth term.
Even before the pandemic, Wales already faced an uphill struggle to secure good educational outcomes for all its learners.
The most disadvantaged learners have extra challenges which can prevent them from achieving their full potential.
Even though the previous Welsh Government invested £585 million since 2012 through the Pupil Development Grant (PDG), the attainment gap it was seeking to close, didn’t narrow.
It also typically widens as learners get older.
There’s a stark difference between children eligible for free school meals and their peers at Key Stage 4, the two years where learners usually take GCSEs and other examinations.
Children and young people themselves are well placed to give their verdict.
A 2021 Children’s Commissioner survey of 20,000 children found that 35% didn’t feel confident about their learning, compared to 25% in May 2020.
63% of 12–18-year-olds were worried about falling behind.
There are countless reports setting out adults’ views about how missing more than half a year of ‘face-to-face’ schooling has affected learners.
One of the major concerns is the variation between what schools have delivered to pupils.
There’s a long list of potential impacts:
· ‘Lost learning’ meaning pupils could underperform academically and have their long-term prospects affected.
· A loss of confidence in the examination and assessment system.
· Long-term reductions in school attendance, a factor known to be key to educational outcomes.
· Difficult transitions between school years and from primary to secondary.
· Challenges in re-engaging learners and addressing low motivation.
· An unhelpful ‘catch up’ narrative about lost learning placing unnecessary psychological pressure on children and young people; and
· A negative effect on learners’ ability and confidence to communicate in Welsh where they haven’t been able to do so at home.
WIDER EFFECTS
As well as these obvious educational issues, there are wider predicted effects.
Current learners could earn less, with one estimate of up to £40,000 in a lifetime.
The harm to children’s physical health and a higher prevalence of mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, are also serious concerns.
The pandemic’s wider economic impact is also likely to increase the number of children living in low-income families.
Again, it’s the most disadvantaged learners who are predicted to bear the brunt in the longer term.
For example, in March 2021, the Child Poverty Action Group found that 35% of low-income families responding to its UK wide survey were still without essential resources for learning, with laptops and devices most commonly missing.
The Fifth Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education (CYPE) Committee heard that there is “plenty of evidence” that” there are striking differences between families in terms of their ability to support young people in their learning: the resources they have around them, the enthusiasm, the engagement, the commitment”.
REBUILDING TRUST
There must be work to rebuild relationships that have been under significant strain during the past 12 months.
Those between teaching unions and the decision-makers within the education system; between parents/carers and schools; and perhaps, most importantly, re-establishing the relationship between learners and their teachers.
Some of the immediate solutions which are already on the table or up for discussion are: more money, including the ‘Recruit, Recover and Raise Standards funding’; more teachers and learning assistants on the ground; changing term times; and setting up summer schools, holiday clubs and home tuition.
However, the longer-term problems are far harder to solve.
One estimate puts the cost of Wales’s journey back from COVID-19 at £1.4 bn to meet the challenges to the education system alone.
The opportunity exists for major reform and an examination of the whole approach to and aim of education.
Children and young people’s return to the classroom has been heralded as a big chance to put their well-being at the heart of education. As well as having a positive impact on well-being, put, mentally healthy children are much more likely to learn.
Following pressure from the Fifth Senedd’s CYPE Committee and its stakeholders, Wales has already made a significant shift towards establishing a ‘Whole School Approach to Mental Health’. The challenge during the Sixth Senedd will be to deliver it.
PERMANENT CHANGE
The potential sting in the tail is that, at the same time, the education system is getting children back to school, it also contends with major legislative reform.
This is in the form of wholesale changes to both the school curriculum and support for learners with Additional Learning Needs.
Some may argue that there’s been no better time to have such significant changes.
If the education system can successfully implement these three major reforms, arguably Wales will complete significant leg work and be on a firmer footing to meet the challenges presented by Covid-19.
At this stage there may be many more questions than answers for the education system.
The world into which learners will move has changed forever.
Not only has the pandemic interrupted their schooling, but the future journeys they were expected to make into the workplace or further and higher education could be unrecognisable.
The skills and aptitudes needed in the ‘new normal’ are only now beginning to be identified and are likely to be different from those needed before the pandemic began.
A CALL to develop a group to look at a Pembrokeshire-wide policy on schools stocking potentially life-saving EpiPens has been deferred, awaiting the outcome of a Welsh Government scoping exercise.
The current Welsh Government position on emergency adrenaline auto-injectors, commonly known as EpiPens, is different from England, where it was mandatory for schools to hold a stock.
EpiPens are commonly used in the emergency treatment of Anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that can be life-threatening.
Welsh Government guidance allows schools to obtain adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) without prescription for emergency use, with Pembrokeshire favouring a school-led decision rather than an authority-led one, replicating Welsh Government guidance.
A call to review the county policy was heard at the April meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Schools and Learning Overview committee following a request from Independent Group leader Cllr Huw Murphy.
Cllr Murphy had said: “Ysgol Bro Ingli H&S Committee met on April 1 to review existing policies, one of which was the First Aid policy. The document provided is the Ysgol Bro Ingli First Aid Policy, which appears to be an adaptation of a generic PCC First Aid document sent to all PCC schools to adapt/implement as appropriate.
“It was highlighted at this meeting that the subject of ‘EpiPens’ was absent, and it appears that PCC may not have developed a county-wide policy on this subject to date, which I think needs scrutiny. At present the stocking of EpiPens is a matter for the Head of a School & Governing Body.
“As was the case when we as an O&S Committee moved to support the introduction of a mobile phone ban in schools, I think we as councillors should provide political leadership to also move to develop a county-wide policy on schools stocking EpiPens (possibly inhalers for asthmatics) and that PCC should fund this cost. It cannot be assumed every child with an allergy will always bring their EpiPen to school and furthermore this does not cover other potential severe allergic reactions eg bee stings.
“I was going to submit an NoM to council but with hindsight feel that the Schools O&S would be the appropriate forum for the matter to be given a thorough airing from where we can hopefully move a recommendation to council.”
Cllr Murphy’s call was backed by Cllr Micheal John, saying: “If there’s a chance of one person dying due to a lack of policy it’s something we have to consider,” moving for a working group to be established to obtain more data ahead of any formal decision.
Another supporter was Cllr Anji Tinley, herself an EpiPen user, compared the provision in schools with defibrillators, saying: “You don’t know you’re going to have a heart attack,” later adding: “£70 to save a life, I don’t think that’s a lot of money.”
Members heard a scoping exercise was currently taking place in Wales, with members agreeing to write to Welsh Government to for an update on its position ahead of any formal group being created.
WELSH GOVERNMENT FACES SCRUTINY OVER AGENCY SPENDING
A RECENT investigation has revealed that 16 out of 22 Welsh councils spent over £78 million on agency staff for supply teachers and teaching assistants during the 2023/24 academic year. The data, obtained through Freedom of Information requests by the Welsh Conservatives, highlights the growing reliance on temporary staff in schools across Wales.
Pembrokeshire County Council spent £1,833,915, according to the data.
The Welsh Conservatives have criticized the Labour-led Welsh Government for not tracking this expenditure and argue that funds would be better invested in recruiting and retaining permanent teaching staff. Shadow Education Secretary Natasha Asghar MS stated, “The staggering costs incurred by councils across Wales on agency staff makes it difficult to see any value for money from the taxpayers’ perspective.”
Challenges in recruitment and retention
An Estyn report from earlier this year underscores the challenges in teacher recruitment and retention, particularly in secondary schools and Welsh-medium education. The report notes a significant decline in the number of applicants for teaching positions, with some schools needing to advertise multiple times to fill vacancies. This shortage has led to situations where staff are teaching outside their areas of expertise, potentially impacting the quality of education.
Government initiatives and responses
In response to these challenges, the Welsh Government has implemented measures to support supply staff and address recruitment issues. A new national framework contract for agency staff was established in September 2023, aiming to enhance professional learning opportunities and employment safeguards for supply teachers .
Additionally, the government has initiated a pilot National Supply Pool in Ynys Môn, allowing supply teachers to be directly employed by local authorities, granting them access to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. While this model shows promise, its broader implementation across Wales faces logistical challenges .
Union perspectives
Teaching unions have expressed concerns over the high expenditure on agency staff. A representative from a teaching union described the £78 million spent as a “shocking waste of money,” emphasizing the need for sustainable solutions to staffing shortages.
Local authority views
Local councils, responsible for staffing in schools, have defended the use of agency staff as a necessary measure to cover absences and maintain educational continuity. A Cardiff Council spokesperson noted that schools employ agency staff for various reasons, including covering short-term absences and meeting temporary demands during recruitment processes.
Conclusion
The significant expenditure on agency staff highlights the ongoing challenges in teacher recruitment and retention in Wales. While the Welsh Government has taken steps to address these issues, including new frameworks and pilot programs, the effectiveness of these measures remains to be seen. Stakeholders across the education sector continue to call for comprehensive strategies to ensure sustainable staffing and high-quality education for students.
DAMNING REPORT CALLS FOR RADICAL OVERHAUL OF WELSH HIGHER EDUCATION
A BOMBSHELL new report has branded Wales’ university sector as bloated, inefficient, and no longer fit for purpose—accusing it of churning out debt-ridden graduates with degrees that fail to match the needs of the modern economy.
The report, titled The University Industrial Complex and published by the Prydain Centre on Thursday (Apr 10), claims that the eight universities currently operating across Wales have evolved into “credential conveyor belts,” more concerned with racking up tuition fees than providing meaningful education.
In a searing analysis of the state of higher education, the authors argue that mass participation has eroded academic standards, with many students paying tens of thousands of pounds for degrees that leave them underemployed—or unemployed.
The key figures
According to the report, there are over 135,000 students enrolled in Welsh universities—despite Wales having a population of just 3.1 million. The average student debt upon graduation now exceeds £37,000, and one in three graduates finds themselves in non-graduate jobs five to ten years after leaving university.
“This isn’t education—it’s exploitation,” said lead author Chris Harries. “We’ve created a generation weighed down by debt, false promises, and qualifications that offer little in terms of real-world value.”
The paper argues that universities have become “visa mills” reliant on overseas student fees, while whole departments and even campuses are being shuttered due to financial pressures.
A new vision for Welsh higher education
The Prydain Centre proposes a sweeping set of reforms that would see the current eight universities reduced to just three elite institutions—each with a clear and distinct focus:
- Cardiff: a global leader in academic research, STEM and humanities.
- Swansea: a centre for applied sciences and industrial collaboration.
- Aberystwyth and Bangor: hubs for Welsh culture, environmental science and rural leadership.
Student numbers would be halved to around 65,000, with raised entry requirements and targeted support for disciplines linked to national priorities such as engineering, healthcare and technology.
Instead of encouraging mass enrolment, the report champions a shift toward merit-based admission and the reintroduction of rigorous academic standards.
From degrees to digital
In perhaps its boldest proposal, the report calls for the launch of a “Digital Knowledge Hub”—a free or low-cost online platform offering lectures, short courses and learning forums.
Built in partnership with leading universities and ed-tech firms, the hub would be accessible to anyone with an internet connection, enabling lifelong learning without incurring debt.
“Education must be about knowledge, not credentials,” said Harries. “This is not nostalgia for an elitist past. It’s a practical leap toward a fairer, smarter system.”
The case for consolidation
The Prydain Centre argues that maintaining eight institutions spreads resources too thinly and dilutes academic quality. By consolidating funding, the three remaining institutions could become internationally respected centres of excellence.
The estimated £500–600 million annual higher education budget would be more effectively used, the report claims, by reducing duplication and investing in talent, research, and student support.
It also acknowledges that the transition would require careful planning, with phased closures and support for affected staff and students, including relocation options and course transfers.
Calls for Government action
The report urges the Welsh Government to pilot the Digital Knowledge Hub as a first step toward system-wide reform. Ministers are being asked to consider a roadmap for consolidation and entry reform over the next five years.
“Wales has a choice,” the report concludes. “Maintain the failed status quo—or build a higher education system that commands global respect.”
The Welsh Government has been approached for comment.
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