Local Schools may be hit with cuts in funding at a time when Labour should be doing more to address school challenges found by Estyn
Welsh Conservatives urge Labour to do more to address school challenges found by Estyn
Schools in Wales are continuing to grapple with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, school inspectors have said. Estyn's chief inspector of education said pupils now need more well-being and mental health support.
Commenting on the news, Welsh Conservative Shadow Education Minister, Laura Anne Jones MS said:
“The Welsh Conservatives are not surprised by today’s revelations that Covid-related difficulties in our schools remain unaddressed by the Labour Government, from lower oracy skills, to bullying and pupils’ mental health, to the poverty gap in education.
“Wales lost the most number of school days in the UK during the pandemic, clocking in at a colossal 66 days due to Labour’s harsher lockdowns. Therefore, there is an additional need for urgent action to ensure Welsh pupils are not at an unfair disadvantage to their UK counterparts. Labour also needs to employ a more targeted approach to address the mental health crisis in our schools, the current approach is simply not good enough.
“We urge the Labour Government to pull their heads out of the sand and deal with these self-inflicted challenges being flagged by Estyn.”
The report also found that progress towards implementing the new Curriculum for Wales is "too variable". It also said dealing with sexual harassment and bullying remains a challenge for all schools.
