Education in Wales is in crisis – can a new minister fix the problems?

Finola Wilson

Congratulations to Lynne Neagle, who has just become the ninth politician to hold the job of Wales’ education minister since devolution.

The Torfaen MS is taking over the role in Vaughan Gething’s cabinet from Jeremy Miles, who moves to the economy role after his failed leadership bid.

Unfortunately, the cabinet secretary for education, to give Ms Neagle her full title, starts her new job at a very difficult time, with an education system in dire straits.

Top of Ms Neagle’s inbox will be the recent report into education in Wales by the IFS, which outlined a series of “major challenges”, including low outcomes and high levels of inequality.

The findings of the report, while stark, won’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the multiple crises facing the education system in Wales.

However, they are sure to be seized upon by certain elements of the tabloid press to embarrass the Labour party in the run-up to the UK general election.

Crisis

When Ms Neagle has read through the IFS report, she will quickly realise the scale of the task she faces.

It’s not an exaggeration to say education in Wales is in crisis. This is because:

• There’s an ongoing funding crisis in local authorities, which has hit education budgets and left many schools struggling to balance the books.
• Schools are still suffering from the fallout of the pandemic, particularly when it comes to attendance and behavioural issues.
• The PISA results for Wales were dire, with the lowest scores ever recorded and the gap between the other UK nations widening.
• The latest reading and numeracy test results showed reading standards of 7-14-year-olds have fallen since the pandemic.

The recent Estyn Chief Inspector’s Annual Report highlighted many of these problems, while also raising the issues providers face in recruiting teachers and support staff across specialisms.

Reassured

The impact Lynne Neagle can have on these issues remains to be seen, but educators will be reassured by her CV and her record.

She impressed in her stint as chair of the Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education Committee, and her tenacity in fighting for better support for children’s mental health won her many plaudits.

She’s also married to a previous education minister, former MS Huw Lewis, so she will no doubt be familiar with many of the challenges that come with the job.

So, what can the new cabinet secretary achieve? Wales needs a school system that is focused on the changes that need to be made for the best. These don’t have to involve huge changes or major policy reforms.

Many small changes can be made that will make a big difference, such as making sure the guidance given to teachers is evidence-informed and designed to make an impact in the classroom.

Self-congratulatory attitude

One thing that needs to stop is the self-congratulatory attitude that pervades the education system in Wales – if we just pat each other on the back all the time we’ll never improve.

The only explanation we can see for a continued positive rhetoric when the situation is anything but positive is because those in positions of responsibility need things to be okay for the sake of their careers.

We also need a cabinet secretary who is proactive and not reactive, and who is focused on taking the hard decisions that we elect our leaders to make, such as putting the brakes on when a policy clearly isn’t yielding the results Wales needs.

Lynne Neagle has the opportunity to do something positive. She does not have to carry on protecting the image of Welsh Labour above the needs of the children of Wales. We urge her to do the right thing and make the difficult decisions.

Finola Wilson is a Director of Impact Wales, an education company that works with schools and teachers across the UK and beyond.