Plaid criticises political partners over PISA results

Plaid Cymru has responded to the latest PISA results released today, which show the worst results in Wales since they first took part in PISA in 2006. Wales was also the lowest performing devolved country in the UK for all three subject fields which include Mathematics, Science and Reading.

Plaid Cymru has criticised the handling of child poverty rates in Wales which it says has contributed to the results, leading to high absenteeism in Welsh schools.

Plaid Cymru’s education spokesperson, Heledd Fychan MS, said:

“The PISA results published today should be a wakeup call for the Welsh Government.

“Too many young people in Wales are living in poverty, pupil absences are unacceptably high and many schools are facing a significant deficit in their budgets. Despite the hard work and dedication of an overstretched workforce, the pupil attainment gap is widening and we cannot ignore the link between poverty and today’s disappointing results.

“Every child, no matter their background should have an equal chance of succeeding in life.

“We need more than platitudes and excuses from the Minister for Education in response to these results. Wales had a pre Covid recruitment crisis in the education sector, the magnitude of which Ministers failed to grasp. Continuing and entrenching cuts to education will do nothing to put Wales on a path towards a turnaround in our PISA results.”