<p>The Global Futures Plan</p>

Part of 1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education – in the Senedd at 2:15 pm on 12 July 2017.

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Photo of Kirsty Williams Kirsty Williams Liberal Democrat 2:15, 12 July 2017

Well, I would refer the Member to the answer I gave Lynne Neagle with regard to how we are following up on Global Futures. But can I just take this opportunity—I think we’re all, and rightly, concerned about the numbers of students who are taking modern foreign languages, but it’s not all bad news. GCSE results in 2016 showed that Wales had higher A* pass rates and A* to C pass rates for French, Spanish, German and other modern foreign languages than their counterparts across the border in England. So, whilst I want to see more students taking these GCSEs, the ones who are are doing really well and are to be congratulated. We need to understand what more we can do to encourage more students to emulate their colleagues in school to take these languages, because when Welsh students take these exams, they do well.