5. Statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Children’s Oracy and Reading

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:23 pm on 16 November 2021.

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Photo of Jeremy Miles Jeremy Miles Labour 4:23, 16 November 2021

(Translated)

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Improving reading skills is essential if we are to make the progress that we all want to see in reducing the attainment gap between pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. And a focus on ensuring that everyone has the reading skills that they need to reach their potential is a matter of social justice, and it's also integral if we are to ensure that every learner has the opportunity to access the full breadth of our new curriculum. And it was welcome that, in the last set of Programme for International Student Assessment results, Wales reached its highest score yet in reading and that we have caught up with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average. However, there is still a way to go.