1. What action will the Minister take to improve the educational outcomes of school pupils in 2023? OQ58911

The roll-out of the Curriculum for Wales continues to be central to our reforms to improve the quality of, and engagement with, learning in schools and settings. We will continue to actively promote this, alongside our focus on cross-curricular and integral skills as a foundation for all learning.  

Thank you, Minister. I've recently been contacted by a constituent who is the head of science and technology at a school in Wales and who is opposed to proposals to integrate physics, chemistry and biology into one award. My constituent strongly believes that these proposals remove choices from pupils and will seriously dilute the quality of science teaching in Wales by reducing the breadth of a student's science education. One of the reasons that UK science degrees are so widely respected worldwide is because they are so specialist, and less broad than in many other countries. My constituent goes on to say that these proposals present a threat to the Welsh economy, which needs highly skilled, highly paid jobs in Wales, many of which rely on high-quality science education, which would be put under risk with these plans in place. Concerns have also been expressed by the Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry, who fear that the core sciences will lose their identity and will mean people missing the opportunity to develop a fascination for science that would lead them to rewarding careers moving forward. What can you say, Minister, to my constituent, colleagues in the teaching profession, professional bodies, and to parents in Wales who are concerned that these proposals will seriously damage science teaching here in Wales? Thank you.

Actually, the view of the two institutions that you referred to is that the proposal that Qualifications Wales has brought forward is likely to increase the number of young people learning science and going on to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects. That is actually the view they've expressed to us. Qualifications Wales is currently consulting on this matter, so your constituent—I would encourage him or her to contribute to the consultation. It’s important that all voices are heard as we approach the question of recasting our qualifications in Wales.

One in five schools in Wales currently teach three separate sciences at GCSE level, so the overwhelming majority do not. The proposals that Qualifications Wales have brought forward do not combine the sciences. They will retain their separate identity, but will be taught in a way that enables the linkages between them, which is really important for those who go on to study sciences to understand the fuller context in the widest range of sciences. That is the mechanism that Qualifications Wales suggests. Qualifications Wales has done a significant amount of work with higher education institutions to ensure they understand the perspectives that they have. That work continues in the early part of this year, but I'd encourage your constituent to participate in the discussion, which Qualifications Wales is keen to encourage.