Part of 4. Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language – in the Senedd at 4:21 pm on 14 March 2023.
Thank you for that response, Minister. Minister, as you know, our standards, sadly, in Wales are far below those in England and Scotland, with Wales sitting at the bottom of Britain's GCSE and Programme for International Student Assessment rankings. Welsh Government has chosen not to spend all of the money it could on education, even though our system is underperforming. Indeed, your budget this year cut the education and Welsh language budget in real terms, alongside an actual cut of £43 million in cash terms. I know the stock answer is to blame the UK Government for funding, but the fact remains that education is devolved and matters of your Government present choices for you to make. With this in mind, Minister, and noting the reduction in funding here, what practical steps are you taking to rectify the shortcomings in Wales in order to deliver the educational outcomes that children and young people deserve here?