Ministers say that before the pandemic, Wales was making positive progress in literacy and numeracy. But the Welsh Government say it’s becoming clear to them the impacts of the pandemic have undone some of these gains. It cited a recent Welsh Government report on reading and numeracy attainment that detailed some of the impacts.
The report has drawn criticism from opposition parties however who say the Welsh Government cannot continue to blame the pandemic on falling literacy and numeracy rates.
The Welsh Government has now unveiled a new maths plan that aims to raise standards. New engaging ways of learning will be developed as part of the new curriculum to build the confidence of learners. A new evidence, advice and research group will be established, made up of mathematics specialists from Wales, the UK and from around the world, to provide advice to partners who will create a made-for-Wales professional learning package.
Ysgol Coedcae in Llanelli has developed the teaching of financial literacy in engaging ways.
Education Minister Jeremy Miles visited a maths lesson which focussed on financial education at the school to see first-hand how learners are being taught how to calculate percentages and apply this to calculating payments on loans from high interest loan companies.
Sam Terry, Head of Maths at Coedcae School, said: “As teachers, we have a duty to prepare and educate young people for a life outside of the classroom, and to provide them with the necessary tools to navigate a world of financial uncertainty.
“We at Coedcae School are using the new curriculum to create a numerically confident group of learners who can break the cycle of people who claim, ‘I can’t do maths’.”
The Welsh Government say their oracy and reading toolkit published earlier this year has been updated to give further clarity on the role of early communication skills and systematic phonics, as proven strategies for developing essential reading skills. It says the toolkit provides a range of information and resources which will enable schools to develop and embed their own approach to reading and oracy.
Jeremy Miles said: “Clear support for our young people in both literacy and numeracy is vital given the ongoing impact of the pandemic, to enable them to gain the full benefits of the curriculum.
“There is excellent work taking place in schools across Wales such as the financial education lessons I observed at Ysgol Coedcae. Our action plans aim to ensure all learners can benefit from such engaging teaching.”
Speaking after a recent statement by Mr Miles in the Senedd, Welsh Conservative Shadow Education Minister, Laura Anne Jones MS has criticised the plans: “We are years out of the pandemic and the attainment gap continues to grow, the Labour Government cannot continue to blame Covid, they must stand up and take responsibility here.
“Instead, the Minister mentions the pandemic five times in his statement. Yet, the figures show us that attainment has either declined or stagnated every year since the end of the pandemic and continues to worsen. In fact, the attainment gap was widening long before Covid so it’s disingenuous of the Minister to blame covid and dismiss the findings of the report.
“After cutting the education budget in real terms, wasting resources on changing school holidays and dropping the ball on soaring absenteeism, the Minister must take responsibility for his decisions. The Labour Government’s abject failure to support the education system in Wales is eroding our children’s future.”
