Tag Archives: political

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Kirsty Williams welcomes new OECD report on Welsh education reform

In November 2016, after an invite from the Education Secretary, the highly-respected Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) visited Wales to examine the work underway on education reforms to make sure they are on track.

The independent findings (external link) published today state that

“the OECD has witnessed progress in several policy areas and a shift in the Welsh approach to school improvement away from a piece meal and short term policy orientation towards one that is guided by a long term vision.”

The report also found Wales’ reforms were characterised by close working between government and the education sector with a commitment to improvement “visible at all levels of the education system.”

Kirsty Williams said:

“I invited the OECD to come to Wales to challenge what we are doing to reform our education system and I welcome their findings. They have concluded that we are making progress and we have a long term vision in place to keep improving.

“We are already taking action on many of their recommendations, from creating a new national academy for leadership, transforming initial teacher education, launching new professional standards, and introducing a national approach to professional learning.

“Our job is to continue our national mission of education reform focused on driving up standards and helping every learner in Wales, whatever their background, fulfil their potential.

“As the OECD recommends, our focus must be on making sure we continue to properly implement our vision for reform. I am committed to raising standards, reducing the attainment gap and delivering an education system that is a source of national pride and confidence.”

Both the Education Secretary and Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills for the OECD, will today address representatives from all of Wales’ 205 state secondary schools at a special event in Cardiff.

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Welsh Government • •

Chancellor must commit to ‘triple lock’ at Budget

In a speech today on intergenerational fairness Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary will demand that the Chancellor ‘commit’ in the Budget to ‘guarantee the triple lock on state pensions beyond 2020’.

The Government hinted that they may cut the triple lock in order to “tackle the challenge of rising longevity.” This led to accusations that the Tories were ‘abandoning older people’.

Labour has made a commitment to maintaining the triple lock under the next Labour government, alongside other pensioner benefits.

Debbie Abrahams MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary commenting on concerns that the Government has refused to commit to the triple lock said:

 “It was shocking to hear the Chancellor suggest that he would expose older people to the flawed austerity agenda – further proof that the Tories are abandoning older people.

“The last Labour government were responsible for a historic reduction in pensioner poverty levels. A record that we remain hugely proud of.

 “The Chancellor must use this Budget to provide clarity on the issue of the triple lock, and follow Labour’s lead by committing to the policy beyond 2020.”

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Labour • • •