Continuing the Welsh Conservative series of articles on a devolution revolution in Wales on the Gwydir blog site (https://gwydir.wales/2020/09/11/its-time-to-give-schools-the-tools-they-need/), Shadow Minister for Education, Skills and the Welsh Language, Suzy Davies MS, has written about what a future Welsh Conservative Government would do to bring a revolution in our education system.
Referencing the article by Russell George MS on creating an environment for businesses to grow in Wales leading to increased income in taxes, Suzy Davies writes:
“As the Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Education and Skills, it won’t shock you that I’ll be at the front of the queue wanting that extra money for schools.
“And by schools I really do mean schools. I do not mean the overly complicated and convoluted process by which schools are funded in Wales which sees only 83% of the education budget actually reaching schools. That will change under a Welsh Conservative Government.”
Suzy goes on to say that “education underpins everything which a Welsh Conservative Government wants to achieve.” She explains that “We can only attract the best companies if we have a highly skilled and creative workforce. We can only be the home of innovation if young people have the knowledge and the ingenuity to capitalise on their clever ideas.”
Explaining how a Welsh Conservative Government would improve education in Wales, Suzy states that:
“My devolution revolution in education has more aspiration in what I want to achieve in our first year than in the last 10 years of tired Welsh Labour-led Governments combined.
“We will take action to fund schools directly and end the continued under-spending by successive Welsh Labour-led Governments.
“We will grant greater spending control to those who know best – our teachers, parents and governors.
“And to balance that greater freedom, we will have clearer but supportive new work for Estyn and new lines of accountability so everyone knows where they stand.
“And we will ensure that pupils have the opportunity to focus on courses that get them to where they want to go - even if that means scrapping the Welsh Baccalaureate.”
Suzy concludes her article by saying that it is only “under a Welsh Conservative Government, led by Paul Davies” that will “deliver a relevant, challenging and inclusive education system" which will ensure that “our young people achieve more than they ever thought possible.”