The Welsh Conservatives have called on the Labour Government in Cardiff Bay to do everything it can to overcome the impact of the pandemic on Welsh learners and prevent a generation being lost to lockdowns.

In the Senedd yesterday (Wednesday January 26), Shadow Education Minister Laura Anne Jones MS led a debate proposing, in an effort to “ensure that every young person can reach their potential”, that ministers:

• Guarantee schools remain open;

• Remove the requirement to wear face coverings in schools and colleges as soon as possible;

• Accelerate the rollout of improved ventilation adaptations in learning environments; and

• Level-up school funding across Wales to address the shortfall with other British nations.

Research by the London School of Economics found that Welsh children lost out on a third of their learning (66 days) in the last academic year, more than any other UK nation.

Estyn, Wales’ school inspectorate, concluded that learners’ maths, Welsh language, reading, and social skills have all suffered as a result of school closures. They also found the “divide between pupils from disadvantaged and more privileged backgrounds became more pronounced over the course of the pandemic”.

However, not all the issues experienced in Welsh schools can be blamed on the pandemic with the Conservatives claiming long-standing issues such as underfunding from the Labour Government have played a part in leading to Wales receiving the lowest PISA scores – that ranks education systems across the world – of all UK nations since it first participated in 2006.

Wales spends less per pupil on education than both England and Scotland, according to the Institute of Fiscal Studies, with English students benefitting by £100 extra per person compared to their Welsh counterparts.

Commenting on the debate, Laura Anne Jones MS – MS for South Wales East – said:

“The youngest in our society have sacrificed so much during the pandemic to protect others at a huge cost to their own life chances. Education is not expendable, especially for the vulnerable where their time away from home is the only respite from abuse.

“Therefore, it is essential we do everything to ensure schools are kept open at their normal capacity.

“Also, while facemasks have played a role in this pandemic, they have outlived their usefulness in schools: they make minimal difference to stopping the transmission of Covid-19, yet they can have an extremely negative effect on learners and learning in the classroom.

“The British Government’s evidence and Wales’ own scientific advisor say the same, so if Mark Drakeford says he follows the science, then he must scrap the classroom mask requirement now.

“Labour should now use this opportunity to deploy the record budget increase that has come from the British Conservative Government to improve education in Wales by addressing the underfunding of schools and undo the damage of lockdowns, ensuring each child can fulfil their potential.

“It’s time for Labour to address the chronic problems facing our schools, whether it be the cost of supply teachers, the alarming rise in home schooling or lack of guidance and support given to our teachers to help roll out the new curriculum.

“It’s time for decisive reform and action from Labour Ministers.”