With just over a week to go until polling day, the future of the Welsh Parliament and our country is all to play for, but due to Labour’s policies whilst in power, our children and future generations are already at a disadvantage.
Wales recorded its lowest-ever PISA scores in 2022, falling well behind all other UK nations and below the average in maths, reading and science. This was not just a blip; it was the outcome of 27 years of Labour failure.
Government Ministers have attempted to defend this at every opportunity by blaming everything from the previous UK Government to the pandemic; yet England and Scotland’s results were nowhere near this level.
Attendance in our schools is also well below pre-pandemic levels, with the average for Wales reaching 90.9% in 2024/25, far below the rate of 94.3% seen in 2018-19.
Education under Labour in Wales is a story of soaring absenteeism, a shocking decline in education standards, the worst PISA results in the UK, rising incidences of violence plaguing our schools and pupils leaving school functionally illiterate. Our teachers and the entire Welsh education system is at breaking point.
After 27 years in charge, Labour’s record on education is shocking, it is clear Wales deserves better.
The Welsh Conservatives would change the tide on our falling education standards and would ensure our education system delivers for our pupils and teachers alike.
We would introduce a schools performance portal, so the public can see exactly how every school is performing. Oversubscribed ‘good schools’ would be expanded; these schools are oversubscribed for a reason and should be given the support to continue to grow.
We believe in protecting home-to-school transport, parental rights to withdraw children from aspects of the curriculum, and ensuring our teachers are not just trained in Wales, but encouraged to remain here when they qualify.
Wales needs better schools, more teachers and an education system that delivers for our future generations, and that is what the Welsh Conservatives will deliver.
The Welsh public will go to the polls to vote for our future Welsh Government next Thursday.
Every single poll has said that no party can get a majority, there is no more tactical voting, and every vote goes directly to electing who you want.
We must ensure there are as many responsible MSs elected as possible, and that is why every vote for the Welsh Conservatives in Sir Fynwy Torfaen matters now more than ever.
Peter Fox OBE - Lead Conservative Candidate for Sir Fynwy Torfaen
