ColegauCymru has today welcomed the Audit Wales report which looks at the Welsh Government’s management of the planning and implementation of the new Curriculum for Wales as part of a programme of major education reform. Concerns however remain in ensuring a successful transition to post-16 learning.
ColegauCymru was pleased to have contributed to this valuable piece of work which aimed to provide assurance that implementation of the new Curriculum for Wales is on track in the context of the revised plans announced in July 2021. We particularly welcome Audit Wales’ identification that ensuring that new qualifications are aligned with the new curriculum and support progression to the full range of post-16 options is a key risk that the Welsh Government needs to manage.
We raised a range of issues including how the new qualifications would support A levels, students who cross the border to study and those studying vocational qualifications which are mostly not Wales-specific.
ColegauCymru is supportive of Audit Wales’ six recommendations, in particular the need to better understand and to support scrutiny of the cost of curriculum reform and to design and implement new qualifications that support the Welsh Government’s ambitions for the new curriculum.
ColegauCymru Director of Policy and Public Affairs Dr Rachel Bowen said,
“We were pleased to be able to contribute to the work carried out by the Audit Wales Office. The Curriculum for Wales offers a great opportunity for the next generation of learners with a focus on ensuring that they are motivated and capable, ready to learn throughout their lives. However, it is important to get the detail right.
This must include sufficient funding to deliver on the ambitions of the new Curriculum. This funding must extend into the post-16 sector to prepare staff and ensure a smooth transition for learners. We look forward to working with the Welsh Government on the challenges ahead.”
ColegauCymru will continue to work with key stakeholders to ensure that the new Curriculum for Wales is fit for purpose and provides fair opportunities for all learners, regardless of their background, location, or preferred path of education. We hope that it will encourage vocational routes to be seen as equal to academic pathways.
Further Information
Audit Wales
The new Curriculum for Wales
Report for the Auditor General for Wales
May 2022
