Education Reform Inwards Wales: A National Mission

by Kirsty Williams AM
Cabinet Secretary for Education, Welsh Government

It’s an exciting fourth dimension for pedagogy inwards Wales.

This was noted past times the OECD before this year, when it recognised that regime together with sector are working closely together with a commitment to improvements that are “visible at all levels of the pedagogy system”.

This week, every bit Wales’s Education Secretary, I published our novel activity innovation for the side past times side 4 years. Entitled ‘Education inwards Wales: Our national mission’, it builds on the potent foundations already inwards house inwards our system. But nosotros are setting the bar fifty-fifty higher, ambitious every bit nosotros are inwards our expectations for our immature people, for our teaching profession together with for our nation.

As a relatively pocket-size province together with a still-young democracy, nosotros choose every bit good frequently seen these every bit challenges rather than opportunities. Through the OECD, nosotros choose had the chance to larn to a greater extent than nearly other systems together with their reform journeys.

It is truthful that no 2 countries or systems are the same. However, every bit a bilingual arrangement committed to both equity together with excellence, nosotros are non entirely learning from others, but our innovative approach is inwards fact attracting international attention. And Wales volition remain opened upward to ideas, visits together with co-operation!

It is our approach to curriculum reform, inside a reformed system, that is frequently of most interest. Work is good underway on this, led past times a group of pioneer schools who are working inwards partnership with government, regional pedagogy consortia, international experts, universities, trouble organization together with 3rd sector, together with correct across the pedagogy profession. It is non the production of hush-hush meetings inwards simply about Government back-office.

The OECD said inwards its recent review: “To back upward the realisation of its pedagogy objectives together with ultimately its vision of the Welsh learner, Wales should conk along its curriculum reform… ensuring that its reform journeying is comprehensive together with effective.”

Therefore, every bit nosotros conk along with our reforms, nosotros volition choose a renewed focus to 4 telephone commutation ‘enabling’ objectives.

Education inwards Wales

Firstly, ensuring a high-quality pedagogy profession. We volition back upward teachers inwards beingness lifelong professional person learners through novel standards, a national approach together with reformed initial instructor education.

Secondly, identifying together with inspiring leaders to enhance standards. We involve to address a previous lack of emphasis on leadership. Therefore nosotros volition industrial plant life a national leadership academy, trim back bureaucracy through trouble organization managers together with improved communication together with co-operation, together with revise the qualification for schoolhouse leaders.

Thirdly, ensure that our schools are inclusive, dedicated to excellence, equity together with well-being. We volition extend our targeted back upward for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, render dedicated back upward for our ‘more able’ learners, together with move innovative inwards identifying together with measurement well-being amongst attainment.

And fourthly, improved assessment, evaluation together with accountability inside a self-improving system. We volition move consistent together with clear nearly the things nosotros want to value together with stair out through a novel annual national pedagogy study together with study card, formative assessments together with a novel assessment & evaluation framework that focuses on improvement all levels.

The OECD study together with advice was unambiguous: concur our nerve, rest the course, but create to a greater extent than to communicate, clarify together with ensure coherence inwards our programme. Focus on leadership inwards delivering a much-needed novel curriculum inwards a timely manner.

‘Education inwards Wales: Our national mission’ responds to those recommendations together with sets out our collective responsibleness to enhance standards, trim back the attainment gap together with deliver a arrangement that is a source of genuine national pride together with world confidence.

Links
Education inwards Wales: Our national mission
The Welsh pedagogy reform journey: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 rapid policy assessment (OECD)
Curriculum for Wales weblog

Follow the conversation on Twitter: #EducationMissionWales

Photo credits: Welsh Government Education