Reading, writing, and maths are among the most important life skills our schools can teach. But Wales’s most recent PISA results show that too many young people are leaving school without these essential competencies.
In 2022, our scores in reading, maths, and science fell to their lowest levels ever – well below the OECD average.
Raising literacy and numeracy standards is one of the most urgent challenges our education system faces. A Plaid Cymru government will ensure every learner is supported to develop the strong foundational skills they need.
Drawing on international best practice, our new Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Plan will:
- Establish new national and school-level literacy and numeracy targets, alongside tailored individual targets for every pupil.
- Provide clarity on what children need to learn and when, track students’ progress, and direct support to those who are falling behind.
- Set out core, evidence-based criteria for teaching literacy and numeracy, with all children taught to read using systematic synthetic phonics – learning to match letters and sounds effectively.
The Plan will be supported by:
- A library space in every primary school, giving every child access to a dedicated setting that fosters a lifelong love of reading in both Welsh and English.
- Reading across the curriculum – embedding literacy into every secondary school subject, with subject-specific reading strategies and strengthened support for pupils during the critical transition from primary to secondary education.
To support teachers in implementing the Curriculum for Wales consistently, and to secure smoother transitions between primary and secondary school, we will provide additional guidance and resources that set out clearer expectations for progression across the curriculum. This will eliminate the ambiguity and uncertainty teachers have faced about what the Curriculum for Wales requires of them.
We will undertake a wider review of the Curriculum for Wales to ensure it is effectively delivering both the breadth and depth of subject-specific knowledge that students in Wales need.
We will work in full partnership with local authorities to secure the highest possible returns on education spending, including a joint audit to tackle disparities in per-pupil funding and ensure investment in agreed priorities delivers real improvements for learners.
Plaid Cymru supports the presumption against closing rural schools in the School Organisation Code. In government, we will review how this policy is being implemented, ensuring that decisions on school reorganisation are guided first and foremost by the best interests of pupils.