The influence of the background is seen in statistics that report that pupils from different economic backgrounds in Wales have various educational achievements.
The difference in educational attainment between children who receive lots of support and those who don’t is a staggering 22 to 29 months by the time they sit their GCSEs.
Researchers say that, over three years, pupils are more likely to have fallen behind compared to optimistically-adjusted figures from the past. Figures were based on the results from a study conducted three years ago.
Education Minister Jeremy Miles said the report of Welsh children who are behind in their studies is “disheartening”.
This Welsh government want to close the educational gap.
Mr Miles also said the situation was “behind where we want to be”.
“The Welsh Conservatives said that the number of children in poverty increased and the standards of education decreased under the British Labour government.”
Using EPI 2019 data, the gap between secondary school students from primarily non-white backgrounds and white UK students is at its highest in five areas of Wales.
The evaluation period is usually 17-20 months, but the breadth in Cardiff, Swansea and Ceredigion is narrower.
Researchers analysed data for Wales and found that disadvantaged pupils are around 18 months behind their peers.
Watch how the situation in Wales concerns poorer pupils.
This report will do an uncomfortable reading as it exposes a government’s failure to close the achievement gap.
Millions have been invested in grants and other initiatives without much progress.
Researchers have looked at data in England and Wales, and the situation in Wales is especially worrying.
The Education Minister acknowledges that progress has been too slow but promises that things will be different. Any measures will contend with the damage done by the pandemic, in addition to the problems seen in today’s report.
“Compared to England’s gap, the gap in Wales is wider”, according to Luke Sibieta, a research fellow with EPI.
The ten-year report reveals that the problem and the demand for speech therapy are still significant.
The Welsh government has made it a priority to reduce the disparity in performance. The efforts we have seen so far seem misplaced, or there needs to be more effort invested into reducing inequality.
Many schools in areas of the UK have managed to level the playing field. With help from international evidence, lessons can be learned and applied so that other schools can do the same.
The education minister has proposed a program to incentivise educators to teach in the most disadvantaged areas.
He believes that by assessing the skill levels of each student and grouping them accordingly, we will be able to have more individualised instruction.
Miles Notes: “Going forward, the strategy of having a whole-system approach – looking at support for schools and learners directly to help close the performance gap – will help us move forward.”
The goal of Raising the Attainment of Disadvantaged Youngsters is to help Treorchy Comprehensive School get better.
The school plans on closing the achievement gap between students by training new teachers.
Jennifer Ford, head teacher of the school, said the new library was a “major” part of the school’s effort to encourage literacy and reading.
Despite being a Welsh government priority, the attainment gap has not been closed.
Many schools have been trying to prepare their students for high school by giving them more work in the eleventh grade. Instead, we should focus on making the curriculum engaging and relevant to the students’ needs.
The problem starts at the very beginning. And by creating, we mean nursery school.
Reading has worsened in poorer Welsh pupils.
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“It’s not just about being an educator. Teachers need to be nurses, nutritionists, counsellors, and much more.”- Jacqueline Ford.
Welsh Government
Pupils who are eligible for free school meals, or appear to be in care, will automatically be allocated money towards the cost of their education by this policy.
Grants are also available for Welsh families to help them purchase uniforms and other children’s items.
Luke said the grant is a “good thing”, but it’s not enough. He believes the grant budget should be higher and focus on children facing deeper poverty levels.
David Laws said that this research shows “disappointing” outcomes and warrants a debate in Wales about what can be done to improve things.
He stated, “Across the UK, policymakers need to do a better job to give poor children a better chance in life.”
Welsh Conservatives are opposed to Labour policies on education.
In contrast to Labour’s inaction, we need a commitment from the Labour government to support children by giving them the best education available.
Cymatic found that in Wales, there is still a long way to go in closing the gap for achievement.
Plaid Cymru has prioritised tackling child poverty in Wales. They believe this will lead to a decrease in inequality among children, making the country more egalitarian.
It is time to address this issue urgently. The problem will only get worse with the cost of living crisis. What are your thoughts on this issue? share them in the comment section below.
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