September 15, 2026 - 174 views
A new plan aimed at improving literacy and numeracy among children and young people in Wales has been published, with the Welsh Government saying clearer expectations are needed to raise standards.
The Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Plan takes a 0-to-16 approach and introduces new national indicators, a baseline assessment for children starting school and clearer guidance for teachers on what pupils should learn and when.
It also puts greater emphasis on systematic synthetic phonics, reading at home, parental involvement and identifying children who need extra support.
The move comes after concerns about Wales' performance in international education assessments. In the 2022 PISA tests, Wales recorded a reading score of 466, below the OECD average and lower than England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
But the reasons behind the figures are more complicated than simply what happens in the classroom.
Wales has experienced major economic and social change over generations, particularly following the decline of traditional industries such as coal and steel. Research has consistently linked educational attainment with levels of poverty and disadvantage, with children from poorer households more likely to experience poorer educational outcomes.
The disruption caused by the Covid pandemic also affected children's learning, with evidence that some disadvantaged pupils were particularly badly affected.
Wales has also been through a major programme of curriculum reform in recent years. The Curriculum for Wales began being introduced in 2022, with the new plan intended to sit alongside it while putting renewed emphasis on the fundamental skills of reading, writing and mathematics.
The Welsh Government says literacy and numeracy development begins before children even start school, which is why the new approach includes greater emphasis on early years, parents and access to books.
The challenge now is turning those clearer expectations into consistently better outcomes across Wales.
The Education Minister Anna Brychan said literacy and numeracy were the building blocks for learning, work and everyday life, adding that the Government owed it to current and future generations to "get literacy and numeracy right."
