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Pisa education ranking goal target is scrapped Pisa education ranking goal target is scrapped
(35 minutes later)
The target to put Wales into the top 20 best-performing countries in education by next year has been scrapped by Education Minister Huw Lewis.The target to put Wales into the top 20 best-performing countries in education by next year has been scrapped by Education Minister Huw Lewis.
Wales was around 40th out of 68 in the last Pisa international school test results for science, maths and reading released last December.Wales was around 40th out of 68 in the last Pisa international school test results for science, maths and reading released last December.
Wales also fell behind the rest of the UK with an average score of 468.Wales also fell behind the rest of the UK with an average score of 468.
Mr Lewis has set a new target score of 500. Conservatives said that amounted to "stagnation" not "aspiration".Mr Lewis has set a new target score of 500. Conservatives said that amounted to "stagnation" not "aspiration".
As a comparison, Scotland scored over 500 points last year, which means that the new target for Wales in 2021 would put it on a par with Scotland in 2013.As a comparison, Scotland scored over 500 points last year, which means that the new target for Wales in 2021 would put it on a par with Scotland in 2013.
Mr Lewis had told BBC Wales last December that ditching the target was the easy way out and he did not want to lower pupils' ambitions.Mr Lewis had told BBC Wales last December that ditching the target was the easy way out and he did not want to lower pupils' ambitions.
In the most recent results in maths, 15-year-olds in Wales scored 468 points on average, compared with 498 in Scotland, 495 in England and 487 in Northern Ireland. On Thursday he insisted the new approach was still ambitious.
In last year's PISA reading test Wales scored 480, but Scotland scored 506 points, England scored 500 and Northern Ireland 498. "This is a better target, I think, because it relates to what teachers can aim for in their classrooms, in their schools, as regards the actual progress of young people," he said.
Meanwhile, in last year's PISA scores in science, Wales scored 491, England 516, Scotland 513, and 507 in Northern Ireland. "If we say to a head teacher 'we need to be in the top 20', it's very difficult to translate that into how their 15-year-olds should do at GCSE.
'Feeble' "But if we say 'score 500' they can measure their progress towards it."
The Pisa tests, which are published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), were taken by 500,000 15-year-olds in 68 countries last year. Conservative shadow education minister Angela Burns ridiculed Labour for seeking to "raise Welsh performance from the worst performing UK nation to the second worst by 2021".
On Thursday, Conservative Shadow Education Minister Angela Burns ridiculed Labour for seeking to "raise Welsh performance from the worst performing UK nation to the second worst by 2021".
"This isn't aspiration, but stagnation," she said."This isn't aspiration, but stagnation," she said.
"This feeble new target shows a poverty of ambition for young people and is the dressing up of reaching mediocrity within a decade as some sort of achievement." "This feeble new target shows a poverty of ambition for young people."
Plaid Cymru education spokesman Simon Thomas said he was "glad" Mr Lewis had accepted the original target was "too optimistic" and had now "placed more realistic expectations on the teaching profession".Plaid Cymru education spokesman Simon Thomas said he was "glad" Mr Lewis had accepted the original target was "too optimistic" and had now "placed more realistic expectations on the teaching profession".
"Plaid Cymru has long called for the Welsh government to put forward a long term vision for education in Wales and I hope that the minister's announcement today is an indication that a challenging but achievable strategy is being drawn up," Mr Thomas said.
Aled Roberts, who speaks for the Liberal Democrats on education, called on ministers to "make up their minds once and for all about their education strategy or hold up their hands up and admit they don't know how to fix our education system".Aled Roberts, who speaks for the Liberal Democrats on education, called on ministers to "make up their minds once and for all about their education strategy or hold up their hands up and admit they don't know how to fix our education system".
The new target was announced as part of an education improvement plan launched by Mr Lewis.The new target was announced as part of an education improvement plan launched by Mr Lewis.
Qualified for Life sets out the Welsh government's vision for education up to 2020, with the ambition that every learner in Wales should benefit from "excellent teaching and learning". Qualified for Life sets out the Welsh government's vision for education up to 2020, with the ambition that every learner in Wales should benefit from "excellent teaching and learning".
An annual "report card" will show how Welsh education performs against a range of measurable targets.An annual "report card" will show how Welsh education performs against a range of measurable targets.