OECD to report on education in Wales

Published 26/03/2014   |   Last Updated 27/05/2021   |   Reading Time minutes

Article written by Michael Dauncey, National Assembly for Wales Research Service

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is due to report to the Welsh Government soon, following its review of education in Wales. OCDE_10cm_4cThe Research Service understands that the Welsh Government will receive the report at the start of April with the findings to be published shortly after. The OECD has undertaken this work at the request of the Welsh Government, with the decision to commission the review taken by the former Minister, Leighton Andrews on 4 December 2012. The review focuses on education and training at ages 3 to 16, including transition to and from this stage. It has also looked at how effective and well placed the policies that have been put in place in Wales are to deliver upon the Welsh Government’s objectives. A Welsh Government press release at the time gave more information about what was being asked of the OECD. The key objectives set by the Welsh Government for the review were:

  • To provide an external assessment of the quality and equity of education outcomes in Wales.
  • To draw upon lessons from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) [which is run by the OECD] and other benchmarking countries/ regions with an expert analysis of key aspects of education policy in Wales.
  • To invite the OECD, on the basis of their analysis, to highlight areas of policy and its implementation which might add further value to the Welsh Government’s education reforms.

According to a Welsh Government Decision Report dated 16 October 2013, a team from the OECD visited Wales between 14 and 18 October 2013 to carry out its work. Further information on Wales’ recent PISA results can be found in the Research Service publication, PISA 2012.