During Spokesperson’s to the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Education, the Welsh Conservatives raised the disastrous attendance figures and the Welsh Government’s lack of action. Last year the Welsh Government promised to get attendance levels back to what they were before the pandemic by the end of this Senedd term. With four months left, this target looks unlikely to be reached.
School attendance levels remain worryingly below pre-pandemic levels with more than half of the most vulnerable pupils in Wales were persistently absent in 2024/25, up from 30.4% in 2018/19.
Additionally, Year 11 pupils recorded the lowest attendance, averaging 86.8% in 2024/25 - 6.4 percentage points lower than in 2018/19.
Commenting after Spokesperson’s Questions, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education, Natasha Asghar MS, said:
“Labour promised to tackle poor school attendance and restore pre-pandemic levels within this Senedd term, but nearly a year on there is nothing to show for it.
“Attendance remains worryingly low, with vulnerable pupils and Year 11s being failed by a system that continues to drift under this Welsh Labour Government. Behind these figures are children who are missing out on learning, which will ultimately impact their future prospects.
“Plaid and Labour’s latest budget deal does nothing to improve education in Wales, only the Welsh Conservatives have a credible plan to deliver the positive outcomes that our pupils in Wales desperately need.”
ENDS
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