Wales set to be overtaken by Romania in education by 2040 - new report

Wales is set to be overtaken by Romania in education performance by 2040, a new report warns. Research by centre-right think tank Onward found that Welsh pupils now perform at the same level as England's most disadvantaged students.

It predicts that the nation, where education is devolved to the Labour-run Welsh Government, will drop behind Romania by 2040 without urgent action. Ellie Craven, senior researcher and author of the report, said: "Wales has the lowest education outcomes in the UK - and the gap is set to grow.

"This is not inevitable. But without urgent reform, Welsh pupils will be left behind their peers not just across the UK, but globally."

Sir Simon Clarke, a former Tory Cabinet minister who is now director of Onward, said children in Wales are "being let down terribly by a system that avoids accountability and clings to failed methods".

He added: "There is no reason Welsh children should achieve less than their peers elsewhere in the UK - but that will remain the case unless the Welsh government is brave enough to deliver change, or is itself changed at next year's elections to bring about new leadership."

The report, called Devolved to Fail, found that Wales is lower than average and far behind England in reading, science and maths in the international Pisa rankings by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

It added that Wales's overall Pisa scores are projected to fall below Romania by 2040 if current trends continue.

The report calls for changes including turning failing schools into academies and reintroducing league tables.

It also urged for the skills-based curriculum to be replaced with a knowledge-rich one, and for Wales's school inspectorate's attendance improvement recommendations to be immediately implemented.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "We don't recognise these claims. Our recent GCSE and A level results show improvements in attainment and record results in the top grades, and data from personalised assessments shows progress at primary stage learners.

"Wales' education system is moving in the right direction thanks to the additional support we are providing to schools, continued investment and the hard work of school staff. We will continue working hard to raise education standards for all."