A Senedd committee has written to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) after Wales recorded poor results in the latest international Pisa tests for maths, reading and science.
The Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee sent a letter to the OECD, which runs the global Pisa tests, pointing out that the organisation's views helped inform Wales' recent direction of reforms and asking for its expert opinion.
Wales' Pisa results prompt questions
Wales' results in the latest Pisa tests showed teenagers lagging further behind the rest of the UK in key subjects, with matters getting worse rather than improving. The results prompted questions about Wales' education reforms and system even from educationalists who had previously urged patience while changes were given time to work.
Teenagers across the world take the tests every three years, which act as a benchmark for global education systems. In the latest tests, 760,000 students took part, including 3,406 15-year-olds in 113 schools in Wales.
Letter follows OECD director's comments
The letter follows post-Pisa comments from Andreas Schleicher, OECD director for education and skills. Mr Schleicher said England, where Pisa scores improved, had pursued "coherent and consistent policies in education" which were "conducive to producing good learning outcomes" and added: "That's not what we've seen in countries like Scotland or Wales to that extent."
Senedd education committee chair Plaid MS Sera Evans has written to Mr Schleicher on the committee's behalf, asking for guidance. She pointed out that Wales was following OECD thought when it created its education reforms.
Committee seeks OECD's perspective
Ms Evans' letter suggests Wales still needs time for its reforms to work and asks the OECD education boss what other factors, other than Pisa results, are considered important by the organisation when assessing whether reforms are "moving in a positive direction".
Pointing out the OECD's roles in changes to education in Wales, she tells Mr Schleicher: "We recognise the significant contribution the OECD has made to education reform and policy development in Wales over a number of years. Through a series of reviews in 2014 and 2017, which informed Welsh Government action plans and advice on curriculum reform in 2020, the OECD has provided both support and constructive challenge to policymakers."
It goes on: "Given the influence the OECD has had on education policy in Wales, we would welcome a fuller understanding of its current perspective on education reform in Wales, and the relationship between reform activity and learner outcomes."
Ms Evans' letter says that "in particular, it would be helpful to understand the extent to which the OECD considers the most recent Pisa results to reflect the impact of current and recent Welsh education reforms, as opposed to policies, practices and learner experiences that pre-date those reforms".
The letter also asks what factors the OECD considers most important when evaluating coherence, consistency, and effectiveness of an education system and "how the OECD currently views the alignment of Wales's ongoing reform programme with the international evidence on effective education system improvement".
Finally, the letter asks Mr Schleicher what evidence, beyond Pisa outcomes, the OECD considers relevant when assessing "whether a reform programme is moving in a positive direction and is likely to improve learner outcomes over the longer term".
It adds: "We are conscious that large-scale reforms often take time to become fully embedded and be reflected in measurable outcomes. We would therefore also welcome any observations you may have on how Wales's current position should be understood within the context of its longer-term reform journey."
The committee is meeting on Wednesday, November 11, when the full transcript of the letter is among items on the agenda.
