Education In Wales – 2025 Update

Just a few weeks into 2025, and into a new school term, it is time that we give a 2025 a quick education sector overview. What does 2025 have in store for teachers, TA’s, and pupils alike? Let’s take a look!

So, what does 2025 bring the sector?

Literary Changes

Most of us probably never thought we would see the day when ‘Of Mice & Men’ would leave the Welsh cirriculum, but it has happened. Although, probably not for the reasons we expected. The Classic novel was removed from the cirrculum in Wales due to concerns regarding racism. The book was published in 1937 and has been studied in schools for generations, with whole families of learners being familair with it’s tale.

The book was banned from the Welsh curriculum due to concerns that the historical racism in the book would be harmful to black children. However, the book contains much more in terms of derogatory topics, including ableism, sexism, assault, death, violence and murder.

Some consider these topics to be important, and a part of learning history, whereas others mark them as inappropriate and harmful. Meanwhile, many who studied the book themselves are just shouting ‘FINALLY’ as they never thought it would be off the curriculum.

Another book that also saw banning was ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’. Both of these books discuss many sensitive topics, but feature significant discrimination and racial slurs. The Welsh shadow eduaction secretary criticised the decision to remove these books as she believes it is counter-productive in tackling racism, and that these books should instead teach it in a historical context to show how overt racism and sexism used to be common and why this is wrong and harmful. To learn from the text and history. She later went on to say:

“Censorship does not solve the problem, it prevents young people from confronting and understanding these prejudices, some of which, sadly continue”.

What Are The Other Options?

There is some controversery around the discion to ban the book, or at the very least, the medias representation of it’s reasons for being banned. This is due to the other included literary texts covered for GCSE English by WJEC.

WJEC GCSE Literature also includes books such as:

• Lord of the Flies.
• I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.
• Pride & Prejudice.
• Boys Don’t Cry

The reason that this makes the decision to ban Of Mice & Men and To Kill A Mockingbird from the cirrcilum controversial is many of these books cover similar or equally difficult/inappropriate topics. Lord of the Flies also contains racist sub-topics as part of its prose. I know why the Caged Bird Sings contains graphic tales of sexual abuse, Boys Don’t Try talks about gender stereotypes and Pride & Predjucie is regarded by many readers and fans as one of the ‘spiciest’ books.

So, was Of Mice & Men truly removed due to it’s content, or was it just time for something new? Let us know your thoughts of this!

An End To Home-Ed?

There have been suggestions and rumours spreading that certain Welsh counties are going to look at ending home-education for children in Wales. While this is also being considered in England, one of the top Welsh counties this is being looked at in is Blaenau Gwent. In Blawnau Gwent more than 200 students were being home educated in the 2023-2024 year. An increase of 4% on the previous academic year.

The call to end home education comes from the belief that there is no guarantee that the children are being provided with an eduquate curcicculum or even sitting exams. However, the main reasons reported for turning to home education were listed as:

• Anxiety/ Mental Health.
• Bullying.
• Parental choices.
• Covid-19.

Why Is Blaeanau Gwent Considering No Home Ed?🤔

Meanwhile, education officers state that parents do retain the right to educate their children at home if they wish to do so, meanwhile Councillor David Wilkshire of Blaenau Gwent states that he fears children are losing out on socialising skills and are being isolated. He also stated he believes that the education is not as good unless the parent is themself a teacher.

Many parents would argue that isolation but in a safe space is better than isolation and degradation in public, which is why many do take to home education. Similarly, home education is popular with SEN pupils as assessments for ADHD, Autism and so forth can take a substantial amount of time, and this can restrict learning, with them being in an environment that does not meet their educational needs, or may in some cases – hinder it.

While Cllr David Wilkshires statement about prioritising good quality education for students is very true and of critical improtance to the child. It is also critical for the whole sector to be aware that different educational needs may require different approaches and in some cases home education may be more beneficial.

We wait with baited breath to see what happens in home-ed and home it continues. If you need help educating your child at home, our private tutors are fantastic, and can help especially well with maths, english and other skills! Our tutors can even help your child prepare for a GCSE exam. Get in touch and find out more!

No More Nappies For You!

Blaenau Gwent is in the news again with a claim to ask parents to come into schools to change their child’s nappies. The Blaenau Gwent Local Authority stated that teachers and school staff will no longer be changing pupils who have wet or soiled themselves due to it being a regular occurance. Meanwhile, a local charity said that it was tanamount to abuse to force the child to sit in wet/soiled underwear until a parent arrives to change the nappy.

Children can start in a nursery from age three, however, even at three an average of 1 in 4 children are not toilet trained when they start school in Wales and England. There was even a report from one union leader who said that they had heard anecdotes of children as old as age 8, not being able to use the bathroom independently since Covid-19 struck in 2020.

Education sector bosses have said that there has been an increase in children of school-age being unable to use the bathroom own their own since Covid-19. As a result Blaenau Gwent council have stated that it is the parent/guardians responsibility to ensure that children are adequately toilet trained before they start nursery and/or primary school. The new policy states that parents are therefore expected to go to the school to change their pull ups and nappies.

Considering The Medical Side

However, this has been recinded for any cases in which there is a medical need. Yet parents have expressed concern that not all medical needs can be recognised or diagnosed by the time that the child starts school.

This is not exclusively noted to children around nursery age, however, the national secretary of NAHT Cymru has said that there are members informing the union that there are children as old ad 7 or 8 with no diagnosed ALN having trouble with toileting.

The Childrens Bowel and Bladder chairty has noted that due to a reduction in aid for parents and strained services since the pandemic, calls to them have trebled in the last few years. If these issues are not treated quickly in young children, they can become life-long conditions. Things such as BBD (Bladder and Bowel Dysfunction) is a common underdiagnosed pediatric entity. This condition alone makes up around 40% of pediatric urology consults, and could have a part to play in the issue with children having issues going to the bathroom.

We have to wonder, is it an issue of efforts to toilet train children before they start school? Or, is it the overburdening on the NHS having a ripple effect through pediatrics and an increase of underdiagnosis in cases of neurodiversity and BBD in youger children?

How do these 2025 hot topics influence you? How do you feel about these changes in the eductaion sector? Let us know your thoughs!