David Mills has called on the Welsh Government to make improving literacy and numeracy a top priority, as ministers prepare to introduce a new foundational skills plan for schools.

The Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd MS raised concerns over educational standards in Wales during a Senedd exchange with the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Welsh Language, Anna Brychan, asking for a clear timetable for the introduction of the plan.

The Welsh Government has committed to developing a new foundational literacy and numeracy framework, with Ms Brychan saying a statement on the plan and timelines would be issued before the end of the school term.

She said the framework would be introduced in the autumn, adding that she had already written to schools to update them on the work.

Responding to Mr Mills’ question, Ms Brychan said the issue was not a lack of ability among Welsh pupils or teachers, but a need for clearer expectations around progression in literacy and numeracy.

She said: “Our learners are able to achieve and have potential comparable to anywhere in the world. It isn’t the lack of a willing workforce either.

“It is, I think, a lack of understanding of the expectations around progression in literacy and numeracy, and that’s precisely why we are introducing this literacy and numeracy foundational plan.”

Mr Mills said the latest educational outcomes showed the need for urgent action, highlighting concerns that around one in five pupils leave primary school “functionally illiterate”.

He also called for the Welsh Government to ensure teaching approaches are based on evidence, including moving away from methods such as “cueing”, which critics argue encourages pupils to guess unfamiliar words rather than use phonics skills.

After the exhange, Mr Mills said: “The fact that nearly one in five children is leaving primary school functionally illiterate should be a wake-up call for all of us.

"Children only get one chance at an education and we can't afford to keep reinventing the wheel instead of using teaching methods that are proven to work.

"I have urged the new Welsh Government to get back to basics with an evidence-based literacy and numeracy plan with clear and measurable targets that delivers real improvements for every child in Wales."