Welsh Conservatives today expressed concern at documents revealing Welsh Government interference in the development of a supposedly independent annual report from the independent schools watchdog Estyn.
The 2011/12 annual report was published in January 2013 and debated today in the Assembly chamber.
Documents uncovered by the Welsh Conservatives revealed that as early as October 2012, the Welsh Government was lobbying Estyn for ‘key findings’ and ‘good news’ to be ‘forearmed’ as the general picture was ‘likely to be worse than 2010/11’.
The exchanges reveal that the Welsh Government was given two weeks to read a draft copy of the report in November 2012 and responded with tracked changes to the document.
Amongst the tracked changes are the removal of an extract highlighting a drop in performance in key skills and a cut to a concern about functional literacy.
Angela Burns AM, Shadow Minister for Education, said, “Estyn’s report made for worrying reading, reaffirming longstanding concerns about standards in literacy and numeracy.
“I have the greatest respect for the Chief Inspector of Education and other Estyn staff but fear that the Welsh Government is deliberately trying to influence the conclusions drawn in their report.
“This string of emails between Estyn, a supposedly arm’s length body, and the Welsh Government during the drafting of the watchdog’s annual report, raises serious questions about political interference.
“These documents reveal that nearly four months before the annual report was published, the Welsh Government was badgering Estyn for ‘key findings’ and ‘good news’ and even made tracked changes to a draft copy of the report.
“While Estyn is funded by the Welsh Government, it operates at arm’s length and its reports have always been considered to be independent, authoritative and impartial.
“This evidence of Welsh Government interference in the drafting of Estyn’s report is deeply worrying and casts doubt over the principle of the independence of arm’s length bodies.
“How can we expect to raise standards in education if independent watchdogs are discouraged from setting out a full frank and candid assessment of current performance?”
Speaking during the debate on Estyn’s annual report, Suzy Davies AM, Welsh Conservative Policy Director, said, “Assembly Members rely on independent material to help scrutinise government and such material needs to be seen as independent if it is to retain its gravitas.
“There is a difference between sending a draft report for information and sending a draft report and inviting comments on it, especially when the Welsh Government subsequently sent tracked changes to the draft which proposed amendments to this independent report.
“It should be of concern to the Minister that this independently prepared report was changed as a result of contact with the Welsh Government, that it directly criticised evidence adduced by Estyn and that this independent body’s publication is now different as a result of that contact.
“These revelations do nothing to improve Labour’s poor reputation on transparency and raise concerns about the ability of arms’ length bodies to defend themselves against government interference in their work.”