Elizabeth Nonweiler has stepped down from the Welsh Government’s Expert Literacy Panel, raising serious concerns about the direction of national literacy policy. In a public letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Education, she warns that the newly announced £8.2 million literacy project is being led by individuals who do not clearly support the proven principles of systematic synthetic phonics.
The full letter follows:
Dear Cabinet Secretary,
This letter is addressed to you in your role as Cabinet Secretary for Education, but I am sharing it publicly because it affects every child learning to read, every teacher, and every parent whose child depends on a strong start. The decisions made now will shape lives for years to come.
Literacy is the foundation of every child’s future. Without it, doors close – educationally, socially, economically. On 5 November 2024, you said: “Improving literacy is central to our mission to raise standards and ensure every child in Wales has the best start in life.” I agree. But I must tell you plainly: that mission will fail unless your current plans change.
I write as Chair of the Reading Reform Foundation and as someone deeply committed to evidence-based literacy education. Although I do not live in Wales, I have been honoured to serve on the Welsh Government’s Expert Literacy Panel. After a year of meetings, however, it is clear that the panel cannot deliver what Wales needs. That is why I am stepping down. I do so with regret, but also with resolve. It is my duty to speak publicly.
On 2 July 2024, you rightly stated: “I want to be absolutely clear that synthetic phonics is the method we expect schools to use to teach children to read.” Synthetic phonics – teaching children to decode words by blending sounds – is backed by decades of research and proven success in classrooms worldwide. I know of no reliable evidence that shows other methods work better for teaching word reading, nor that combining them with synthetic phonics works better. Comprehension is crucial too, but children cannot understand what they read if they cannot read the words.
Unfortunately, the panel has failed to agree on clear principles. The documents we have been asked to review have been unclear, ambiguous, and needlessly wordy. Now you have announced that a new £8.2 million national school programme for literacy will take account of the work of the Expert Literacy Panel and is to be led by several members of this panel, including those who have published work critical of synthetic phonics and others who have avoided mentioning it altogether. The overlap in personnel and philosophy means the weaknesses of the panel are now embedded in this new project. None of those leading it has ever taught young children to read.
A programme and resources will be offered free to schools, funded by taxpayers, but they will not be fit for purpose. I urge you to disband the current panel and scrap this new project. Instead of imposing a flawed solution, convene a group of experts with direct experience in successfully teaching young children to read. Let them define the principles of systematic synthetic phonics. Then offer matched funding so that schools can choose from the many proven programmes already available that follow these principles.
Wales has the opportunity to follow the lead of countries like New Zealand, which has recently adopted synthetic phonics as the foundation for teaching reading, and has already seen remarkable success. But this will only succeed if decisions are guided by evidence, clarity, and a commitment to what works.
Yours sincerely,
Elizabeth Nonweiler
Chair of the Reading Reform Foundation