I TOTALLY agree with the letter by John Pimley regarding education and training for the future of Wales. 

However, I do believe that the main reason for GCSE cutbacks is not financial constraints but curriculum constraints. My own grandchildren, who are in Year 9 and making their options now, have been limited in their choice of subjects.  

It is now compulsory in all secondary schools in Wales to do full course Welsh and also the Welsh Baccalaureate. These take up valuable hours on the timetable - time which means that they cannot study both French and German nor both History and Geography. I think this is very unfair and will do nothing to encourage highly qualified people to move their families to Wales. 

I think all students should have a choice of what subjects they take. 
Had they wanted to be very involved in Welsh they could have chosen to go to the Welsh medium schools.

Incidentally, I am a first language Welsh speaker so I am not against the language just the compulsory study of it.

Susan Senior
Griffithstown
Pontypool