Shadow Welsh Education Minister Paul Davies has delivered a damning school report into the state of education in Wales.
Mr Davies, who is also Preseli Pembrokeshire's AM, was delivering a keynote speech at the Welsh Conservative Conference which took place in Cardiff last weekend.
He told delegates that the Labour‐Plaid administration has failed schoolchildren of all ages.
"Under the Labour‐Plaid coalition, our education sector has gone backwards," he said.
"Educational institutions across the board are under immense pressure. And this pressure will undoubtedly take its toll on the quality of teaching and the on going development of standards."
He highlighted problems with school building repairs – the Assembly Government has been forced to admit that it will not meet its target date of 2010 for improvements to all school buildings to make them "fit for purpose".
"The backlog in school building repairs and modernisation is already in excess of £800 million," said Mr Davies.
He also highlighted the discrepancy in spending per pupil and results between England and Wales.
"Local Authority Education budgets for 2008‐09 show that spending per school pupil in Wales is nearly £500 less than in England," he said.
"And just 56 per cent of students in Wales achieved 5 GCSEs at grades A* to C in 2008, compared with 64 per cent of students in England."
This comes coupled with a £3million cut to the Further Education budget at a time when training and skills are needed most, he added.
"We believe education is the key to personal growth and independence, a good education should give every child the chance to become author of their own life story ‐ shaping their own destiny, not the victim of forces beyond their control," said Mr Davies.
