SCHOOL leaders in Wales condemned “out of touch” Welsh Conservative education proposals at the party’s conference in Llangollen today.

NAHT Cymru’s Laura Doel said: “The Welsh Conservatives’ priorities read more like tabloid headlines than carefully considered policies for improving children’s education.

“They are completely out of touch with reality and with the true challenges facing schools,” the union’s national secretary in Wales said.

The Welsh Tories have proposed a number of policies including reinstating home economics, and the party’s shadow education spokeswoman Natasha Asghar said her party would also ban mobile phones in schools.

“There is no need to ‘bring back home economics’ as we already have it as a subject,” Ms Doel said.

”There is no need to ban mobile phones as the vast majority of schools already do so or have a policy on phone usage in school that works for them and their community.

“The priorities of our members are funding, the recruitment and retention of teachers, additional learning needs reform, conditions of service for teachers and leaders and support for small schools.

“We’re very happy to share our members’ experiences with the Welsh Conservatives to inform their policies if they care to listen.”

Ms Doel made the comments after the Welsh Conservatives had pulled together a package of policy measures at its weekend conference for the party’s next manifesto.

A recent opinion poll showed the current official opposition to Welsh Labour languishing in fourth place on 13 per cent of the vote, with Reform in second place on 25 per cent. Last week’s YouGov poll for ITV Wales and Cardiff University also showed Plaid Cymru in the lead on 30 per cent and Welsh Labour slumping to just 18 per cent.

The Welsh Tory conference has been marked with a string of gaffes as party leader Kemi Badenoch, in her speech, said it had been “wonderful to meet so many MSPs” — Scottish Parliament members.

Both Ms Badenoch and her Senedd leader Darren Millar declined to rule out deals with Reform after next year's election. Mr Millar said his party was willing to work with “anybody” to get Labour out of power.