Petition Number: P-06-1565
Petition title: Continue funding Technocamps to provide the support that schools and teachers across Wales rely on
Text of petition: Welsh Government has stopped funding Welsh universities (Technocamps) to support Welsh teachers, and instead is giving £1.4M to York University to provide on-line resources for this. This is outrageous: both in the loss of critical local in-person support for Welsh teachers, and in the disrespect shown towards Wales and Welsh universities that are eager to support their local schools but are having their funding for this taken away and given -in far greater amounts- to an English university.
Additional information from the petitioner:
Since 2014, Welsh Government has funded Welsh universities (Technocamps) to help all teachers across Wales cope with the challenges of digital education, through in-person bilingual training and guidance. Teachers still face increasingly difficult challenges due to rapid developments in digital technology, and have become reliant on Technocamps support and understanding of the Welsh Curriculum. The success of many DfES initiatives (DCF, DigiTech quals, micro:bits, cyber and AI projects, etc) relies heavily on Technocamps support.
Astonishingly, only 7% of the Curriculum support funding goes to the Science and Technology AoLE, in two grants to England-based organisations; the remaining 93% goes to the 5 other AoLEs. Providing so little support for the Science and Technology AoLE -and particularly computing and digital technology- is frightening and inexplicable, as it can only lead to a decline in attainment in digital and STEM subjects, and ultimately in economic prosperity for Wales.
1. Background
Technocamps is a pan-Wales schools programme led by the College of Science at Swansea University with hubs in other Welsh universities. It is a computer science initiative whose main goal is to support digital upskilling across Wales by providing training for teachers and workshops for pupils on digital competence.
Technocamps has a ‘STEM enrichment’ programme in secondary schools and a ‘Playground computing’ programme in primary schools. Sessions offer support with coding and programming, problem solving and other ‘unplugged’ activities. They are delivered either virtually, in schools or in one of the regional hubs based in universities. Technocamps also provides training and professional learning for teachers, as well as opportunities to people in employment and working with businesses.
Further information on Technocamps can be found on its website.
2. Welsh Government action
As the petition text and additional information outlines, the Welsh Government has provided funding to Technocamps to support computer science education and the Curriculum for Wales. Some information regarding this can be found in an article on the Welsh Government’s Education Wales blog from August 2020 and this Welsh Government media release from 2018.
Technocamps’ website says its programmes are “all free to the recipient, as they are fully-funded by the Welsh Government and HEFCW [Medr].”
In November 2024, the Welsh Government launched a new grant programme to support the Curriculum for Wales, which began its roll out in September 2022 and is now in place in all year groups up to and including Year 10. In June 2025, the Cabinet Secretary for Education announced that the Curriculum for Wales grant support programme would provide £44 million over three years to support schools in implementing the curriculum. The aim is to make sure “teaching professionals across Wales can access the expertise, advice and professional learning they need”.
Grant awards were announced in September and included £1.4 million for STEM Learning UK, in relation to “teaching digital with confidence”. Technocamps have been unsuccessful in applying for funding and have submitted this petition as well as urging Members of the Senedd to express concern over the decision.
The Cabinet Secretary for Education’s letter to the Committee, responding to the petition, explains the Welsh Government’s rationale for its grant allocation decisions. It refers to the “clear criteria” for the grant and says that there has been a “change of emphasis” with a “move away from previous approaches to STEM funding, which have focused on direct delivery to learners”, towards “consistent, national available professional learning”. It says:
This change in emphasis was made clear to Technocamps at the outset of the bidding process.
The letter also states that Technocamps’ existing funding was due to run out at the end of the 2024/25 academic year but was extended for 2025/26 so it could fulfil bookings already taken.
3. Welsh Parliament action
The issue of Technocamps’ funding was raised by Natasha Asghar MS in Plenary on 22 October 2025 (see paragraphs 314-315). The Cabinet Secretary responded (see paragraph 388) with similar information as contained in her letter to this Committee regarding the petition.
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