Drastic fall in literacy and numeracy attainment in early education prompts government criticism
The government is facing major criticism from opposition parties this evening after the publication of a set of statistics having shown a drastic fall in the attainment levels of literacy and numeracy skills in children aged between seven and 12. Released every five years, the figures for the period between 2020 and the end of last year record an average drop of some 8%. This marks the single biggest, and only, decrease since unification, with rates in both literacy and numeracy having continually increased on an average of 2-4% each period and in total by around 45%. Critics say government changes passed in 2019, under Prime Minister Asta Dahn, could be responsible – when then Education, Science and Healthcare Minister Yulia Schevchenko loosened requirements on schools to follow the national curriculum brought in by President Artamova in 2013. Union Party education spokesman Radek Allenbach tonight said the government had “questions to answer”, criticing the decisions of many recent administrations to reduce funding as well as combine even more government responsibilities into the social affairs department. “I feel bad for Fabian Meyer. He will be responsible for turning this around, along with the many hundred other items on his to-do list. Frankly, the department is far too big and that’s a direct decision of the Prime Minister. The government must prioritise education. We need the return of an Education Minister.”
Prime Minister to visit Eiffelland for environment infrastructure talks ahead of Sereniérre summit.
Prime Minister Serbin will visit Eiffelland next week for talks over environmental protection. The Eiffell government is considering making substantial investments on its western Long Sea border such as an expanded tidal barrier and is keen to learn from Polasciana’s recent Upper Great Sea barrier and plans for a second barrier to protect coastal and island regions. The government issued a press release earlier stating that the visit would see the Prime Minister discuss an ‘action plan’ with the country’s closest neighbour, ahead of an expected summit on environmental protection and pollution, which is planned for the summer in Sereniérre. “The government is keen to work with regional neighbours and other parties to put together a number of suggestions and coordinate on policy ahead of discussions at an international level about tackling rising concerns about the impact of more extreme weather on coastal nations” a spokesperson said. “The Prime Minister will lead a major government delegation to Trier, as well as Retalia, to share and learn more about Eiffelland’s positions and to develop a shared agenda on the issue ahead of the summer.” It is expected that international talks will be largely conceptual at this stage, with no firm committments or actions likely to be agreed at such an early stage, the government however has said it “welcomed” further discussion.
Central Republic Gallian League accession talks restart as 2026 entry eyed by both parties
Senior officials representing the government of the Centrální Republika and the Gallian and Centrican League are meeting this week to lay out the details of a proposed accession deal which would see Alta join the economic bloc at the beginning of 2026. In what is being deemed as a final negotiation, both sides are now “aligned” on the timeline, according to sources who leaked details prior to the resumption of talks in Gouw Marken earlier today. Centrální Premier Ionel Lisnic is expected to visit the city to sign the final proposed deal with League head Simon De Smedt in March. The terms would then be agreed by national capitals, with Alta then required to prepare itself for accession on the 1st January 2026. “A deal is looking very likely – and one that’s relatively favourable to Polasciana. The League is negotiating pretty strongly on many aspects, but in respect to fishing and automobile imports, it looks like things have softened quite substantially since Prime Minister Serbin got involved at the beginning of last year” said an insider speaking to PTV. Serbin undertook a regional tour in 2024, meeting with Lisnic and De Smedt, as well as other neighbouring governments, to try and persaude all sides to work towards a deal. Economics predict that Alta’s accession will have a large positive impact on Polasciana’s economic growth and position within the group.
