Three Towns Forum

Members' Lounge => Politics & Current Affairs => Topic started by: Ian on January 12, 2011, 08:54:59 am

Title: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on January 12, 2011, 08:54:59 am
What's happening in Education...
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on January 12, 2011, 08:57:21 am
"Richard Tremelling was sacked for taking his GCSE class on to a snowy playing field and allowing two of them to have a ride on the 30-year-old "design classic" Scandinavian racing sledge.
Presenting the case at the hearing in Cardiff, Rosa Fernandes said: "Mr Tremelling took the sledge to school without the authorisation of the headteacher.

"He used the sledge on snow-covered slopes at the rear of the school and allowed two pupils to use it. He failed to carry out appropriate risk assessments and failed to provide a written risk assessment. He didn't ensure pupils were wearing protective headgear and protective clothing."

The two boys who went sledging were unharmed in the 10-minute episode at Cefn Hengoed community school in Swansea.

During the hearing, Tremelling explained how he discussed the manufacture and use of the sledge with pupils during a revision class. He said: "A number of pupils stayed behind interested and excited. They wanted to see it in use and, giving it some thought, I agreed. I took the sledge and pupils to the back of the building where there was two to three inches of snow."

Tremelling said he conducted a "mental risk-assessment" before sliding down a small slope himself on the sledge. Two of the pupils, both 15, volunteered to ride the sledge, one after the other. He said: "The whole process took less than 10 minutes and I was sure it reinforced their knowledge."

Tremelling said he now hoped to get back to teaching as soon as possible, having worked in the Territorial Army following his dismissal from the school.

Colin Adkins, of the teaching union NASUWT, said: "Mr Tremelling was just trying to do his job and research shows children learn best when they're engaged and enthused.

"He conducted his lesson with the best interests of the children in mind. Teachers are often the victims of an over-precautious environment."

Perhaps he ought to have wrapped them totally in bubble wrap, as well.

Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Merddin Emrys on January 12, 2011, 09:19:01 am
He sounds an excellent teacher who would actually be interesting, this just shows how mad all of this h & s has become!
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Hugo on January 12, 2011, 12:15:09 pm
H and S and also P C have just gone out of hand and the situation now is ridiculous.     I don't know who thinks up these stupid rules but I would imagine that the majority of people would think that we have gone too far with all this nonsense.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Yorkie on January 12, 2011, 01:26:04 pm
The whole problem is not Education, Education, Education

but

Litigation, Litigation, Litigation!
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on January 12, 2011, 03:40:02 pm
I don't think it's as big a problem as many would have us think. British law still retains the use of 'reasonable' as a bulwark of much of the canon, and the problems mainly stem from those who haven't the brains or the experience to think in rational terms. I actually suspect that teacher was sacked because of other, underlying issues. They probably used the sledging incident as the lever.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Yorkie on January 12, 2011, 03:57:07 pm
Sounds like devious tactics to me!   Which at the end of the day probably still means that he didn't deserve being fired!   )*)&
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: JasonW on January 12, 2011, 08:47:41 pm
I don't think it's as big a problem as many would have us think. British law still retains the use of 'reasonable' as a bulwark of much of the canon, and the problems mainly stem from those who haven't the brains or the experience to think in rational terms. I actually suspect that teacher was sacked because of other, underlying issues. They probably used the sledging incident as the lever.
Ian you are right. He was actually sacked for ignoring the instruction from the headteacher (his boss). I heard one report yesterday that added he already had a disciplinary record at the school. Of course the story is much more interesting to the media to concentrate on the sledging story.

But he does sounds a very interesting teacher.

My wife said that in her teacher training she was advised that if you were in a lesson and it started to snow. One suggestion is stop the lesson let all the students go to the window and watch it snowing, once they get bored restart the lesson.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Yorkie on January 13, 2011, 08:52:51 am
He was actually sacked for ignoring the instruction from the headteacher (his boss). I heard one report yesterday that added he already had a disciplinary record at the school.

Hearsay, and inadmissable in evidence!   
In other words your story is just about as reliable as that in the press!     >>>
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: brumbob on February 19, 2011, 01:40:00 pm
Reading test for six-year-olds to include non-words

A number of made-up words such as "koob" or "zort" are to be included in the government's planned new reading test for six-year-olds in England.
The idea has drawn criticism from literary experts who say the approach will confuse those beginning to read.
The UK Literacy Association said the plan was "bonkers" as the purpose of reading was to understand meaning.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12509477 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12509477)

how bloody stupid is this, as if we hadn't got enough made up words with text speak  >:(
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Merddin Emrys on February 19, 2011, 03:16:55 pm
I koob anything wrong with zort if anything its zortilicius and a koobing lot of nollywob
mind you I grew up listening to this man...

Stanley Unwin Baffles the Carry On Team (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=323kQis2zbM#)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Trojan on February 20, 2011, 01:30:30 am
 L0L Stanley Unwin. Genius.

Do you remember the Gerry Anderson series when he played Father Stanley Unwin - The Secret Service?

The Secret Service ITC Video Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pa3RB-KsNA#noexternalembed)

I'm sure BrumBob will remember it judging by the car he drove.  ;)

Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Trojan on February 20, 2011, 01:39:48 am
This one's for Stan - just look at that bell!  :)

The Secret Service - Opening (Father Unwin Puppet) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9Ug0SziUHY#)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: brumbob on February 20, 2011, 10:17:03 am
"They don't build automobiles like they used to."

Stanley Unwin's final TV interview. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7GBh5zqEwg#ws)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on April 26, 2011, 09:17:58 am
"Figures were released showing that 700 heads or deputy heads in state schools earn more than £100,000, including 200 paid more than £110,000. "

Teaching is a difficult job, but does any teacher really deserve that sort of salary, especially when you consider that most of their time at that level will be spent outside the classroom?

Full story here (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8472242/Six-figure-pay-deals-given-to-700-head-teachers.html)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on May 21, 2011, 08:31:42 am
The recent revelation that Conwy comes way down the list of schools in terms of what they're delivering can['t be good news.  Eirias is excellent, and always has been, by Ysgol Aberconwy is in the bottom five in Wales.  It's not to do with affluence, either; some of the most socially deprived wards in Wales are making a better showing.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Trojan on May 22, 2011, 03:06:02 am
Ysgol Aberconwy is in the bottom five in Wales.

Isn't that Pendragon's old school?  :laugh:
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Paddy on May 22, 2011, 03:28:47 am
Ysgol Aberconwy is in the bottom five in Wales.

Isn't that Pendragon's old school?  :laugh:

I'm sure it wasn't in the bottom five when she was there.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on May 22, 2011, 09:05:39 am
The 'value added' score might be thought contentious.  The higher that score, the greater the perceived social deprivation of the general area. The idea is to form a level playing field in school assessments between counties.  But it's a tricky calculation.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: DaveR on May 22, 2011, 09:23:25 am
Aberconwy always used to have a very poor reputation. A lot of money has been spent on it in recent years, so I'd hope it would have improved significantly?
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on May 22, 2011, 10:40:12 am
To make a difference, you need very committed teaching staff with seriously high academic achievements themselves. But the two don't often go together.   
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Pendragon on May 22, 2011, 02:27:18 pm
Ysgol Aberconwy is in the bottom five in Wales.

Isn't that Pendragon's old school?  :laugh:

Actually Aberconwy had one of the best reputations of any any educational facility for miles in the 80s, they taught some of the best, most incredibly intelligent pupils imaginable, bordering on genius I'll have you know..............but then I left  ;D
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on May 23, 2011, 08:10:57 pm
The row about the data rumbles on. The BBC has released tables showing the relative performance of schools across what the WAG calls 'families'. The Welsh Government places schools in "families" - groups of about 10 - where pupils have similar levels of family income and special needs.

In one case a school's results are 42% better than another in the same family, and the Welsh Government has dismissed the tables as "extremely simplistic". Which - if the tables are that useless - begs the question as to why they've been collated in the first place.

The exercise may seem irrelevant to those whose children are out of the system, but in fact Education accounts for the biggest slice of the WAG financial pie, so we need to be sure that society is getting decent value. However, how that should be done is in hot contention.

Plaid Cymru AM Simon Thomas said "Plaid has made the case for a radical overhaul of the education system in order to get education right for all children, in all areas of Wales," he said and added that Labour plans to reintroduce school league tables "could mask the reality of underperformance and further undermine underperforming schools" before stating "It is not for parents through competition to improve schools but government and LEAs through action and direction," said Mr Thomas.

That's an interesting perspective, given that local authorities are so good at running complex systems, like repairing potholes.

Conservative AM Angela Burns said the performance figures were "no real surprise", although league tables had to be treated carefully. She is calling for local education authorities (LEAs) which administer schools, to be removed from the funding process.
"We would directly fund the schools, we would cut out the middle man, we would cut out the LEAs," she said.

The only expert in education, School inspector Gwynoro Jones, said schools in Wales should be administered by four education boards rather than LEAs.

"This data tells us what we've all known for a long, long time, but unfortunately it has been brushed under the carpet for various reasons. There are significant variances in performance of pupils in schools in Wales, a wide range of variation in relation to the performance of teachers, head teachers, local authorities."

So: some favour LEAS continuing with their sterling work in education, some favour removal of all powers from the LEAs and education boards running the show and others still believe school should be directly funded by the government.

Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Yorkie on August 29, 2013, 10:47:07 am
.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on March 22, 2016, 02:56:07 pm
Nearly half of England’s teachers plan to leave in next five years

I think this quote sums it up......“I just want to do what I love without all the red tape and stress,”   :(

Teachers, at breaking point trying to cope with the relentless exam and curriculum changes, already plan to leave the state system in record numbers, a Guardian survey has found, as the government calls for longer school days and more maths lessons.

In England 43% of the state school teachers polled said they were planning to leave the profession in the next five years. The survey shows that the staff recruitment and retention crisis, described by ministers as “scaremongering”, is a reality: 79% of schools say they are struggling to recruit or retain teachers and 88% predict things are going to get worse and that this will severely affect students.

43% of teachers in England plan to leave; 98% are under increasing pressure; 82% say their workload is unmanageable
Bureaucratic systems to record pupil progress and staff performance, plus a heavier burden of written marking to please Ofsted inspectors, are taking a toll on the health of the school workforce and prompting more to escape to schools in the independent sector or overseas, the survey finds.

More.....http://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/mar/22/teachers-plan-leave-five-years-survey-workload-england (http://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/mar/22/teachers-plan-leave-five-years-survey-workload-england)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on March 23, 2016, 05:09:18 pm
The teachers who plan to quit over George Osborne’s academy plans

The chancellor’s plans to make all schools academies by 2022 are prompting teachers to say they will leave the profession.

In his latest budget George Osborne called for all schools to become academies by 2022. The chancellor says he wants to remove schools from council control to “drive up standards”.

But not everyone is behind these proposals, and many teachers have expressed concern. More alarmingly – especially as there is a huge shortage of teachers – we have also heard from many who say the latest shakeup makes them want to quit the profession for good.

Here they explain why:   http://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/mar/23/teachers-quit-george-osbornes-academy-plans (http://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/mar/23/teachers-quit-george-osbornes-academy-plans)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on March 25, 2016, 01:43:52 pm
The academy debate is nothing new and last reappeared during the early '90s. It revolves around removing education from Local Authority control. Some teachers like having Local Authorities involved, since they can offer training, assistance and materials. Others feel that councils can barely be trusted with ensuring the tide comes in each day and should be kept well away from any involvement with education.

The government is keen on the switch because Academies can set their own teacher salaries - which they hope will be lower than currently. But one huge attraction is that Academies are not required to follow the National Curriculum - a thorn in the side of many teachers. In terms of teachers leaving, I doubt many will do it because of the Academy switch. They may claim they will but it's hard to pick up salaries as good as the gold-plated teacher salaries, along with inflation-proof pensions.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on March 26, 2016, 12:37:29 pm
The changing face of growing up....

Three-quarters of UK children spend less time outdoors than prison inmates – survey

Three-quarters of UK children spend less time outside than prison inmates, according to a new survey revealing the extent to which time playing in parks, wood and fields has shrunk. A fifth of the children did not play outside at all on an average day, the poll found.

Experts warn that active play is essential to the health and development of children, but that parents’ fears, lack of green spaces and the lure of digital technology is leading youngsters to lead enclosed lives.

Most of the parents polled said their children have fewer opportunities to play outside than they did when young. The new research is strongly supported by previous work, including a government report in February that found more than one in nine children had not set foot in a park, forest, beach or any other natural environment for at least a year.

“The truth is we are enclosing our children,” said Mark Sears, at The Wild Network, which works to increase wild play. “We are stifling their ability to be free, to be at their best as children and it is having significant impacts.” He said increasing obesity and lower mental wellbeing in children was linked to a lack of physical activity.

A separate study from the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), published earlier in March, found that children from poorer backgrounds were less interested in being outdoors in nature than better-off children. But WWT found this difference was overcome after just one day spent learning outside.

“Young kids that learn and play outside get direct experience of weather and the seasons and wildlife – things that are only possible outdoors – and they get to assess risks, solve problems and develop creativity,” said Lucy Hellier, WWT learning project manager. “The benefits may seem obvious, but in reality many children don’t get to be outdoors in a natural environment in any regular or meaningful way. And that’s even more common among kids from deprived areas.”

In 2013, the RSPB published a three-year study, which concluded that four out of five children in the UK were not adequately “connected to nature”. In 2012, a National Trust report called Natural Childhood revealed the growing gap between children and nature. Less than one in 10 children regularly played in wild spaces, it said, compared to half of children a generation ago.
MORE
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/25/three-quarters-of-uk-children-spend-less-time-outdoors-than-prison-inmates-survey (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/25/three-quarters-of-uk-children-spend-less-time-outdoors-than-prison-inmates-survey)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on May 25, 2016, 10:55:17 am
A small, cash-strapped Welsh university paid £490,000 for TWO vice chancellors in one year

Wales’ smallest university has been criticised for paying two vice-chancellors almost half a million pounds at a time when it was battling serious financial issues.

A report into vice-chancellors’ pay and pensions found that Glyndwr University gave its former vice-chancellors Professor Michael Scott and Prof Graham Upton a combined £490,983 in 2014-15.

Glyndwr’s outlay on senior leadership was by far the highest in Wales and the fourth largest in the whole of the UK, ahead of universities including Oxford and Cambridge.

Figures compiled by Times Higher Education (THE) trade magazine showed Glyndwr forked out 116% more in pay and pension contributions to its vice-chancellors in 2014-15 than in the year previous.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/small-cash-strapped-welsh-university-11380507 (http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/small-cash-strapped-welsh-university-11380507)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on May 27, 2016, 01:29:09 pm
Here we go again.....
Bangor university's £250,000 make-over of boss's plush home outrages hard-up students
A university has come under fire for spending over a quarter of a million pounds on its vice chancellor’s grace and favour home.

Bangor University spent a total of £267,125.84 on maintenance, furnishing and refurbishing the luxury residence on the banks of the Menai.
The university purchased Felin Tysilio in Menai Bridge , for a total of £475,000 in 2010 on the appointment of Professor John Hughes.
But over the past five years, some of the items bought for the home include over £16,000 of Laura Ashley furnishings , £3239 for four sofas and even £700 on cushions.

The figures also showed that £95,000 was spent with a local company who specialise in refurbishing kitchens and bathrooms, and another £3500 on curtains.
A sideboard set the University back another £1500, £538 for two dining chairs, £1500 for a bed frame and £520 for a mattress.
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/bangor-universitys-250000-make-over-11393937 (http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/bangor-universitys-250000-make-over-11393937)

Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on May 28, 2016, 04:08:17 pm
Seems to have been a week for educational **** ups .....See previous page
This article is the icing...from todays Daily Post.     I have also included two comments from the link, so its not just me.  $angry$

Should North Wales teachers be allowed time off to watch the European Championships?
Teachers in Gwynedd should be allowed unpaid leave to travel to France and watch Wales in the European Championships, according to a councillor.

Bethel councillor Sion Jones, a school governor, wants teachers to be able to take up to a month off from work to enjoy the “once in a lifetime experience”.
Labour Cllr Jones, who failed in his bid to join the Welsh Assembly in the elections earlier this month, has promised to lobby the council to help football-mad teachers.

This summer’s European Championship in France is the first Wales have qualified for since 1958 with the tournament running from June 10 until July 10.

Cllr Jones said: “It is unacceptable that governors in some schools have declined applications for teachers to travel to France for the Euros.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, and teachers would take it without pay.
“Staff and governors are allowed to go - myself included.”
Cllr Jones said unpaid leave could tip the balance for teachers wanting to go to France.

The letter said: “It will not be possible for school staff to ask for time off from the workplace to watch the football games if the matches are during working hours.
“If a situation arises that a member of staff takes time off it will be regarded as time off without permission and will not eligible for payment. It will be regarded as a serious disciplinary matter which could lead to measures including the termination of employment.”

“It is a matter for each individual school governing body to decide whether they approve such requests for leave during school term"

Two comments.....
".what planet is this guy  on?Teachers already get 13 weeks holiday a year and are very well paid considering the virtually part time hours they work during term time [yes we know you do loads of extra hours,just as long as you don't have to use the copyer etc.] How can you make it a criminal offence to take children out of school during term time and then expect to take time off yourself? If you want to take time off work any time of the year don't become a teacher!!!!!!"

"Teaching is a hotbed of footballism is it?  How many of our teachers really feel the need to take this "once in a lifetime experience"? 
This shows just how seriously *some* of today's teachers take the job. 
Great that our educators are setting our children such a shining example as they head off from school into the world of work.

Nah, *od it, give the whole public sector the month off - after all, teachers are no more special than any of the public workers - and pray you don't get ill, your bin doesn't get full, or your BBQ gets out of hand.

Get a grip, teachers (well, the tiny number to whom this proposal applies).  It's just a football tournament, which will be all over the TV, all over radio, repeated to death even when it's finished.  If you want the freedom to come 'n' go from work as you please then leave teaching and become self-employed - let's see how you get on in the 'real world'."
11390555]http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/should-north-wales-teachers-allowed-11390555 (http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/should-north-wales-teachers-allowed-[/color)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on May 28, 2016, 04:54:52 pm
Insane. This bloke hasn't given his idiotic proposal a moment's real thought. Why draw the line at the Euros? What about the world curling championships, the draughts finals, Chess championships or Wimbledon? But then he's failed at everything else - this is probably just to get himself noticed. After all he's only just 20 and misses almost half the meetings he's supposed to attend.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on July 19, 2016, 11:37:38 am
Employers warn of widening skills shortage.                     >?>??

"There are also problems with basic skills, with the survey showing almost a third of businesses had concerns about the literacy and numeracy levels of their new recruits."
"But employers were more likely to rate "attitude to work" as more important than formal qualifications."   

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-36783460 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-36783460)

Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on December 06, 2016, 01:00:18 pm
Wales’ schools ranked WORST IN UK in world-wide test results out today......
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/wales-schools-ranked-worst-uk-12279516 (http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/wales-schools-ranked-worst-uk-12279516)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: born2run on December 06, 2016, 01:45:50 pm
Wales’ schools ranked WORST IN UK in world-wide test results out today......
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/wales-schools-ranked-worst-uk-12279516 (http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/wales-schools-ranked-worst-uk-12279516)

"Alarmingly 21% of students tested in Wales cannot read well enough to “participate effectively and productively in life” according to the report, compared to 18% in England and Scotland and 15% in Northern Ireland."

This doesn't surprise me at all. If any of you have got any youngsters even 20 somethings as friends on Facebook and the like you'll see how they generally write posts. Normally looks something along these lines...

"U no wat all of use nd to stop riting crap ppl need to mind there own business."

Ban mobile phones that will be a start.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on December 06, 2016, 03:04:22 pm
Too simplistic. In the past I've challenged the veracity of the PISA testing regime but I do accept that there's a problem.  Most of that problem doesn't, in fact, lie with schools: it's actually mostly parental. However, there are a number of issues schools need to address.

For a start ensuring Science teachers are literate would be a start. It's surprising how many Science teachers can't put together a simple English sentence. Secondly, the numbers of teachers who know little or nothing outside their own subject speciality is horrifying. Education is, or should be, a holistic process, but in the average secondary schools it's all too often anything but. How many staff, for instance, would know anything about E=Mc2?  The answer is depressingly few, yet every secondary teacher should - at the very least - know what it means.

Primary schools teachers, however, can be the main problems. They are teaching across the board - except for Music, of course - yet few have any real idea of basic science. And Primary schools spend far too much time doing anything but academic work.

One solution could be to change Education completely, by drastically altering the work / play ratio in all schools, extending the school day and awarding salaries by results. Teachers get paid simply for standing in front of a class. There's little to no check on the quality of what they deliver. That needs to change but parental attitudes also need to change - drastically.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on December 06, 2016, 03:38:18 pm
I believe that primary schools need to concentrate on the 3Rs , if a child enters the secondary education system with poor abilities in the basics, their confidence will suffer and they will be left behind, with the obvious consequense,.......
the number of school leavers who cannot fill out an application form is disgraceful.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: PhilMick on December 06, 2016, 05:19:01 pm

Teachers get paid simply for standing in front of a class. There's little to no check on the quality of what they deliver.

 :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:  :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

mmm - I guess you have no experience of teaching whatsoever.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on December 07, 2016, 09:25:26 am
I'm not sure why you should find the comment amusing, and you haven't stated what it is, but I'll break it down for you.

Quote
"Teachers get paid simply for standing in front of a class".

Statistically, throughout England and Wales, more than one fifth of lessons aren't delivered by someone qualified in the subject. That means, in reality, that the teacher who does deliver the lesson material is often either simply 'minding' the class or 'muddling through'. Either way, they're being paid simply for standing in front of the class.

Now, that statistic doesn't take into account the 55% absence rate among staff that's been rising slightly, year-on-year, and in most schools they employ substitute staff to cope with these absences. The social and interpersonal dynamics in teaching mean it's all but impossible for a substitute teacher to do anything with the class in terms of actual teaching, so they end up 'minding' the class.  In other words, they're paid for simply standing in front of a class.

This becomes more of an issue when you take into account in-service training. Almost all staff are given time off for in-service training - and much of it is compulsory, such as GCSE standardisation meetings, and so on. In that event, all their classes are covered by substitute staff, who are paid for simply standing in front of a class.

I could go on, mentioning in-school meetings, classroom issues, and so on, but I hope you get the point.

The second part of what I said was
Quote
"There's little to no check on the quality of what they deliver. "

Here's where it becomes more worrying. The percentage of FTE (Full Time Equivalent) teachers with QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) has been steadily falling for some years. From the Government's own statistics "Secondary schools employ the majority of the 20,300 FTE teachers without QTS; 11.5 thousand (57 per cent). Primary schools employ 5.9 thousand teachers without QTS (29 per cent) and the remainder work in special schools or are employed directly by local authorities."

Now, the situation is that when those who are attempting to elevate the quality of teaching visit or assess these people they can't effectively do anything, since they're employed in the full awareness that they're not holding QTS.  So in  that instance "There's little to no check on the quality of what they deliver".

If we then examine the average, fully subject-qualified teacher standing in front of their class one might imagine that they deliver a lesson that excites, enthuses, stimulates and educates every time they do. Sadly, the reality is anything but. Part of that has to do with the ways in which schools are organised;  Secondary schools, for instance, often work under a structure which actively denies children and staff the opportunities to receive and deliver high quality education. There are many reasons for this, but the outcome is the same: a poorer quality education than the children deserve.

In England children in Secondary schools pupils on average spend between six and six and a half hours per day in school. But let's look at that. If we take the timetable of a school rated as 'Good'. then we see it has 6 x 50 minutes periods (lessons) per day. Which sounds reasonably encouraging, because we can assume the kids are getting at least 5 hours education per day.  You might notice that's down significantly from the 6.5 hours they spend actually in school.

So then we look at the actual lessons. In a typical day at least one lesson will be delivered by a sub. Yes - work might be set by the teacher who's missing, while the sub is paid for simply standing in front of the class, but it's not the same as being taught.

So now we're down to 4 hours 10 mins.  But in Secondary schools children move from room to room and, in the larger schools, that takes time.  Allowing for a minimum transition time between each of the 6 scheduled lessons, it can eat up around 40 minutes per day, simply moving along corridors, lining up outside classrooms, waiting for lessons starts and so on.

So now we're down to 3 hours 30 mins in actual lessons being taught.

Bu that's not the end of it.  Far from it, as the teacher in each classroom has to ensure an orderly start to the lesson, deal with the minutiae of taking a register, missing books, absences, sorting out homework and stopping the children who enjoy challenging staff from disrupting the class for everyone else. All that easily adds another 30 - 45 mins per day onto the non-teaching bit.

So now we're down to under 3 hours of actual taught lessons and I haven't even started on fire drills, games lessons, PE lessons, potential disruption and so on.

Once we finally get into the classroom where we can actually learn something the teacher has to arrange the lesson to allow for the 30 or so individuals of varying ability they have to teach. So how is the quality monitored?

Well, there's actually no universal agreement as to what makes a high quality lesson. There are a lot of terms thrown around. of course, buyt they're often fairly meaningless when examined in the real-world context. Since there's no agreement, OFSTED and others have drawn up 'recommendations', but all too often those are simply book-keeping measures which don't even start to deal with quality of teaching.

I could go on but I hope what I said is now clearer.  The sad thing is that excellent teachers do exist, but all too often they're driven out of the job by the increasing pressures to maintain the books.






Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: DaveR on December 07, 2016, 03:32:39 pm
Its a sad fact that, in some local primary schools, the teacher will divide the class up into 2 groups based upon ability. The less capable (generally special needs) group of children will be sent to another room to be supervised by a teaching assisstant, leaving the teacher to teach the more able children. Thus, the children that require the most help arent receiving it.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on December 07, 2016, 03:40:30 pm
That type of approach continues in secondary schools, although it often works in reverse, curiously. Most secondary schools fail the very brightest students, and fail them in a big way.  It's one reason why home schooling has been on the increase for years and often produces some very bright children. Bright children want to learn but the modern UK educational system actively seems to militate against the very sharpest minds. It is - as you say - very sad.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on December 08, 2016, 08:53:48 am
Further to what I posted above, there's an altogether more chilling yet blatantly obvious reason why the UK schools fail the brightest kids.

We've established in my initial reply to PhilMick that kids in secondary schools are lucky to get 3 hours of actual teaching per day. That's bad enough in itself, but UK school terms add up to a mere 200 days per annum.

Thus: 200 x 3 = 600 (the number of hours per year a child will actually be taught in a classroom).
600 / 24 = 25 (the total number of complete 24-hour days a child will spend being taught in a classroom.


Well, it's a tad unreasonable to expect the children to spend 24 hours per day being taught, so let's assume they spend 8 hours per day actually being taught. That comes to 75 days per year, or just over 10.5 weeks.

Now, children rarely - if ever - spend every term-time day in school and, on average, are absent for around 10 days per school year.

The upshot of this is we expect the UK's children to be effectively educated in around nine weeks each year.  The nations who are coming consistently at the top for Mathematics, languages, Science and Technology have far longer school days. On average, for instance, a year 11 student (GCSE years here) spends some 11 hours per weekday being taught in a classroom. Now, I believe that's far too much, but it's the reason why we will never climb the educational ratings internationally.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on December 08, 2016, 09:41:16 am
I have just re read the original article and found the comments section interesting, .....what do you think ?

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/wales-schools-ranked-worst-uk-12279516 (http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/wales-schools-ranked-worst-uk-12279516)

Talking about comments...... the education story got 6 and the cat story from BYCoed  57
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on December 08, 2016, 09:52:16 am
I can't display the comments.  Could you copy and paste them, Steve?
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SDQ on December 08, 2016, 09:59:13 am
I can't display the comments.  Could you copy and paste them, Steve?


18 hours ago
MarkoMarko
Welsh education is a self for filling
Advertise for welsh speaking teachers- pool very small scope and wider talent  - limited - by definition those teachers Welsh being the trump card for employment  and career devlopement  -  those welsh teacher may be understandingly be biased towards keeping  brightest boys and gils from straying in to " english courses and development - of fear of "loosing them "    This is a real crux that often talent leaves from the welsh education experiences to the wider world -= however some what hobbled in the completion of higher education of uk leading universities - Sadly Aber ,  Wrexham are not in the front or middling league.   

I expect that other excuses to why education  is under performing - Like it for not we are in global race - if we cannot pay our way in the world we our welfare will suffer-

The welsh education sec need to look very carefully if she is up to the job !

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1 day ago
JohnLightfoot
As long as the people in charge are going to put the Welsh language first before everything else the figures will continue to slide. Their quest to force the Welsh language on the children is arrogant, disgusting and wrong.
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50

1 day ago
Movvi1
I'm not sure where the blame lies here.  Do we have the 'worst schools', or simply the worst set of unfortunate circumstances?  I was talking about this earlier when someone mentioned Wales having particularly high numbers of unwanted pregnancies, incidences of drinking alcohol while pregnant, truancy and mental health issues...  I haven't verified the statistics, but if that were the case, then it follows that our children might not be the highest achieving.  There is also a horrible apathy about - when I asked quite candidly, many youngsters said they had, at times, during exams and tests, simply given up or not bothered making an effort.  As a result, test results would surely be influenced by this.  Children are no longer allowed to fail, either; there are exemplar pieces of tasks shown before they write their own, writing frames to provide a scaffold, specific vocabulary provided for a given task, group work for sharing ideas and self- and peer- assessment to check work before submission.  Teachers must then mark positively, even if, after all this preparation, work is not correct or riddled with careless errors.  Sometimes, I think we need to tell it like it is.
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03

2 days ago
GWL
Tests and qualifications should be about the students doing their best and achieving their potential and preparing them for the next stage in their life. Unfortunately the assessment regime has become all about politicians showing they are making a difference and has resulted in schools becoming qualification factories where quantity rather than quality prevails and real education and learning becomes irrelevant.
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11

2 days ago
hensrule
A start might be to actually listen to the teachers who are having to attempt to deliver the constantly changing curriculums, right across the various age ranges, which are being introduced by politicians. These are overly complex, and conveyed in a bizarre 'edu-speak', which leaves teachers' brains numb, let alone those of the poor parents and potential employers of the students. Add to that, the Welsh Government's ideological stance on forcing the Welsh Language into every area, and we've got an educational system doomed to failure. Where are all these highly skilled and qualified fluent Welsh teachers going to come from? I'd like to see the figures showing the financial cost for supply teachers across schools in Wales, and how many of those are fluent in Welsh. Get teachers on the ground fully involved in creating a new educational framework and Wales' children (and it's their futures we should be focused upon) will really have a chance to shine.
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40

2 days ago
allie5
Declining results for more than a decade.  About the same time as the push for all teaching to be in Welsh only. 

    Councils advertise teaching jobs as 'Welsh essential'  which drastically reduces the number who can apply for teaching posts and therefore the quality of teaching.   

    It is time for the Welsh government to look at this failed ideology and face the fact that the Welsh education system is failing all children by making a minority language the only education choice.  Yes, Welsh should be taught, but as a subject on the curriculum with lunchtime and afternoon school clubs to reinforce its use.

Every parent should be appalled at these results.  The fact that 21% of Welsh children are not able to read well is astounding.

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82

2 days ago
GwynOwen
Is the problem "mixed ability classes" ? The politically correct and do gooders like mixed ability classes, but it only ends up with the less able students dragging down the very able ones. Bring back ability streaming
1 reply
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61

2 days ago
allie5
Top country  is Singapore which has mixed ability teaching so that might not be the reason for the awful Welsh results.
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33

2 days ago
dynofon
First thing is to sack the woman in the Senedd responsible for education in Wales she is out of her depth.
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61
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: born2run on December 08, 2016, 10:55:38 am
I have just re read the original article and found the comments section interesting, .....what do you think ?

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/wales-schools-ranked-worst-uk-12279516 (http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/wales-schools-ranked-worst-uk-12279516)

Talking about comments...... the education story got 6 and the cat story from BYCoed  57

That is because the in general people take great offence to cruelty to any animal that might be cute/physically appealing to them. Half of them comments were probably typed on their phones whilst they were stuffing big macs into their gobs.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on December 08, 2016, 11:31:24 am
Thanks, SDQ.

Some perceptive comments there, in fact, the first being particularly so. Adding another item into the mix, Wales has a longer school day than England because of the requirement to deliver Welsh.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: born2run on December 08, 2016, 12:06:23 pm
Do you know locally. Bryn Elian and Erias have to have separate school opening hours. One at about 8.15 and the other about 9 and then 3 and 3.45. To stop the rival schools fighting with each other after school! I thought it was just football hooligans where they did the tactic of one group leaving before the others to stop trouble. Is it any wonder standards are failing? This is the North Wales coast not an inner city!
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Fester on December 08, 2016, 12:58:36 pm
Its a sad fact that, in some local primary schools, the teacher will divide the class up into 2 groups based upon ability. The less capable (generally special needs) group of children will be sent to another room to be supervised by a teaching assisstant, leaving the teacher to teach the more able children. Thus, the children that require the most help arent receiving it.

But, the pupils with most potential are not now being held back, works both ways.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on December 08, 2016, 01:17:46 pm
Do you know locally. Bryn Elian and Erias have to have separate school opening hours. One at about 8.15 and the other about 9 and then 3 and 3.45. To stop the rival schools fighting with each other after school! I thought it was just football hooligans where they did the tactic of one group leaving before the others to stop trouble. Is it any wonder standards are failing? This is the North Wales coast not an inner city!

They both set their times independently once they were freed up to do so.  There was a strong push for earlier from the staff of one of the schools. It has nothing to do with inter-school rivalries.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on December 08, 2016, 01:20:24 pm
Its a sad fact that, in some local primary schools, the teacher will divide the class up into 2 groups based upon ability. The less capable (generally special needs) group of children will be sent to another room to be supervised by a teaching assistant, leaving the teacher to teach the more able children. Thus, the children that require the most help arent receiving it.

But, the pupils with most potential are not now being held back, works both ways.

Not necessarily. You might think so, at first glance, but the relatively able children aren't always being stretched, but instead face fairly average lessons. To make a system like that work extraction has to target both ends of the potential scale. And it doesn't.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: born2run on December 08, 2016, 01:45:42 pm
Do you know locally. Bryn Elian and Erias have to have separate school opening hours. One at about 8.15 and the other about 9 and then 3 and 3.45. To stop the rival schools fighting with each other after school! I thought it was just football hooligans where they did the tactic of one group leaving before the others to stop trouble. Is it any wonder standards are failing? This is the North Wales coast not an inner city!

They both set their times independently once they were freed up to do so.  There was a strong push for earlier from the staff of one of the schools. It has nothing to do with inter-school rivalries.

There may be some truth in that but it's certainly not what the pupils, teachers and parents are lead to believe. My son attends one of the schools, I assume you found your source somewhere on the internet? Do you have a link?  $good$
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on December 08, 2016, 02:12:28 pm
I know it from personal experience and dealings with governors of both places.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on December 08, 2016, 03:55:38 pm
After mentioning this topic to my OH , she told me she had just downloaded a BBC  Wales documentory .... School swap Korea style........sponsored by the Telegraph education editor, who is Welsh, trying to find out why South Korea are top and Wales 43rd in the list.

The gist being 15 years ago S.K. were at the bottom, now the top, ......

School starts at 7.30 till 4pm, then after school classes, then private tution,the library were they queue to get in, then back to school at 11pm.......the goverment has tried to put a curfew of 10pm.

S.K. spend the most world wide on further education.

An example.....they took a one hour version of the UKs 11plus maths exam, the whole class finished in 15minutes, its what they learned at junior school.

These students want to learn, and are being pushed by their parents, now the problem appears to be on finding a happy medium.

Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Fester on December 08, 2016, 08:27:48 pm
I watched that Steve, and the culture shock for the beleaguered Welsh kids was something to behold.
They made good friends, and kind of enjoyed the (mercifully short) experience, but as you said it's about finding an acceptable middle ground.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on December 09, 2016, 07:27:37 am
Throwing an extra element into the mix what do forum members think about the possible re-introduction of the Grammar school to North Wales?
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: born2run on December 09, 2016, 09:08:01 am
Awful, draconian measure that will not only further separate the gap between the have and have nots.
It is inherently unfair to 'test' a child at that age for a number of reasons, not to mention the pressure on the children, taking an exam that will affect the outcome for the rest of their lives but another one is at that age certain disabilities may not have been fully or in some cases even partially diagnosed. We won a case recently in which a member of staff had been selected for redundancy based on a written examination and interview criteria.Under the DD act 1995 we won the case because reasonable adjustments had not been made to allow for this individuals disadvantages due to their disability. Now if it's not fair for a 40 something adult in a top tax bracket job how can it be fair for an 11 year old child from a poor background?
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: DaveR on December 09, 2016, 10:23:42 am
I went to Bryn Elian and there was certainly a strong rivalry with Eirias or 'hairy A***' as we pronounced it. I remember the time a fight was organised on the field by Eirias and some Bryn Elian pupils turned up in an old van, the van skidded to a halt and  the back doors opened to reveal the legendary Mowers wielding a chainsaw. .  :laugh: Happy days...
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on December 09, 2016, 10:32:41 am
I have no experience with the Grammer school system, but reading up on the subject, I thought these articles would be of interest.

I came into teaching to raise standards’ – Michael Wilshaw's forthright farewell
The departing Ofsted chief talks about why grammar schools are divisive, the danger of blanket solutions and the difficulties of working with politicians.
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/oct/15/sir-michael-wilshaw-politicians-inevitably-come-up-against-people-like-me-chief-inspector-schools (https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/oct/15/sir-michael-wilshaw-politicians-inevitably-come-up-against-people-like-me-chief-inspector-schools)

A quote from him which I strongly agree with.......
he says ministers should focus instead on promoting specialist, technical subjects in schools, and new technology colleges for 14-19-year-olds, so future generations have the skills necessary to drive the post-Brexit economy.
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/oct/15/ofsted-chief-slams-grammar-school-obession (https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/oct/15/ofsted-chief-slams-grammar-school-obession)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on December 09, 2016, 11:15:45 am
I went through the Grammar system, and I do remember it as being very pressured. The arguments in favour of the 'modern' grammar concept appear to lie along the lines of streaming and setting.  And where the Grammar seemed to excel was in giving those from working class backgrounds the opportunity for social mobility.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: born2run on December 09, 2016, 11:27:15 am
Like something out of great expectations if you ask me. What we need to do is build from the bottom up and have a good even playing field not cherry pick the brightest and leave the rest to rot with sub par education.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on December 09, 2016, 01:38:46 pm
But that's exactly the problem. Children don't start out equal, they don't start at school with equal knowledge or ability, they don't have equality of background and yet the UK state education system treats them as though they were. The least able need special attention but so do the most able. The theory of this is called Differentiation, but it simply doesn't work. We actually have something of a crisis in education - not just with the overall rankings, which are depressing in themselves - but with the entire system. For 20 years plus we've been failing boys. And that's unacceptable.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on January 31, 2017, 11:14:10 am
When I first heard about the new apprenticeship scheme, I thought this is exactly what we need, getting the young trained for the futue, now a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies is making me think it is just a figure juggling government exercise....shame.

The government's target to rapidly increase the number of apprentices risks being "poor value for money", says the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
The think tank warns that it could devalue the "brand" of apprenticeships by turning it into "just another term for training".

http://www.bbc.com/news/education-38798305 (http://www.bbc.com/news/education-38798305)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: DaveR on June 21, 2017, 09:36:17 am
Interesting article in The Guardian about education in Wales. Perhaps we should have a Referendum to decide the issue?

‘We’re told we’re anti-Welsh bigots and fascists’ – the storm over Welsh-only schools
With a third of schools in Wales no longer teaching in English, debate rages over the ethics of using the classroom to bolster a minority language

Louise Tickle and Steven Morris
Tuesday 20 June 2017 07.10 BST Last modified on Tuesday 20 June 2017 18.51 BST


“We’ve been told we are anti-Welsh bigots and even fascists,” says Alice Morgan in her soft Welsh accent. The comments she is talking about began when she and other parents raised objections to a plan to turn their primary school in the village of Llangennech into one that teaches only in Welsh. They are worried that some children used to being taught in English won’t cope.

Feelings are running high. On one side are those who want to increase the number of Welsh speakers in the country. On the other are campaigners who say the evidence shows this method is futile and that children’s education is being sacrificed for politics.

One mother said she was now too frightened to walk down to the Co-op in the village to buy a loaf of bread. “It’s got that bad. Perhaps I’m being paranoid but I’m really scared at the moment. I’m not sure it’s good for the reputation of the Welsh language.”

While a Labour councillor described the move as a form of segregation or apartheid, some supporters of it have said that those who didn’t want to live in a Welsh-speaking village could always move out. The decision, voted through in January by Carmarthenshire council, will mean Llangennech school will join 479 others – just under a third (31.9%) of all schools in Wales – that teach exclusively in Welsh.

The change will come into operation for reception pupils in September and has delighted those who believe it will help revive the declining fortunes of the Welsh language. But opponents say it could damage the education of children whose first language is English and will force some parents to send their children outside the village or county for their education.

Morgan – who asked that her real name not be used to protect her family – has three primary-age children. Until now, villagers have had a choice about whether their children go into the Welsh or the English stream in school. Her eldest son started at Llangennech in the Welsh stream, but had difficulties. “He struggled tremendously for two years,” she says. “He was depressed and unhappy, vomiting before school, and he fell behind. Although we speak Welsh at home I think it was the fact that no English was used whatsoever that made him feel overwhelmed.” Things improved when he was able to move into the English stream. “He was a changed little boy.”

Her second son has special needs and a pre-school assessment judged that he would find it hard to learn more than one language, so he began in the English stream from the off. She is concerned for children like him in the future.

After an unpleasant meeting involving campaigners, councillors and those in charge of running the school, Morgan decided to remove her children to another primary where they can be educated in English. The eldest two have lost their friends and the new school is three miles from their home. But she now feels more optimistic about their future. “We’ve found a new school that is absolutely wonderful, and my kids are valued for who they are.”

Another local parent, Michaela Beddows, says: “We have English and Welsh both as official languages in Wales. I think all parents should have a choice.” Morgan agrees. “It’s become a political football. They’re not taking account of the impact on children.”

Carmarthenshire council did not want any officer or councillor to be interviewed on the subject. The headteacher and chair of governors of Llangennech primary did not want to talk about it either.

There is debate among educationists as to whether the “immersion” method of language teaching is effective or the opposite: for some children, being plunged into a classroom where they are unable to communicate or comprehend can be a terrifying, isolating and miserable experience.

According to Save the Children, which works in multilingual contexts across the world, “adults often have powerful reasons for choosing a school language that children do not know. Nevertheless, it has been shown that if the school language is different from the language children use at home, this is a major cause of educational failure.”

Despite efforts to bolster the Welsh language over the past two decades, its use is in decline. The 2011 census found that the number of Welsh speakers had fallen from 21% of the population to 19% over the previous 10 years. In Carmarthenshire, the drop was steeper – from 50% to 44%. The Welsh government is trying to double the number of Welsh speakers to a million by 2050. In Carmarthenshire, led by Plaid Cymru, it is the council’s intention “to move every primary and secondary school along the language continuum” – meaning that schools will teach only in Welsh.

This is the already the situation in Gwynedd, a county where around 65% of people have Welsh as their mother tongue: here the only education on offer is in Welsh. But in Carmarthenshire, just 44% of the population speaks Welsh as a first language.

At Cardiff University’s research unit on language, policy and planning, Professor Diarmait Mac Giolla Chríost says that most educational research “demonstrates convincingly that mother-tongue education is a good thing; finding arguments contrary to that is quite difficult”.

While he points to a study indicating that benefits accrue from being bilingual, Mac Giolla Chríost says that if all primary education were in Welsh, as proposed by Carmarthenshire council, “that would be very difficult to sustain”.

And the plan may not even work to spread the language in the long run. He says that where governments around the world have tried to reinvigorate minority languages, “the evidence is rather brutal, in that while it is possible to use the education system to teach a minority language, and while [children] are in the system they will use it, very often those speakers don’t turn into users of the language once they leave”.

Ceri Owen, of the group Parents for Welsh Medium Education, says Carmarthenshire council’s decision is about levelling the playing field. “A lot of Welsh families are being denied education through the medium of Welsh,” she says. Parents who want their children educated in English “won’t be denied the English language. They will be able to travel [to schools that offer it].”

And that is what Morgan has felt forced to do. “Our children feel they are no longer welcome. They’ve been ostracised from their peers. Their community is divided on the basis of language and they are now treated like second-class citizens. My neighbour actually said she wanted our children out of the school. The village is damaged.”

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/jun/20/storm-welsh-only-schools-minority-language (https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/jun/20/storm-welsh-only-schools-minority-language)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on June 21, 2017, 10:27:20 am
This is the most emotively-charged issue in Wales and I do think it's despicable that children are being used as the battleground.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on June 21, 2017, 11:12:47 am
Guardian faces backlash in Welsh language row
An article on the newspaper's website claims that children in Wales are at a disadvantage.

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/guardian-welsh-language-row-schools-13213847 (http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/guardian-welsh-language-row-schools-13213847)

There are 16 comments below the article if you cannot see them let me know, and I will copy/paste them.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Giggly girl on June 21, 2017, 12:52:09 pm
Why do you think we cannot get the medical professionals  into Wales to care for us.  Imagine the conversation between partners.  Partner 1. "Honey there is a great job in Wales would be a great place to raise the children what do you think" .  Spouse 2 Well lets check out the education online.   After a lot of googling one or both partners come to the conclusion that because of education issues tis not the place to live and raise a family. 
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Quiggs on June 21, 2017, 03:48:52 pm
My Grandsons were educated in Welsh, but since leaving secondary school have not used Welsh and both have moved to England for work.   &shake&
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: spotty dog on June 21, 2017, 04:05:42 pm
It's nothing more than social engineering by the LEA, and yes in can be construed as apartheid
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: born2run on June 21, 2017, 05:25:23 pm
What a lot of rubbish. Everyone who works here from almost every country in the world learns English as a second language and they are no worse off. You think Billy Smith who was taught in English is better than the top Indian surgeons who are here? So why is it any different for anyone having Welsh as their first language and English as their second? What am I missing?
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Hugo on June 21, 2017, 10:49:07 pm
I agree too, what a load of utter rubbish.    I worked with many people who spoke Welsh as their first language but they also had to obtain a qualification in the English language to get the job so therefore they had the ability to use either language when dealing with the general public.     Surely the ability to speak two or more languages must be an asset and not a drawback
The manager of the department I worked at was a monoglot English speaker from over the border and he told a colleague of mine during a job appraisal interview that my Welsh speaking friend was at a disadvantage when he spoke in English as he had to think a bit before he could actually speak in English.
What a complete and stupid remark to make and I just wish that I'd have been made aware of the ignorant remark at the time.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: DaveR on June 22, 2017, 09:30:14 am
What a lot of rubbish. Everyone who works here from almost every country in the world learns English as a second language and they are no worse off. You think Billy Smith who was taught in English is better than the top Indian surgeons who are here? So why is it any different for anyone having Welsh as their first language and English as their second? What am I missing?
You're missing the bit where people in those other countries all speak their own language first and learn English as a second language, due to its dominant international role. In Wales, that is obviously not the case, as just 19% of the population speak Welsh, according to the last census*. That obviously leaves 81% who speak English. Therefore, it seems logical that children should be educated in English first, and then learn Welsh as a mandatory second language?

* - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_language
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on April 02, 2018, 12:23:33 pm
We appear to be going backwards.

Child poverty: Pale and hungry pupils 'fill pockets with school food'

Malnourished pupils with grey skin are "filling their pockets" with food from school canteens in poor areas due to poverty.
The heads, from various parts of England and Wales, described differences in the appearance of some pupils.
One head said: "My children have grey skin, poor teeth, poor hair; they are thinner."

The government said measures were in place to tackle poverty.

Lynn, a head teacher from a former industrial town in Cumbria, who did not want to give her full name, was one of a number of head teachers speaking to reporters at the National Education Union conference in Brighton.

They were highlighting the issues faced by an increasing number of children growing up in poverty, and how their experiences affect their education.
Lynn said that hunger was particularly apparent after the weekend.
She said: "Children are filling their pockets with food. In some establishments that would be called stealing. We call it survival."

She said her school supplied some pupils with clean uniforms, and that they often came back in the same clothes, grubby, after the weekend.
The school has a food bank which gives out food parcels and a supply of clothes, shoes and coats for those without.
Lynn said: "We have washing machines and we are washing the children's clothes while they do PE.
"We wouldn't have it that these children are stigmatised because their clothes are dirty."
"My families are proud. Some of these parents are working two or three jobs and can't access the benefits system.

More....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-43611527 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-43611527)

Title: Re: Schools and education apprenticeships
Post by: SteveH on April 13, 2018, 03:29:28 pm
This situation needs better controls in place, once again it's the big (low wage) companies finding and using the loopholes in the system.  $angry$

Firms relabelling low-skilled jobs as apprenticeships, says report.
Fast food giants, coffee shops and retailers are relabelling low-skilled jobs as apprenticeships and gaining subsidies for training, a report says.

The study by centre-right think tank Reform says many firms have rebranded existing roles after being obliged to contribute cash to on-the-job training.
It adds that 40% of government-approved apprenticeship standards do not meet a traditional definition of them.
The government says "quality" is at the heart of its apprenticeship reforms.

As part of the changes, it introduced an apprenticeship levy on organisations paying more than £3m in salaries a year.
They have to pay 0.5% of their wages total into a "digital account" held by HMRC.
They then "spend" these contributions on apprenticeship training delivered by registered providers. They can also get back up to 90% of the cost of training.

'Low-wage roles'
But they are also entitled to pay apprentices lower than the standard minimum wage. The minimum rates range from £3.70 an hour for anyone in their first year of an apprenticeship to £7.38

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-43739963 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-43739963)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on January 31, 2020, 04:05:31 pm
This is the headline from Oct. 2019.... £11.5m super school too small for pupil numbers just two years after opening
Critics said they had warned the council the school was not going to be big enough to cope with growing local population.

Ysgol Awel y Mynydd, in Llandudno Junction, was opened in September 2017, with a capacity for 420 pupils.
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/115m-super-school-small-pupil-17058132 (https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/115m-super-school-small-pupil-17058132)

Todays story ..... Ysgol Awel y Mynydd in the red category,  "The Welsh Government has released its annual colour coded system that categorises schools across the country into one of four categories - green, yellow, amber, and red.
Red is the lowest rating in this system and is reserved for schools that require up to 25 days of support.

If a school is coded red it means they are the schools in need of the greatest support, and will get an immediate, tailored package of intervention."                                                              ref DP
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Meleri on January 31, 2020, 05:00:00 pm
They are now building 110 houses in the catchment area of Ysgol Awel Y Mynydd, pity CCBC didn't insist in the Developers giving a contribution to build more classrooms as they did in Dwygyfylchi.
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on February 19, 2020, 03:12:21 pm
£11.7m super school failed to use cash given to help improve most vulnerable kids' chances - and now it's in special measures
Ysgol Awel y Mynydd only opened in late 2017

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/117m-super-school-failed-use-17776108 (https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/117m-super-school-failed-use-17776108)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: Ian on February 19, 2020, 03:35:06 pm
What's ironic is the report produced by Estyn and to which the DP article links. In the first page it says:

Standards: Unsatisfactory and needs urgent improvement.

Think that should be 'need' urgent improvement. It's not the only example of a curiously poor reporting standard.  Another sentence, in the summary section, reads:

The various pupil councils are beginning to have an effect on school life, and there are very few examples of where the pupil’s voice is effective

?

It might inspire greater confidence in Estyn's assessment were they to produce properly written and proofed reports.
Title: Re: Schools and education..............RE CORONAVIRUS
Post by: SteveH on March 18, 2020, 02:08:31 pm
Schools in Scotland and Wales are to close from Friday in response to the coronavirus epidemic.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told MPs further decisions on school closures in England were "to be taken imminently".

Wales education minister Kirsty Williams said she was bringing forward the Easter break.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51928400 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51928400)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on March 26, 2020, 10:09:30 am
TV presenter Carol Voderman has launched The Maths Factor - a new website to help children learn numerical skills.

The Countdown star hopes to support children across the country with their basic maths skills through a variety of educational online resources - and the site is currently free to join.

While children across the UK are currently closed due to the ongoing health crisis, many parents are looking for alternative means to help their children keep on top of their education.

The Maths Factor site is designed to help teach maths skills through a variety of resources, with Vorderman featured in a number of educational videos, and has now been made available for free after schools were forced to shut their doors.

The website is normally subscription based, costing users £2 per week to access content, but is currently available to use free of charge during the school closure period.
Announcing the news on Twitter, Vorderman said: “My maths school http://themathsfactor.com (http://themathsfactor.com) is usually about £2 a week.

“I want to help so it's now FREE for children age 4-11 until schools open.

“We're uploading massive server capabilities, pls bear with us.
“With all my love #HomeSchooling @themathsfactor @PearsonSchools.”

More   https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/18335847.carol-vodermans-maths-factor-need-know-new-educational-website/ (https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/18335847.carol-vodermans-maths-factor-need-know-new-educational-website/)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on March 27, 2020, 02:37:55 pm
How to go on a virtual tour of Chester Zoo during the coronavirus lockdown
The zoo is letting you see the animals up close from the comfort of your own home.

The zoo is going to live stream all the most popular animals for an hour each on their Facebook page.

Despite the zoo being forced to close down, the zookeepers remain on site to care, clean and feed the animals while they wait to welcome people back.

Today (March 27) will be the first time the zoo has ever done a live stream - and it will run until 5pm.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/how-go-virtual-tour-chester-17991429 (https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/how-go-virtual-tour-chester-17991429)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on March 29, 2020, 11:33:33 am
"NATIONAL heroes'" have been implored to continue support frontline staff over the Easter holidays.

Education minister Kirsty Williams called on school staff to do what they can to keep schools open for NHS staff and carers during the two weeks that should have been the Easter holidays.

The minister thanked all school staff who had met the challenge of keeping more than 700 schools open to support with the immediate response to coronavirus before asking for help in what she described as a ‘time of national need’.

“I am now asking you to do more and keep schools open during what would have been school holidays.”

Cont   https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/18342843.welsh-education-minister-kirsty-williams-calls-teachers-support-nhs-workers/ (https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/18342843.welsh-education-minister-kirsty-williams-calls-teachers-support-nhs-workers/)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on April 11, 2020, 10:58:18 am
Watching Graham Norton interviewing Michael Buble last night, the question of looking after his children during lockdown, he said how difficult it was to get his/all children away from the TV, and to do something educational, after trying and giving in, he came up with what I think is a brilliant idea, he turned the sound off, and and put it in sub title mode, thinking at least, it will help their reading and spelling.
Title: Re: Virtual workshops hosted by Welsh Mountain Zoo to help with home learning
Post by: SteveH on January 20, 2021, 01:41:42 pm
Virtual workshops being hosted by Welsh Mountain Zoo to help with home learning

A SERIES of virtual workshops exploring a range of animal species and subjects are being hosted for children by a zoo.

The Welsh Mountain Zoo, which is currently closed in line with government restrictions, said the 30-minute workshops are designed to be “fun, educational and engaging”.

They are being led by Margaret Warren, the zoo’s education manager.
The qualified science teacher, who has a background working in zoos and other conservation organisations, is trained in safeguarding, child care, behavior, special educational needs (SEN) child yoga, mindfulness, anxiety and confidence.

Margaret said: “We are running these sessions to help support home education during the lockdown period.

"We recognise that learning for many children is a lot different to what they are used to at the moment and this can not only be stressful for the children, but also their parents.

"As a result of this, we have designed fun, informal sessions that are suitable for a wide range of ages, from six upwards.
"Older children, from 13 upwards, can also join for revision.”

cont  https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19024938.virtual-workshops-hosted-welsh-mountain-zoo-help-home-learning/ (https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19024938.virtual-workshops-hosted-welsh-mountain-zoo-help-home-learning/)
Title: Re: Schools and education...............Coleg Llandrillo
Post by: SteveH on May 24, 2021, 10:29:04 am
MAITRE d’hôtel Fred Siriex met students in Rhos-on-Sea to share his Michelin experience and time on popular TV shows.

The star of ‘Gordon, Gina and Fred: Road Trip’ joined in a virtual talk with Coleg Llandrillo where students had the opportunity to serve their burning questions over an hour.

Siriex, who is also known for its appearance on shows including First Dates, Million Pound Menu and Remarkable Places to Eat, gave his insight into topics such as roles and challenges within the hospitality industry, advice on what career path to take, and his blossoming career within the entertainment industry.

The college is the only place in Wales to offer full and part-time catering and hospitality courses from level one to bachelor honours degrees in hospitality management and culinary arts, as well as apprenticeships, NVQs and customised employee training.

cont  https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19323883.tv-star-fred-siriex-put-hot-seat-rhos-on-sea/ (https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19323883.tv-star-fred-siriex-put-hot-seat-rhos-on-sea/)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on September 14, 2021, 03:06:45 pm
A North Wales university is celebrating after moving up 41 places in a new guide.

Glyndwr University in Wrexham jumped to 66th place in the Guardian University Guide 2022, receiving an overall rating of 65.3.

According to the guide, Glyndwr received a rating of 87.2 for how satisfied the students were with the teaching on their course, which was the second highest in the UK and the highest in Wales.

Meanwhile, Bangor University dropped from 75th place in last year's guide to 86th in the most recent edition.

Bangor is now the lowest ranked university in Wales, but received a rating of 79.7 for how satisfied the students were with the quality of their course. The university was given an overall rating of 61.6.

cont  https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-university-moves-up-21559605 (https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-university-moves-up-21559605)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on September 21, 2021, 10:01:28 am
Wales' first school for vets has opened at Aberystwyth University.

The five-year degree course is being run jointly by the university and the Royal Veterinary College (RVC).

Students will spend the first two years in Aberystwyth before completing the final three years at RVC's campus in Hertfordshire.

There were almost 150 applicants for the 25 places and the aim is to attract more students from Wales to enrol, with the course also available in Welsh.

Prof Darrell Abernethy, head and chairman of the university's school for veterinary science, said: "It's a culmination of years of hard work and the vision of people from years ago.

cont  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58623904?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA&IYA-reg=a05105fc-304d-4c50-9807-edab51f779a4 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58623904?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA&IYA-reg=a05105fc-304d-4c50-9807-edab51f779a4)
Title: Re: Schools and education
Post by: SteveH on March 04, 2022, 10:53:11 am
Conwy Primary schools are '£145,000 worse off' than those in Gwynedd
Over £13m has been cut from Conwy's school budget over the last 10 years

The motion comes after recent education cuts and criticism of the cabinet voting to "plunder’"£307,000 from school budgets to fund a teachers’ pay rise.

Councillors heard how over £13m had been cut from Conwy school budgets over the last 10 years and that Conwy was ranked fifth in core budget funding out of the six North Wales counties.

But after a three-minute address to the council by Cllr McCaffrey, as well as a speech by Cllr Gareth Jones, chair Cllr Abdul Khan said the matter must first be discussed at the educational scrutiny committee.

Cllr McCaffrey said children’s education was being hampered by cost cutting.

“I don’t want to kick it in the long grass,” she said.

“We know this time next year we will be faced with imposing further cuts on our schools. Will that be 5%, 7% or 10%?

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/conwy-primary-schools-145000-worse-23276116 (https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/conwy-primary-schools-145000-worse-23276116)
Title: Re: Schools and education.........Conwy County closures
Post by: SteveH on February 24, 2023, 10:24:13 am
ONE in five Conwy schools will be forced to make redundancies because of the 5% budget cuts the council has demanded ? and that figure is likely to rise.

Worryingly, Conwy?s cabinet member for education has warned the cuts could affect pupils marginalised by socio-economic factors as well as children needing extra emotional support and those with disabilities.

Conwy County Council has asked all its services to make 10% cuts across the board ? with only education and social services being asked to look at 5% savings.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23341156.one-five-conwy-schools-will-forced-make-redundancies/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

Title: Re: Schools and education......Mochdre school merger
Post by: SteveH on June 16, 2023, 09:56:38 am
Mochdre school merger consultation gets the go-ahead from Conwy

CONWY Council?s cabinet agreed to push ahead with the merger of two Mochdre primary schools, despite the risk of teachers and other staff facing redundancies.

The cabinet unanimously voted in favour of a public consultation on the proposed amalgamation of Mochdre?s Ysgol Babanod infants and Ysgol Cystennin junior school.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23593080.mochdre-school-merger-consultation-gets-go-ahead-conwy/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589
Title: Re: Schools and education.......Free Meals
Post by: SteveH on July 20, 2023, 09:48:21 am
FROM September, all children in Conwy primary schools will be offered a free meal.

Welsh Government introduced the Universal Primary School Free School Meals (UPFSM) scheme last year, with a target that all primary school children will get free school meals by April 2024.

Conwy will be introducing their scheme seven months ahead of the target date.

All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 have been offered free school meals this year, and as a result, primary schools have served an extra 1,200 meals a day.

https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23662770.conwy-primary-schools-offered-free-meals-september/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589
Title: Re: Schools and education .......update on RAAC in Conwy schools
Post by: SteveH on September 06, 2023, 09:00:32 am
SCHOOLS in Conwy are unlikely to be affected by crumbling concrete panels.

Ysgol David Hughes and Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi on Anglesey have closed amid concerns regarding concrete; reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was found at both schools.

Conwy County Borough Council said they have a "regular inspection programme" for all properties and have not identified concerns relating to RAAC.

https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23768283.conwy-county-borough-council-update-raac-schools/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589
Title: Re: University graduates may be better off staying in Wales
Post by: SteveH on November 03, 2023, 10:50:19 am
Young people leaving Wales looking for higher pay may actually be better off if they stay, according to a company trying to halt graduate "brain drain".

A founder of Darogan Talent said on average they could have more money if they were in Cardiff than in London because of the cost of living.

A Tory politician said Wales must invest in skills to retain the young.

The Welsh government said it was doing everything it could "to help young people to plan their futures in Wales".

Darogan - which translates as predict or foretell - was established in 2018 with the aim of attracting students who studied outside Wales to return after graduation.

It said that a lack of information about opportunities in Wales has contributed to the loss of young people to other countries.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-67299095
Title: Re: Adult Education
Post by: SteveH on January 30, 2024, 10:01:29 am
Adults in North Wales can access free numeracy courses thanks to this government-backed scheme
A ?4.8m investment in adult numeracy in Gwynedd, Anglesey, Conwy and Denbighshire has been aimed to make maths simpler for everyone

Grŵp Llandrillo Menai has launched a new service aimed at helping individuals brush up on their maths skills and become more confident with numbers.

The ?Numeracy for Life/Multiply? project has received ?4.8m of funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and is supported by Gwynedd Council, Isle of Anglesey County Council, Conwy County Borough Council and Denbighshire County Council.

The initiative has been designed to help people improve their understanding and use of maths in their daily lives, including at work and at home. This may include by improving household finances, helping children with homework, making more sense of facts in the media, or improving numeracy skills specific to a line of work.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/special-features/adults-north-wales-can-access-28508912?%3Futm_source=inyourarea&utm_medium=iyaweb&utm_campaign=carousel&utm_term=cm_carousel_click&utm_content=content-marketing&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589
Title: Re: Further education.............Free online course... numeracy skills
Post by: SteveH on March 28, 2024, 09:46:03 am
Whether you're a young person preparing for an independent life, a parent looking to boost your numeracy skills, or simply someone who wants to get a firm grasp on numbers to help you keep on top of your finances - the Multiply Scheme can help.

This free online course and in-person workshops could help you get a handle on numbers
The fully-funded Multiply course from COPA can help enhance your numeracy skills in everyday life

Maths - some of us take to it like a duck to water, while for others it's like trying to understand a foreign language with a totally different alphabet.

But while it can be hard to relate the algebra, quadratic equations and endless times tables we had to study at school to everyday life, the fact is that we encounter maths all the time - from measuring for DIY to totting up bills, and from estimating distances to following recipes. Above all, if you want to make progress with your career, then maths cannot be ignored.

COPA - the Welsh word for peak or summit - is an organisation committed to helping people gain the skills and qualifications that will make them more employability, helping people take control of their future and boosting their confidence so that they can reach the peak of their potential.

Now, COPA is offering a free and flexible numeracy course to support you in your journey to conquering numbers.

cont https://www.walesonline.co.uk/special-features/free-online-course-person-workshops-28867934?%3Futm_source=inyourarea&utm_medium=iyaweb&utm_campaign=carousel&utm_term=cm_carousel_click&utm_content=content-marketing&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589