Education isn’t a political football.

This article has appeared on BBC Wales News today – University Applicants in Wales down 9.3%.

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“Figures from university admission service UCAS show applications to higher education institutions in Wales are down on the previous year as the deadline approaches.”

However the article does say that there has been a late surge in applications during November and December, and that the majority of applications to Welsh institutions are from English students. So the news headlines include the same vague, scaremongering messages that the Labour Party used following the Government’s decision to raise tuition fees.

Which – no – I don’t totally agree with. The change in the policy however did include a change in the repayment system, which is far fairer now than it ever was under a Labour government.

If applications from English students have not suffered the same drop that applications from Welsh students has, surely the change in tuition fee policy can’t be to blame? It puts a hole straight through the rhetoric. The Welsh Government are subsidising fees meaning that applications from Welsh students should be at the same level, or even increased, if we follow the mentality that a hike in tuition fees is damaging to HE.

Surely this shows a failure on the Welsh Government’s behalf to push through the policy of their subsidising of Welsh students’ fees? Perhaps Leighton should go back to the drawing board. It also puts a hole straight through the rhetoric that the increase in tuition fees is damaging to HE and deters students from furthering their education – it’s the misguided rhetoric over tuition fees that is damaging to HE.

Education isn’t a political football, but didn’t stop the misleading messages peddled by politicians and the media.

 

RCT and Education. Best kept separated.

The issue of education and RCT is beginning to be a bit repetitive now. Having blogged about the farce Labour led RCT Council made over the restructuring of post-16 education in the county borough not so long ago, the Government’s new ‘banding system’ only highlights the failings of RCT on education.

Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC doesn’t seem to do all too well when it comes to education. It seems now, however, that we aren’t alone! Unfortunately.

The Welsh Government have now placed all secondary schools in Wales in a banding system of 1 to 5. The banding takes into account the assessment of the schools for the 2010-2011 academic year. All assessments followed the same criteria which was based on four broad categories;

• The percentage of pupils achieving five A* to Cs at GCSE including English or Welsh and mathematics

• The best eight GCSEs of pupils

• The performance of pupils at GCSE in English or Welsh and mathematics

• Attendance

The issue that has arisen from this ‘exercise’ has shown that less than a quarter of Welsh Secondary Schools have no schools in the top band of a system which is designed to identify the best and worst schools.  The Government and Education Minister, Leighton Andrews, deny that the banding system “names and shames schools” – but that is exactly what it is. Unless there is sufficient support for those schools at the bottom of the banding system, it serves little or no purpose.

A little closer to home, Rhondda Cynon Taf’s branding is nothing short of appalling. Only 2 RCT schools was placed in Band 1, whilst 3 schools were placed in  Band 2; 2 schools in Band 3; 9 in Band 4; 3 at Band 5. Of the three schools which only achieved lowest band, RCT’s centre for life-long learning, Ysgol Gyfun Garth Olwg – a topic which causes must discomfort for RCT Council – achieved a mere Band 5, with only 57% of children achieving 5 A* – C GCSEs.

What’s more worrying, however, is the fact that only 5 schools out of a total of 24 secondary schools, achieved the top bands. Even Aberdare Girls’ School, one of the two schools to achieve a Band 1, the number of children receiving 5 A* – C GCSEs was a mere 38%.

Whilst the Welsh Government’s Education Minister targets Welsh Universities and sends Education bodies post-card tuition fee policies, and attacks Wales’ examination body, Wales’ education attainment suffers. Leighton Andrews needs to stop pretending that everything is fine on the education front, and address the issues at the heart of the education system, which this banding system unfortunately will not do.

‘Children streamlined by the age of seven.’

Primary Education is the period in which children build the foundations and grasp a basic understanding of the key subjects, being mathematics, reading and writing and the sciences. Secondary School is where children are grouped according to ability to ensure that those who need additional help are given the attention they need, and those of a higher ability succeed – when those children’s abilities are apparent and can be appropriately addressed.

A report by the Institute of Education argues that one in six children is streamlined by the age of seven; meaning that pupils are placed into different classes on a judgement based on their overall academic ability and success. This limits the opportunities available to those children who are streamlined and their life chances could be determined at a very early age. As Professor Susan Hallam, the research project’s leader, said: “Given the current emphasis on social mobility it is surprising that so many children are streamed at such a young age.”

Former chief inspector of schools Sir Chris Woodhead said he was pleased that schools were streaming pupils again, and that he thought streamlining was a good thing, and a way of improving teaching. He said;

“If you have got children who can hardly read and children reading Lord of the Rings at the top end of primary school, then you have got a very tough job trying to challenge the most able and support the least able.”

However, by streamlining children, we can’t allow those children in the lower streams to be left behind and receive sub-standard education. There needs to be emphasis placed on ensuring that these children who are streamlined to, in some cases fail, have a thorough understanding of the basics and key subject areas (reading and writing, mathematics and science). There also needs to be systems in place that encourage the development of those skills that those children have, for example make the most of their creative skills or skills (or even interest) in technology; it is often said – and some use the alternative way of teaching as a derogatory term – there should be a more ‘hands on’ approach to help those children grasp the basics.

And, too often, children who need additional educational assistance are sidelined and are left to carve their own path through the education system. Schools, teachers and parents must recognise those children who need additional educational help at an early age to ensure that they are given the additional assistance and resources to succeed, and are not sidelined.

You can read the BBC article here.

20 Key Facts about Tuition Fees from 2012.

“For 20 years we’ve educated our youth into debt when they go to university but never about debt – that must change”

Martin Lewis discusses what he considers to be the main 20 facts about tuition fees, including what people have worried about and what’s even more worrying with the Government’s policy change regarding HE fees in England. We’ve had the riots, the political arguments and the doom and gloom of the policy changes broadcasted and highlighted, but few have actually looked at the practicalities of the policy change.  

Here’s the list of the 20 facts that Martin Lewis thinks future students, parents and grandparents should know;

1. The changes ONLY hit new September 2012 starters, existing and 2011 students stay on current system
2. Trebling tuition fees doesn’t always mean tripling your costs
3. You don’t need to have cash to go to university
4. Earn under £21,000 and you’ll never repay
5. After thirty years any remaining debt is wiped
6. ‘Above-inflation’ interest will be charged
7. Repayments will be £540 a year lower than current system
8. You WILL owe money for longer and may pay a LOT more
9. Part time fees rising, but tuition fee loans now available
10. Monthly repayments are the same whether fees are £6,000 or £9,000
11. Student loans also cover living costs
12. Under £42,600 income household’s students get living grants
13. Student loans DO NOT go on credit files
14. The new system is unlikely to impact the ability to get a mortgage
15. You may not be allowed to repay early
16. Students at Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish universities aren’t affected
17. Many people will never pay it all back
18. It’s more like a graduate tax than a loan
19. Student loans should be counted as part of students’ income
20. Other grants and bursaries will be available

You can read the full article including all of it’s references and sources here.

The future of YG Llanhari.

A recent blog post by RCT Liberal Democrats on Welsh Medium Education in RCT, and YG Llanhari’s (doubtful) future. As I mentioned in my blog post yesterday (here) As RCT’s blog said, we/us/I welcome the increase of Welsh Medium provision, even if it is in the 3-19 schools structure RCT are so fond of.

You can read the full blog post and link to the original article here.

RCT Labour and education. Best kept separated.

Several months ago, RCT Labour unveiled plans to overhaul secondary education in RCT, resulting in the closure of secondary schools and all sixth forms, each moving to a single site – the tertiary college system Merthyr Council decided to go ahead with.

RCT are now proposing the closure of three secondary schools in the Cynon Valley (Aberdare Girls, Aberdare High and Blaengwawr Comprehensive), which would move to a ‘state-of-the-art’ school in Ynys, for 1,600 pupils which would open in 2014. If we look back to the last time RCT granted a ‘state-of-the-art’, purpose built secondary school (Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen’s replacement building – course, we all know how that one went), it wasn’t the practical, purpose built school everyone had been hoping for – that includes the replacement building for Garth Olwg Primary School.

£23m has already announced for new primary schools across RCT; Cwmbach (£6.7m); Ynysboeth (£5m); and Abercynon (£11.4m). Our Labour-controlled council estimates it will be spending £74m in the Cynon Valley – money of which is hopes to be given back by the Welsh Government, which, as Labour Council should know and like to highlight, is facing cuts. Blaengwawr governors chairman Brian Fitzgerald said: “I don’t know how voters will feel about borrowing £50m in the hope that the Welsh Government will pay some of it back – by then the bill will be £70m.”

The article mentions something about ‘Prudential Borrowing’ and surplus spaces to pay off the ‘mortgage’, and personally, it just screams ‘playing games with education’ as they did with Rhydfelen. Things never change, particularly when people vote for the same thing.