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Education

CBI Chief calls for GCSEs to be scrapped

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Scrap GCSEs, CBI chief suggests.

Scrap GCSEs, CBI chief suggests.

CBI HEAD, John Cridland, has called for controversial plans to scrap GCSEs in the next five years. He wants them replaced with an equal exam system for vocational subjects. He has accused the current system as ‘narrow’ and ‘out of date’. In a speech at the annual Festival of Education at Wellington college he said: “By the end of this parliament, I want to see the date for the last GCSEs circled in the secretary of state’s diary. We have to face the uncomfortable truth that – internationally – we’re the oddballs. GCSEs are past their sell-by date and should be retired.” He went on to say that the UK Government needs to review, in full, all 14-18 education by summer 2016. Also calling for a wider school system he went on to say: “Debates about schools structure and exam reform are sterile if they aren’t linked to outcomes for young people. And that is a missing link in our system.” He finished by stating that businesses should play a bigger part in establishing links between school and employment, saying: “Schools shouldn’t be places where businesspeople drop their kids at the beginning of the day like they drop off their dry-cleaning.” In response, Dr Philip Dixon, Director of ATL Cymru, said: “John Cridland is to be commended for bringing centre stage what a number of other organisations having been saying for some time. GCSEs belong to a world where the majority of youngsters left school at 16. As the vast majority now stay on in education or training these high stakes – and high cost – exams are no longer necessary. Other means can be found to ensure that youngsters chose the right next step for them. It is also good to see the CBI insisting that vocational qualifications should be as valued as academic ones though the change in mentality is fundamental. It will be interesting to see how the Welsh Government considers Cridland’s calls now that we no longer have to imitate what is done across the border.” Angela Burns, Shadow Welsh Assembly Education Secretary, stated: “Whilst I agree that we must have equal status for vocational subjects we also need to ensure that all our examinations, whether vocational or academic, are internationally recognised, robust and relevant. That would serve students, further and higher education and employers far better than an arbitrary deadline. We must ensure there is a clear and evidence based way forward that enhances the exam system and enables it to be developed to keep pace with the global economy.” Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Education Minister Mid and West AM Simon Thomas said: “The Party of Wales agrees with him about the importance of outcomes for pupils whatever education system they are in, the need to shift to valuing both academic and vocational routes of learning and a way of a boosting innovation by head teachers. The CBI chief is right that there is a need for curriculum reform in England not just exam reform. Unlike England we have seen a blueprint for curriculum reform in the Donaldson report. These CBI comments back Plaid Cymru’s position on the new Qualifications Wales Bill. The purpose of the Qualifications Wales Bill passed last week is to ensure confidence in the qualifications system, and this is something that the Party of Wales has worked to maintain throughout the development of the bill. We have worked to ensure that Wales’ new qualifications body will ensure that employers, the public and universities have confidence in the qualifications system, and to ensure that qualifications gained in Wales are internationally respected.”

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Education

Welsh schools ‘facing £500m repairs backlog’

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SCHOOLS in Wales face a total maintenance bill of more than £500m, with a £93m backlog of urgent works, a Senedd Member revealed.

Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru’s shadow education secretary, raised concerns about the 22 councils in Wales facing an average backlog of £24m each.

He told the Senedd that 355 schools, 24% of all schools in Wales, require urgent maintenance, according to responses to freedom of information requests.

Questioning Lynne Neagle on February 19, Mr Campbell pointed out that in Torfaen – the education secretary’s constituency – 31 out of 32 schools require urgent work.

Mr Campbell said responses to his earlier written questions revealed the Welsh Government “did not believe it had responsibility to collect this data centrally”.

Ms Neagle pointed to the Welsh Government’s announcement of an extra £35m for school and college repairs, with £20m earmarked for maintenance.

She pledged that funding to undertake repairs would be prioritised, arguing investment in Welsh schools is in “sharp contrast” to that over the border in England.

She told the Senedd: “What Plaid Cymru fails to ever do is recognise that when you call for money for things, you never have to actually identify where that money has to come from.”

“It’s your responsibility,” Mr Campbell heckled.

Ms Neagle continued: “Every week you stand up here and you call for different pots of funding … without any concept of what we’re doing in terms of trying to prioritise the budget.

“I’m proud of our record on school capital … we’re continuing to invest in school buildings.”

Plaid Cymru MS Cefin Campbell
Plaid Cymru MS Cefin Campbell

Calling for a national survey of the condition of school buildings, Mr Campbell argued funding allocated so far “won’t touch the sides” of the estimated £500m backlog.

“You don’t even know the extent of the problem because you don’t collect the data,” he said.

The former lecturer added: “Students’ educational attainment is enhanced and improves in schools with better physical learning environments.

“Labour in Wales is clearly failing pupils by not providing them with a safe environment in which to learn. This also has an impact on teachers, a recent survey found that a third of them said that poor buildings and facilities disempowered them professionally.”

Ms Neagle replied: “I find this line of questioning a little puzzling given we are making record amounts of investment in our school buildings. Nearly £2bn since this latest programme started on new buildings and that’s aside from the money we provide for repairs.”

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Education

New project gives young people in Wales a voice on child safety online issues

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A NEW youth-led project that aims to give children and young people a voice and an opportunity to amplify their views on child safety online issues is being launched in Wales.

The initiative is a partnership between the NSPCC and Platfform and will be led by an advisory group of young people aged 11-18 from across Wales. The group will also work with community and school groups.

The group aims to amplify young people’s voices and help them shape the future of online safety in Wales by sharing their perspectives with decision makers and those with responsibility for child safety online.

Some of the young people have already contributed to a meeting of the cross-party group on Preventing Child Sexual Abuse in the Senedd on Thursday.

Eight young people attended the event, including three from Platfform, to share their views with Senedd Members about peer-on-peer sexual harassment, including online.

One young person from Platfform said: “Being able to work with NSPCC on their new project is such a privilege. Being safe online is just as important as when you’re disconnected and interacting with the world around you.

“Safety is something everyone should consider online, whether that be the simple things like, keeping your social media private, only following people you know, not sharing personal information. 

“But keeping safe on the internet isn’t just about privacy, it’s also who you speak to and interact with. You never know who someone is nor what they look like, so you should always be mindful when talking to strangers online not just in the world around us. What does being safe online mean to you?”

Through regular meetings, workshops and events, the young people involved will have opportunities to discuss their experiences and provide insights into the key challenges of staying safe online.

It will explore what online safety currently looks like for children and young people in Wales, along with topics such as the effectiveness of controls, responses to harmful content, and concerns such as Artificial Intelligence, online advertising, privacy and education.

Natalie Lewis, Service Manager at Platfform, said: “We are delighted to be working alongside the NSPCC on this crucial project, which will ensure that young people in Wales have a say when it comes to improving online safety and protecting children in the digital world.

“Young people are spending an increasing amount of time online. The evidence points to children becoming active online sooner and using apps from a very young age. This coincides with an increased prevalence of online harms, abuse, and negative impacts associated with excessive use of technology.

“We hope to prioritise the lived experiences and insights of young people, providing them with a platform to share their views and ideas for change, and campaign for better education, resources, awareness and response to online harms.

“The project is youth-led, ensuring that the young people involved are not just participants but take the lead in identifying topics, creating advocacy materials, and designing solutions.”

Ruth Mullineux, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer at NSPCC Cymru, said: “Children’s voices are often missing from conversations about child safety online and yet it is crucial that we hear from young people about their views of online safety.

“Young people bring unique perspectives, experiences and valuable insights which help us to understand the true impact of online harm and enables us to identify the support needed to keep them safe. 

“By listening to young people and championing their voices, we can support decision makers and those with responsibility for child safety online in Wales to keep young people at the heart of solutions to online harm.”

For further information about the Platfform/NSPCC Amplifying Child Safety Online Project, email Natalie.Lewis@platfform.org

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Education

Wales Farm Safety Partnership champions farm safety in schools

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THE WALES Farm Safety Partnership (WFSP) is proud to announce the success of Bob the Dog!

Bob, a Welsh Sheepdog is WFSP mascot and in conjunction with creating Bob, the partnership lead by Farming Connect have published 2 bilingual children’s books designed to promote farm safety awareness among young children in Wales. In addition to the books, the Welsh Whisperer has visited over 20 schools across Wales to engage children in interactive learning experiences about staying safe on farms, and sings his song ‘Diolch Byth am Bob’. If that was not enough the books have also been turned into animated cartoons available on YouTube!

Both books, Nice One Bob and Nice One Again, Bob, are available in both English and Welsh, ensuring accessibility for all children in Wales. The books feature engaging stories and colourful illustrations that teach children about potential hazards on farms, such as machinery, livestock, and chemicals, in a fun and age-appropriate way. 

“We are committed to educating the next generation about the importance of farm safety,” said Alun Elidyr, Welsh Television Personality and WFSP Ambassador. “By engaging children at a young age, we can instil lifelong safety habits and help reduce the number of farm-related accidents.”

The Wales Farm Safety Partnership’s efforts have been widely recognised and praised by educators, parents, and the farming community. The bilingual books have been distributed to schools throughout Wales and are also available on the Farming Connect website. The school visits have been met with enthusiasm from students and teachers alike, with many schools requesting repeat visits.

“The Wales Farm Safety Partnership’s work is essential in promoting farm safety awareness among young children,” said Rhian Lloyd, Ysgol T Llew Jones School, Ceredigion. “The bilingual books and school visits are valuable resources that will help keep children safe on farms.”

The WFSP is committed to continuing its efforts to promote farm safety awareness in Wales. The Partnership plans to expand its school visit program in the coming year and is developing additional resources to support farm safety education.

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