Christmas arrives early with Gimmick Government

Hundreds of 10 and 11-year-olds in some of Wales’ poorest areas will be first to benefit from a new scheme to provide free laptop computers to children, it was announced today.

The pilot project, which will cost £700,000 over the next two years, will initially see 1,200 school children in Communities First and Flying Start areas receiving the machines.

Conservatives have denounced the Assembly Government move as an expensive gimmick.

The scheme was a key pledge in the Labour-Plaid Cymru coalition One Wales pact, with Labour Education Minister Leighton Andrews saying computers are now as essential as books and pens.

Plaid made the provision of a laptop for all 11-year-olds a central plank of its 2007 Assembly manifesto in which the party claimed: “The laptop is today’s equivalent of the pencil.”

The Assembly Government will provide £300,000 in 2009-10 and £400,000 in 2010-11.
Laptops funded through the pilot will belong to the school or local education authority but it is expected children will have the opportunity to use these for learning at home or in community buildings such as public libraries.

Children who receive laptops – plus their parents or carers – will be asked to sign guidance on “safe and appropriate” use of the internet.

The Welsh Language Board has agreed to provide free software for installation on the laptops.

Mr Andrews, launching the scheme in Newport today, said:

The Welsh Assembly Government made a commitment through the One Wales [coalition pact] to pilot the provision of laptops for children.

Computers have become as essential a part of school life as books, pens and paper. Having access to computers provides clear educational benefits such as offering pupils more creative learning experiences and giving them the opportunity to do projects and research on the internet.

A priority is to ensure that children from Wales’ poorest neighbourhoods gain experience with computer technology.

Rhondda AM Mr Andrews said:

A key element of the laptop pilot is to support digital inclusion. Research has shown that if you live in more deprived areas, you are more likely to be digitally excluded.

This is why the pilot is being carried out in schools within Communities First and Flying Start areas. Schools should therefore have arrangements for ensuring that the children receiving laptops are those most likely to benefit.

The project’s proposals offer innovative ways of using laptops to encourage children to engage in learning. They should also help pupils to improve their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills. I look forward to hearing the views of teachers, pupils and parents in the participating schools as the pilot progresses.

The Assembly Government will provide £25,000 of funding for staff training and evaluation.

Shadow Heritage Minister Paul Davies was not impressed:

This expensive and ill-advised scheme makes even less sense in this tough financial climate, particularly given that the gap in average spend per pupil between Wales and England has risen to £527.

This money could have been used elsewhere within the education system.

Yet again, the Welsh Assembly Government has failed to recognise the real priorities for education in Wales. Our schools need adequate funding not more gimmicks.

Philip Dixon, of education union ATL, gave an enthusiastic welcome to the announcement.

He said: “It’s an educational double-whammy. It’s improving children’s skills and tackling deprivation.

“They have to have those skills if they are going to survive in life and we know unfortunately in deprived areas the take-up of broadband and IT is much more limited.”

Plaid education spokeswoman Nerys Evans welcomed the funding:

In today’s world, many children are familiar with using the latest technology and new media. Integrating that into the way they learn from an early age is a natural step that can have a range of advantages for them.

Making this technology available in our schools is one way of ensuring that those who may not have the opportunity to use a computer at home do not lose out as a result. At a time when money is extremely tight, we have to look at using public funds in the most cost effective way. So looking at innovations such as the use of laptops in schools is an important step forward.

Hutt hurts figures in Newport

A city council has been rapped over the knuckles by the Assembly Government – for supporting too many deprived children.

Newport Council has been told that instead of helping 1,607 children from poorer parts of the city, it must spend more per child but help only 1,122 of them.

Education Minister Jane Hutt has ordered the city council to spend £2,100 on each child in the scheme rather than following its current policy of reducing the sum to £1,600 so it can help more children.

Flying Start provides support for children aged up to three and includes part-time childcare, extra levels of involvement from health visitors, parenting programmes and help with basic skills.

Newport City Council deputy leader Ed Townsend said: “This is a pilot scheme funded until 2011 so far and one of the purposes of a pilot is to test the systems to make sure they work.

“In Newport, we are making the systems work very well indeed and we want to help as many families as possible.

“We do not want to cut families out of Flying Start just because civil servants want the numbers to look the same all over Wales. Flying Start is an excellent scheme, welcomed by health and childcare professionals.

Is Labour winning over the people of Blaenau Gwent?

Blaenau Gwent awarded £35 million for learning

The Welsh Assembly Government has awarded Blaenau Gwent £35 million for new, 21st century learning, training and skills centres at The Works: Ebbw Vale.

The funding for the exciting Blaenau Gwent ‘Learning Works’ programme was announced by Education Minister Jane Hutt AM on Wednesday, 21 October 2009.

‘Learning Works’ includes proposals for:

• new primary and secondary schools
• a special school an integrated children’s centre
• sports centre
• performing arts centre and
• an integrated ‘Learning Zone’ for 16 - 18 year olds.

Consultation on the proposals for the future of education starts in November 2009.

Coun Des Hillman, Leader of Blaenau Gwent Council, said:

This is great news. Our vision to transform education, learning, skills and training for children and young people in the Heads of the Valleys has the full support of the Welsh Assembly Government.

A first tranche of funding of £48 million for ‘Learning Works’ was approved in July 2009. This second tranche of £35 million is additional to this. It is also conditional on the consultations on the re-organisation of education in Blaenau Gwent.

Lower-grade recruitment has started and finished

Team Supports (North Wales) - Ref:1083092
Team Band £15,500 - £19,000
Division: DE&T, CISD, DCELLS, Rural Affairs & Heritage
North Wales various - Majority will be relocating to Llandudno Junction 2010
Actual starting salary : £15,500

Work Pattern:
Applications from candidates who wish to work full-time, part-time or on a job-share basis will be considered.

Purpose of post:
Individuals recruited will have a flexible approach and a willingness to contribute to the business of the Welsh Assembly Government. The postholder will provide administrative support to the team. This may include dealing with clients, liaising with partner organisations and professional advisors, and carrying out the administrative functions such as maintaining databases, managing enquiries, producing reports and raising the required Purchase Orders and processing invoices. The Welsh Assembly Government values diversity highly within the workplace and welcomes applications from individuals of all genders, ages, ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, disabilities, faiths and religions so that it can be more representative of the people whom it serves. The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to the employment of disabled people and is fully committed to the ‘positive about disabled people’ two-tick scheme it employs. Applications from Welsh speakers and under-represented groups are particularly encouraged.

Key tasks:
The key tasks will depend on the post to which the successful candidate will eventually be appointed. Jobs could be available in any of our North Wales offices based in and around St Asaph Business Park, Colwyn Bay or Caernarfon initially with the post and postholder required to relocate to the new Llandudno Junction Office in 2010. Most team supports working in the Welsh Assembly Government undertake the following tasks: Undertake general administrative activities such as drafting emails; letters; filing etc; Use a variety of Microsoft Office packages such as Word, Outlook and Excel; Respond and offer solutions to customer queries quickly and effectively; Undertake projects as delegated by their line manager; Arrange meetings and undertake the role of minute taker;

Don't rush to apply as the deadline was 31 October 2008. The jobs were previously advertised here.

Define "I have led a government without any scandals"

Scandal:

Offense caused or experienced; reproach or reprobation called forth by what is regarded as wrong, criminal, heinous, or flagrant: opprobrium or disgrace.

Speaking on BBC Radio Cymru discussion programme Wythnos Gwilym Owen, Rhodri Morgan said he had not heard the comments [The 39-page document, ‘Rhodri Morgan: Leadership Without Purpose’] himself but he had "heard from some sources that there is some really unpleasant political stuff going on and you just have to accept that".

"I've chosen to ignore them [the comments] completely," he said.

When pressed to respond to the criticisms, Morgan said his administration compared well with others throughout Europe.

"If you look at our record I have led a government without any scandals," he said.

Reacting to an accusation from Mr Bourne that he had "squandered" public money, Mr Morgan said the assembly government had consistently been given a clean bill of health by auditors.

I suggest the following for starters. I'm sure that others can think of more:

• Morgan speaks out on school buses [Wales urged to pave the way on school bus safety]
• Commissioner fears old people widely abused
• Wales going backwards over affordable housing
• End ‘confusion’ plea over first-time buyer scheme

This is only a conservative [small c] estimate of headlines over the last month. Just don't get me started on Culture, Economy, Education, Environment, Equal Opportunities, Finance, Freebies, Health, Heritage, Housing, Local Government, Policy Performance, Poverty, Quango, and Transport.

One leak, one drip!

A meeting of a Welsh assembly committee has been abandoned after water leaked through the roof of the building.

AMs were taking evidence from teaching unions on education plans for 14-19-year-olds before giving up.

"Very, very embarrassed" chairman Jeff Cuthbert AM called it a "leak in the Welsh assembly of the wrong sort".

With this much fuss over the noise of one leak or drip, it's fortunate that there's not a war taking place - that would bring the wheels of democracy in Wales to a standstill!

Some say A' level, others say Welsh Baccalaureate

If the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification is here to stay, then why haven't we heard much about this 'change to the way things are done in England'? The Welsh Assembly Government have recently made this announcement - the only one to be seen!

As young people across Wales eagerly await their results, Education Minister Jane Hutt today [Wednesday 13 August] met some of the first Welsh Baccalaureate graduates at the Senedd.

Graduates had the opportunity to speak to the Minister about their experiences and how studying the qualification helped them get ahead at University.

Minister for Education, Jane Hutt said:

It was fantastic to be able to meet with a few of our first Welsh Baccalaureate graduates. We are extremely proud of our student’s achievements and of our unique Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification, which is proving to be a popular choice amongst young people. It is encouraging to hear students saying how their experiences in studying the qualification helped them with their studies at University.

The Welsh Baccalaureate is increasingly being recognised by both Higher Education Institutions and Employers for the way it develops students into confident, well-rounded individuals, with the skills they need in both Higher Education and employment. I warmly congratulate Hannah, Rhys, Daniel and Michael - their hard work and dedication will stand them in good stead for the future.

The world of Wikipedia offers this citationless description. There's not much of a news update on the official website either. Back to the drawing board for some if 'the powers that be' intend for this qualification to be taken seriously as originally planned.

GCSE - Another record year, perhaps?

Congratulations everyone, but I can't help trying to get in there first and predicting that it will be "another record year for results".

A' level Education Groundhog Day

Although congratulations are in order, the annual script reading took place today with the announcement of A' level results. The script was dug out, new and improved percentages were routinely pencilled in over the old ones and off they went with glad tidings.

Education Minister Jane Hutt said added her congratulations for the "excellent" achievements:

I was particularly pleased to see the increased participation rates and great results that have been achieved, for example, in maths and ICT.

The hard work of students and the support they receive from teachers and parents has once again paid off and everyone involved can rightly feel proud of what has been achieved.

Rhodri Morgan: With or without honour

As the South Wales Echo reports, the First Minister Rhodri Morgan has been made a Fellow of Wales’ newest university - Glyndwr University – formerly the North East Wales Institute of Higher Education.

The Cardiff West AM, educated at Oxford and Harvard, attended a ceremony at Glyndwr University, Wrexham, to receive the honour, awarded for his services to higher education in Wales.

I can think of two universities in Wales that would disagree with the 'awarded for his services to higher education in Wales' statement. The University of Wales and Glamorgan.

Jane Hutt: Whatever she touches in government seems to turn to SH*T

FRESH concerns about funding for the Welsh Assembly Government’s flagship foundation phase education scheme were raised today.

A report by the National Assembly’s finance committee said there had been a “systemic failure” in the transfer of relevant funding information between councils and the Assembly Government.
The pioneering foundation phase scheme, which starts in September, aims to encourage three to seven-year-olds to learn through play.

The report, published today, also highlights concerns about staffing costs and recruitment and the effective allocation of funds.

Full story HERE

Iwan Guy, acting director of the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) in Wales, who gave evidence to the National Assembly’s finance committee last month, said:

There’s a lesson here for all future initiatives. They must be pre-costed before they are published or broadcast.

Kirsty Williams, the Welsh Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman, said:

This report confirms what I have consistently argued, along with unions, local authorities and professionals. I have for months bemoaned the lack of planning and funding for the scheme. It is the Assembly Government’s failure to admit that problems have been brewing for some time that has led to the current situation. Unfortunately, it is young children and teachers on the front line who will pay the price for this stubborn incompetence.

Shadow Education Minister Andrew Davies AM added:

It should serve as a wake-up call to the Education Minister that she cannot afford to play politics with children’s futures.

An Assembly Government spokesman said:

It is vital that the Assembly Government, local authorities, schools, teaching unions and all key stakeholders work together in partnership because we all want all young people in Wales to reap the benefits of the foundation phase.

It was to ensure that everyone could work together on this that the minister set up the foundation phase implementation task and finish group which will be having its third meeting next week. Great progress has been made since the finance committee took evidence and next week’s discussion at the group will focus on what has to be done to ensure the further implementation of foundation phase over the next four years is successful.

Small, clever country

At the end of last week the Assembly Government spin-machine was in action, reporting the First Minister's visit to a small, clever country (they mean Wales. Ed.). Perhaps he ought to visit the offices of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales to discuss the deficit in public funding of universities in Wales.

According to HEFCW, compared with England (a large, clever country) the deficit rose from £40million in 2005 to £61million in 2006. It is predicted to rise to £70million for 2007.

Government encourages a Chav-like culture

As reported by the BBC, pupils should be allowed to wear trainers as part of their school uniform, according to new Welsh Assembly Government guidelines.

The document said banning trainers might force poorer parents to buy cheap shoes that could damage feet.

It added schools might also like to "avoid high cost items such as blazers and caps".

There was also guidance on wearing religious articles and making sure uniforms do not discriminate.

The document said:

Trainers are often made out of healthy materials and may be quite reasonably priced in comparison to leather shoes. Not permitting trainers might leave less well off parents with no alternative other than to buy non-leather shoes that are not properly fitted and which might lead to severe foot problems in later life. Wearing trainers might also encourage children to take "active breaks".

Doesn't the Assembly Government realise that it will open up a competition among pupils as to what trainers they wear. No pupil is going to want to go to school in a cheap or 'reasonably priced' trainer. It'll be designer or nothing at all, and at designer prices you may as well purchase a decent pair of shoes.

It never hurt me to wear shoes as a child - teenager - adult. I imagine that this applies to most people.

Talk about trying to please everyone and creating guidance for trendy-status sake!

Education Director Optimistic on Results

Education News in the Western Mail reports on an interview with Wales' Director of Education confirming that he is confident that results will improve as the impact of new policies in the classroom are felt.

In an interview Steve Marshall, the Welsh Assembly Government’s lead civil servant for education, said he was not overly concerned about Wales’ poor ratings in the international Pisa tests for 15-year-olds. He said he believed that better results will be seen within three to 15 years.

Mr Marshall, 53, urged patience and said people must back reforms such as Flying Start for pre-school children and the learning through play Foundation Phase for three to seven-year-olds.

Both provide a sound basis for continuing good achievement, the effects will be seen as he first pupils go through, he said.

As reported in the Western Mail earlier this month, Mr Marshall is himself leaving Wales in March after just two years in his post.

It is a crucial time for reforms he put in motion but the former head teacher insisted he was leaving the Welsh education system in good shape. He said:

There is room to improve but the programmes we have in place will meet that improvement. I don’t think we will be falling behind in three to 15 years and because I’ll be part of the international education community I will still be pushing for Wales.

Finland, one of the top ranking countries in Pisa, took 30 years to reform its education system. There’s no doubt that the policies we have in place in the Foundation Phase, Flying Start and the Welsh Baccalaureate are positioning Wales whereby many other countries will be looking at what Wales is doing.

Canada, where Mr Marshall is taking up the job of deputy education minister for the Ontario government, was in the top five best performing countries in the Pisa tests.

From Wales to Canada - from one of the worst in ranking to one of the best.

We hope you didn't receive any performance bonuses during your tenure Mr Marshall. We'll be asking Rhodri Morgan's successor's successor to forward the cheque to you in 30 years.

Education: When do we get down to business?

This is my third post in recent weeks on education, so it must be a subject that's close to my heart.

Uncertainty is dwelling in the hearts of the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills* in this new year. There is a structural redevelopment project currently underway in that department that is due to make its impact early this year and staff are waiting with baited breath.
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Staff are concerned that some of their jobs are not safe and wonder what the outcome will be as a result of a job evaluation exercise which has been published recently. Many staff have experienced this uncertainty since early 2007 and feel unsettled as a result of this further structural redevelopment to the department.

In addition to restructuraling the dynamic of the department, there's an overwhelming plan to reduce the number of staff since the 'Bonfire of the Quangos', and it is estimated that this project will result in a reduction of about 40 to 50 posts within the Education Department.

Change is constant, and restructuring is all very well - but two such restructuring projects since the announcement of the merger beggars belief. Miss Wagstaff argues a need to get down to business and an end to this constant handling of only the day-to-day running of a department. Staff are worried, and more importantly, parents are worried about education in Wales. Presumably this is all down to there having been an ineffective restructuring programme carried out first time round.

How many other departments have needed further restructuring? How has this affected the organisation? Have staff woke up to lessons learned? Who's to blame? How much has it cost in terms of project work, consultancy, and lack of delivery?

Meanwhile, Steve Marshall, Welsh Assembly Government Director of Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills is leaving in March 2008 to take up a new appointment in Canada.

What's the official response?

The First Minister said:

Since coming here just over two years ago to head up Education in Wales from a similar job in the State of South Australia, Steve has made an enormous contribution to education in Wales. His fresh approach and wealth of international experience have laid the foundations for a first-class education system that is fit for purpose in the 21st century. From our youngest learners in the Foundation Phase, through to skills development for young people and adult learning, Steve has superbly led the delivery of our Made in Wales policies superbly well. It is a sad fact of life that if you appoint an international high flyer in running your Education Department, there is always the risk that someone else will also recognise these talents and offer him an even bigger job, as has happened with Ontario having 13 million people compared to Wales’ 3 million. We wish him and the world of education in Ontario all the very best wishes.

The Permanent Secretary said:

I would like to thank Steve for leading the Department for Children, Education and Skills with great dynamism and vigour. We have all benefited from having someone with Steve’s outstanding educational expertise and leadership and management skills working for us.

Education Minister Jane Hutt said:

Steve has been a great asset for education in Wales and his new appointment reflects the recognition he has worldwide in the education field. Before his departure, he will be spearheading the launch of our school effectiveness programme across Wales which will stand us in good stead to take forward these important tri-level reforms. I would like to wish him well in his exciting new post in Canada.

Miss Wagstaff said:

[speechless]

*This department became a 'super' department since the merger of the education Quangos with the Education Department of the Welsh Assembly Government in April 2006 and has since undergone two major restructuring programmes.

Education: Post-14 Shake up or Talk up

Radical changes are needed to the way post-14 education is delivered in Wales, a report is expected to say.

The review by Sir Adrian Webb, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glamorgan, into further education will be released to the assembly government.

More than 100 recommendations to improve education and training offered to young people are due to be outlined, and reducing the number of young people not in education or training is also expected to be highlighted.

Sir Adrian is expected to say changes are needed to close a basic skills gap which has been emerging over recent years.

The review is likely to address issues such as whether further education in Wales provides the kind of education and training people need for the jobs of the future.

Sir Adrian has said:

How do we ensure that in school, in colleges, 14 onwards, we have the kind of opportunities which will engage learners, all learners, regardless of ability and ambition, to ensure that we overcome the significant underachievement and we have the skills the economy needs, that employers need in order to take Wales forward? ...There was a need for "fairly radical change"

But he said there were also policies such as the Welsh baccalaureate that were proving successful and could be developed more strongly.

Sir Adrian was asked to lead the review into the further education sector by the assembly government, which had already identified the need to give consideration to the extent to which colleges should specialise and the focus on employability skills.

This review is crucial to education and training in Wales, and hopefully its recommendations provide the radical changes that need to be made.

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But what must be mentioned at this point is that Sir Adrian is also a salaried member of the Welsh Assembly Government's Management Board which handles the day-to-day running of the Civil Service departments of the Welsh Assembly Government. He possesses no executive powers on the board and is there only to advise - so not as independent as we are led to believe.

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We'll have to hope that it's not a case of, 'Let's all stand and sing hymn numbers 14 to 18 - as long as it's from the same hymn sheet.'

Education: When do we start to point the finger?

The BBC reported today on a worldwide survey that has revealed teenagers in Wales are falling behind other countries in basic education.

The 15-year-olds scored below average in maths and reading and average in science, said the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The UK as a whole fared worse than in previous years, but Welsh students came bottom of the "home" nations. The Education Minister welcomed the report as a "snapshot" of where Wales stands on the international stage.

The Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) performance tables are based on tests taken by 15-year-olds and involved 400,000 15-year-olds from 57 countries. The results are published every three years, but the UK did not participate in the last round of tests, taken in 2003.

In what was the first year Wales has been considered separately from England, Welsh students fared significantly worse than their peers in their neighbouring country. They tested below average in maths and reading, but average in science. In maths, the mean score of students in England and Scotland was "significantly higher" than in Wales. And while reading performance in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland was similar, in Wales the average score was lower. Performance in science across all four parts of the UK was similar. But the report adds that the average score of students in Wales was significantly lower than in England.

David Reynolds, professor of education at Plymouth university described the survey results for Wales as "shocking":

We are round about countries like Azerbaijan and Croatia and this should be some kind of joke but it is not... There are two hints as to why this is happening. We don't seem to have enough able pupils. We always in Wales were told that our problem was the lower achieving pupils. But we have not got a high enough proportion of pupils doing well and so overall our scores are down. The other hint is that it is money. Over time the assembly probably has not spent on education what it should.

Professor Reynolds called for the creation of a cross party commission to investigate the findings. Pisa researchers said they attempted to discover how well pupils could apply knowledge, rather than simply regurgitate facts and figures. Their results marked a sharp fall for Britain overall from where it stood in 2000. It fell from eighth to 24th for maths, with some pupils in China scoring top marks in the subject. In reading, the UK fell from seventh to 17th, placing it below countries including Estonia and Poland.

Even more shocking are Education Minister, Jane Hutt's dismissive remarks that were reported by the press:

...priority was to secure better outcomes for learners, not just to score highly in Pisa rankings... Not that we do not recognise the importance of Pisa as a yardstick against which we can measure our progress. The real benefits of the Pisa assessments will come not from the headline figures and league table rankings, but from the detailed analysis of strengths and weaknesses and what more we can learn from the best and most effective practice internationally.

Welsh Labour have been in power in a devolved government since 1999. Since then we have seen four Ministers in charge of education in Wales. Although I don't generally like the idea of a blame culture, when do we start pointing the finger, and at who? Jane Hutt's performance has always been lacklustre and her reputation precedes her at Health. Hutt should be listening to the opinion of eminent people - that's what they're there for - and if appropriate, offering a review of current policy in order to address a serious issue in one of Wales' few important areas of devolution.

We have a responsibility to ensure that our children receive the best education possible. The government should accept that it's their responsibility to take the lead and assist us in being able to achieve this.