News
Teachers urged to
‘march in street’
by Sam Phipps
of the EIS, said: “The threat to edu- per cent reduction in places on the capacity in universities to provide
cation funding is very real. Already, one-year post-graduate course and CPD for teachers, had both been
over the past year, we have seen a 40 per cent drop in the four-year mooted. His university, for one,
Scotland is facing an acrimonious significant cuts in education budg- B.Ed – the impact on secondary was committed to supporting stu-
start to 2010 after the biggest ets and classroom resources right training will also be severe: a 12 dents at present levels but the cuts
teaching union urged teachers, across the country. per cent cut in the one-year post- were “extraordinarily severe” and
parents and pupils to march in the “We now have almost 2,500 graduate course. “almost unprecedented”.
streets against budget cuts. fewer teachers in our classrooms Expected job losses in universi- A Scottish government spokes- Supporting special needs: An SEN telephone helpline for
The EIS is organising the than was the case just two years ties will make it harder for teacher man admitted budgets were tight, parents is part of new plans following the Lamb Inquiry
Glasgow protest in March to mark ago. Support staff numbers are also education institutions (TEIs) to but said spending on education was
the start of a campaign called “Why falling.” take new entrants in future, forcing still rising.
must our children pay?”. It wants to Classroom essentials, including schools to undertake more train- “We are providing local authori-
send a “strong message” to govern- textbooks, pencils, paper and pho- ing and mentoring themselves, the ties with significant funding. Total
ment that children should not pay tocopying materials are also getting EIS said. spending on education has increased
Lamb Inquiry
for the “cavalier behaviour” that scarcer, according to the EIS – at a However, the TEIs are in talks over the last two years,” he said.
sparked the recession. time of major changes in education. with the Scottish government about “However, the funding available
A key element of disaffection Curriculum for Excellence is due limiting the damage from cuts to to the Scottish government – and
is the sharp cut in teacher training to be implemented from the start of teacher training places. therefore to local government –
places this year, which the union next school year. Jim Conroy, dean of education is under severe pressure. Difficult
leads to new
says will have serious knock-on On the training front, although at Glasgow University, has been local and national decisions have to
effects. primary teacher education courses quoted as saying financial sup- be made about spending priorities,”
Ronnie Smith, general secretary will be affected most – with a 70 port for TEIs, and using surplus he added.
SEN legislation
Google winner inspired by nature
A raft of new legislation regarding “best support possible”. He contin-
SEN is to be introduced following ued: “The changes will make the
last month’s conclusion of the system more transparent and give
A teenager from the Midlands contest was My Hero, and entrants judges, including Google’s original tic celebration of the use of technol- Lamb Inquiry, the government- parents more help. This report tells
has beaten off competition from were encouraged to depict the peo- “doodler”, Dennis Hwang. ogy within school.” commissioned report into special us that parents must have access to
thousands of school children to win ple they admire the most through The search engine is famous for The competition was run in needs education. the information they need, when
the 2009 Doodle 4 Google contest, their “doodles”. redesigning its logo to mark impor- partnership with Becta’s Next The changes include improved they need it, in ways that are con-
which saw youngsters designing a Sophie, who used a computer tant dates, such as Charles Darwin’s Generation Learning campaign, guidance for schools on excluding venient to them.
logo for the internet search engine. art package to design her doodle, birthday, the national saints’ days, which aims to raise awareness of children with SEN, funding for the “That’s why we are launching
Sophie Redford, a 15-year-old explained: “As my hero I chose and new year’s eve. how technology can be used in Anti-Bullying Alliance to identify a dedicated advice helpline, giving
student at St Martin’s School in David Attenborough, as I find his Tim Partridge, from Google education. ways to prevent disability-related parents somewhere to turn for infor-
Solihull, saw her nature-inspired nature programmes inspiring. For UK, said: “As an online business, For more information, visit bullying, and a new SEN helpline mation and support. Where parents
entry (pictured below) displayed more than 50 years he has been technology is an essential part of www.nextgenerationlearning.co.uk providing independent advice to aren’t happy with the system, they
to millions of Google-users during showing the world the natural beau- our organisation and it has parents. will be able to complain to the local
December, and has won thousands ty of the Earth and teaching us to been great to encourage There will also be a duty on government ombudsman.”
of pounds worth of computer equip- protect the natural world. schools and learn- Ofsted to report on the progress However, Christine Blower,
ment for her school. “As I am interested in wildlife ers to engage with of children with SEN in schools, general secretary of the National
The young graphic designer will myself, I have been following his technology as part and funding for local government Union of Teachers, said that the
also be jetting out to Google head- work and I have found it inspira- of the competition. ombudsmen to take complaints quality of SEN provision could not
quarters in California as part of her tional.” Sophie’s winning from parents who are unhappy be improved by “simply providing
prize. Sophie’s entry was selected design is a fantas- with the support their children are more information to parents”.
The theme of following a public vote and the receiving. She said: “The reality is that
this year’s decision of an expert panel of Some £38 million will be made there is often insufficient training
available to improve the outcomes and support for teachers in the
of students with SEN. classroom and insufficient time for
Despite more than 50 recom- teachers to prepare for teaching
mendations being made, the Inquiry children with learning difficulties
found that the vast majority of and disabilities. While I welcome
parents of children with SEN (85 the additional £38 million, it is
per cent) are satisfied with their simply not enough if, as the Inquiry
child’s current school, regardless says, meeting the needs of the child
of whether they are in specialist or is to be paramount, rather than the
mainstream education. availability of resources.”
Where parents expressed dissat- Dr Daryl Brown, headteacher at
isfaction, they were unhappy with Maple Hayes Dyslexia School in
the extent to which schools and Staffordshire, added: “The current
teachers understood the nature of SEN system does not provide fair
their child’s disability or learning chances for children and although
difficulty, and the willingness of we do not expect one report to
the school to respond flexibly to put this right, dialogue about the
their views. situation, bringing it to the wider
Ed Balls, the secretary of state attention of the public and political
for children, schools and families, leaders, cannot do any harm.”
said he wanted every parent in For more information, visit:
every local authority to receive the www.dcsf.gov.uk/lambinquiry
Teachers encouraged to discuss cancer in class
Teachers are being urged to discuss helped to break the taboo of talking out of 10 knowing someone who
cancer with their class as part of about cancer by raising the issue has, or who has had, cancer.
Cancertalk Week, which runs from with pupils. The same number said they
January 18 to 24. She added: “With two million would not know what to say to
Macmillan Cancer Support people living with, or after, cancer a friend with cancer, while half
has produced a free resource pack in the UK, it’s likely that most claimed they would avoid talking
to help teachers tackle this diffi- young people will be affected in to them about it. More than a third
cult issue, and it is hoped that the some way by the disease. thought that cancer could be caused
classroom discussions will help to “Talking openly about cancer by knocks and bumps, and more
encourage a more healthy lifestyle will give young people the informa- than one in 10 believed that it could
among youngsters. tion they need to make informed be contagious.
The packs include video foot- lifestyle choices and create a more The charity also wants school
age, secondary-specific teaching sensitive and cancer-aware soci- staff to talk openly about cancer,
booklets, lesson plans, and practical ety.” and has produced a number of
advice for students. A recent Macmillan survey of resources for adults.
Katherine Donaghy, schools and more than 400 12 to 19-year-olds To order a Macmillan teaching
youth co-ordinator for Macmillan, across the UK found that cancer is pack, call 0845 6011716 or visit
said it was “essential” that teachers a big issue for teenagers, with seven www.cancertalk.org.uk
 SecEd • January 7 2010
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