www.sec-ed.com NEWS
In brief
Diploma questions
A 12-week public consultation
on the new Advanced Level
Diploma in Science is set to
launch, with focus groups
beginning in February 2010. The
qualification is one of the new
14 to 19 Diplomas and is due to
launch in September 2011. The
consultation looks at the line of
learning statement and criteria
and runs from February 9 to May
4. Representatives from awarding
Opening doors: The NUT is calling for more bodies, colleges, schools,
targeted support for the White working class universities, employers and other
organisations are among those
being invited to take part. Visit:
Raising aspirations in
www.sciencediploma.co.uk
Choosing Champs
Panels of judges made up of
young people aged under 14
will be selecting the winners in
this year’s Mentor UK CHAMP
White working classes
Awards. The awards recognise
and highlight schemes that help
to prevent alcohol misuse among
young people aged under 14. The
UK-wide awards are offering
£60,000 in prize money. Visit:
www.champawards.org.uk
by Chris Parr
current funding to minority ethnic retary of the NUT, said that social people irrespective of their back- These recommendations, pub-
groups. class had the greatest effect on ground. We rightly provide addi- lished last year by the Panel on Fair
A similar grant should be given educational achievement, and that tional and targeted support for chil- Access, chaired by Alan Milburn
Design a daffodil
Schools can help raise achievement to schools to provide services such the amount of money earned by a dren with English as an additional MP, included a guarantee for around Marie Curie Cancer Care has
levels among the White working as adult education to parents, the child’s parents was the greatest fac- language. 130,000 of the brightest young peo- launched a new fundraising
class by encouraging them to apply document claims, while training for tor in their academic achievement. “Equally, such additional support ple from low-income backgrounds challenge for schools. The
for teaching and support staff teachers and heads on issues of She continued: “We believe must be provided for children from to benefit from assistance at sec- Daffodil Schools Challenge
posts in local schools, it has been social class should be made com- that teachers are at the forefront of deprived White working class com- ondary school. calls on pupils aged 11 to 16
claimed. pulsory. raising educational aspirations and munities, otherwise such communi- Mr Brown said: “We can’t be to design, plan, and create a
Opening Locked Doors, a new Schools should also reform the achievement. That is why we have ties are prey to the prejudices and a truly aspirational society if some visual display based on the
policy document by the National curriculum in order to reflect the published Opening Locked Doors. lies of racist and far right parties.” people are still denied the chance charity’s daffodil emblem.
Union of Teachers (NUT), also calls history and development of their We want to contribute to a future of The document is published as to get on, and although we have The display could range from
on the government to introduce a local communities, and governing hope, not hate.” Gordon Brown, the prime minis- raised the glass ceiling we have planting a flowerbed of daffodils,
grant to provide additional, inten- bodies should undertake training Jon Cruddas, the Labour MP ter, announced that the government yet to break it. That is why our to creating a sculpture or a
sive support to all young people on the relationship between social who chaired the meeting where the would implement “virtually all of priority will be to remove all the mosaic based on the flower.
who require it, including the White class and educational achievement. document was officially launched, the 88 recommendations” of the barriers that are holding people The challenge could form part
working class, without reducing Christine Blower, general sec- said: “Disadvantage hits all young Unleashing Aspiration report. back.” of citizenship lessons. Teachers
can register up until September.
Visit: www.mariecurie.org.uk/
Thousands enquire about
Funding review
daffodilchallenge
Aimhigher launch
Home Access programme
targets red tape
Aimhigher Derbyshire’s “Year 9
and Beyond” event has launched
a programme of activities aimed
The Welsh Assembly government go far enough to support Welsh at raising learners’ attainment
Tens of thousands of parents have in Oldham and Suffolk, sees fami- (WAG) has announced a major schools unless it was backed up and aspirations in the county,
been calling the phone line set up lies with an entitlement to free review of education funding, by action on the commitment to as well as a mentoring scheme
to deal with enquiries about the school meals for their children designed to cut red tape and increase address the current funding gap that will see undergraduate
government’s new Home Access sent a single-use credit card, worth investment at the “front line”. between England and Wales. students matched with pupils in
programme, which aims to give £500, which can be used against a An initial phase, beginning in Rex Phillips, the NASUWT’s schools. Sessions will include
every family in England access to number of specially created Home February, will examine information Wales organiser, said: “Too many the “Olympic Challenge”, where
the internet. Access packs, which include a collected by the WAG, and is due to schools have got themselves into learners work together to create
Telephone operators working computer and internet access. publish recommendations for savings debt and it is teachers that are forced their dream team of graduate
for the scheme received almost Mr McLean continued: “The by the end of March. A wider review to pay the price through redundancy. professions. The event runs until
40,000 calls within four days of families can use the cards in of education funding will follow. “Closing the funding gap cannot next Friday (January 29). Visit
the launch, which took place last a number of places, including Announcing the review, Wales’s be about a redistribution of resourc- www.aimhigher.ac.uk/derbyshire
week. Comet, so they really have own- education minister, Leighton es, it has to be about increasing
As SecEd went to press, more ership of the equipment. Andrews, said: “It is imperative funding beyond the one per cent.”
than 22,000 application forms had “We don’t know what will that we reduce the bureaucracy and Anna Brychan, director of
Sports go-ahead
been sent out to families hoping to happen once the year is up. streamline the education system to the National Association of Head Planning permission has been
make the most of the £300 million Nobody can look years into the make it lean and effective to benefit Teachers Cymru, also welcomed granted for a £30 million
programme. He told us: “It’s got off to a great future, but we hope that the ben- our learners. the initiative and expressed the community sports hub. The
Niel McLean, executive direc- start, and we are hopeful that every- efits of having a computer with “We need to make sure we hope that it would help to pinpoint Orford Park Project in Warrington
tor for schools and families at one who is entitled to take advantage internet access, which has been make the best uses of the resources the costs of school administration. will include a range of
Becta, the government’s educa- of the scheme will apply. Of course, proven to save families money available to us. Major performance Speaking on the BBC website, community, health and education
tion technology agency, told there will be a very small percentage anyway, will mean that the effects improvement and better efficiency she said: “There is a variety of prac- facilities. A £3.9 million 14 to 19
SecEd he was hopeful that the of people who don’t want a compu- of this scheme are long-lasting.” from our education providers is the tice in local authorities. We don’t Diploma Centre is also part of the
positive start would continue, and ter in their home, but other than that More on Home Access can be key to us getting more funding to really know quite why or for what plans, which it is hoped will “play
that all of the 270,000 families small minority, we are hopeful of a found as part of our BETT Show the front line.” reason or whether that’s justified a key role in addressing local
eligible for a free computer would successful roll-out.” coverage on pages 10 and 11 or at The NASUWT union welcomed or whether we can refocus it on the unemployment by improving
get in touch. The scheme, which was piloted www.becta.org.uk/homeaccess the news, but cautioned that a redis- front line and use it more effectively lifelong learning as well as the
tribution of resources would not there. Our feeling is that we could.” local skills base”. The hub is to
open in November 2011.
Country split over future of Scots language
Doing it My Way!
The prime minister’s wife, Sarah
Brown, hosted a reception at
More than half the population of party should stop pretending Scots is or “fairly often”. It was most likely opinions are more mixed when late last year, said: “This research 10 Downing Street last week to
Scotland would like to see the Scots anything other than “a collection of to be spoken with friends or family, considering the educational benefits shows clearly that Scots is a liv- launch a special needs awareness
tongue taught in the classroom, but regional dialects of English”. and least often in the workplace and of learning and teaching Scots in ing language, playing an important campaign called My Way!
far fewer people view it as a language, Asked to comment on the state- other formal environments. schools. This may suggest therefore role in the majority of Scots’ daily Backed by Henry Winkler, the
according to an official study. ment, “Learning the Scots language However, the survey group rare- that Scots is not regarded as a lan- lives.” campaign focuses on improving
The findings of the report, has educational benefits for children ly used Scots in writing, and 64 per guage that could be formalised in Scottish Conservatives said the attitudes to special needs and
Public Attitudes Towards the Scots in Scotland”, 56 per cent of the 1,000 cent of people agreed with the state- the educational environment.” SNP should “stop peddling the myth boosting children’s self-esteem.
Language, have highlighted divisions respondents agreed and just over a ment, “I don’t really think of Scots Those with school-aged chil- of a separate Scots language”. Tory Diagnosed as dyslexic in his
going back at least three centuries to quarter disagreed. A similar propor- as a language – it’s more just a way dren, and secondary-aged children culture spokesman, Ted Brocklebank, 30s, Henry Winkler is a keen
the 1707 Act of Union and beyond. tion, 55 per cent, disagreed that Scots of speaking”. in particular, were most likely to said: “The Scots language that the supporter of the campaign. He
While the SNP government, should not be taught in schools. The report concluded: “It support teaching of Scots at school, SNP government continues to try to said: “Children learn differently
which funded the study, says the More than 85 per cent said they therefore appears that while many the study found. promote is not a separate language and every child has got
results emphasise pride and cultural used Scots in speech at least some- acknowledge that learning Scots Culture minister, Fiona Hyslop, but a collection of regional dialects something good in them.”
identity, opposition politicians say the times, and 43 per cent did so “a lot” contributes to cultural identity, who was education secretary until of the English language.”
SecEd • January 21 2010 3
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