NEWS
Teachers and parents take
to streets over budget cuts
by Sam Phipps
Council have insisted on a new tem to come under attack as part Scotland said the country’s £30 bil- textbooks and stationery, curtailing Local authorities are under pres-
route through wide streets because of a misguided cost-cutting agenda. lion national budget would be cut English language services for chil- sure to continue a freeze in council
of the high turnout that has been “Cutting back on education in by between seven and 13 per cent dren with a different first language, tax in return for more freedom over
Up to 10,000 teachers, parents forecast. Lecturers, who have also order to prop up failed financial within the next three years. and staffing cuts. their spending, as part of a deal
and pupils are expected to seen cuts at further education col- institutions is simply not acceptable. Last year’s £12 billion budg- Some schools are ending classes agreed with Holyrood.
protest at budget cuts next week leges, have indicated they intend to “Money spent on education is et for councils from the Scottish in languages such as French, while However, that has forced them
in a demonstration organised by join the rally too. an investment in our children and government represented a fall in others are cutting teacher training. to make savings from their educa-
Scotland’s biggest teaching union. Ronnie Smith, EIS general sec- young people, and is essential in real terms, it said, and suggested Last week, Angus became the tion budgets, which are often their
The EIS said delegations would retary, said: “The march and rally ensuring that Scotland is equipped councils pool more services to save latest local authority to disclose biggest single expenditure.
travel from all around the coun- will provide a platform to send a with the skills to compete in an cash. major school cuts to save money. Protesters will march from
try for the event in Glasgow on message that all politicians cannot increasingly competitive global The EIS has published details Several councils have already Kelvingrove Park in the west of
Saturday, March 6. ignore – that the people of Scotland economy.” of how cuts have already affected announced teaching redundancies the city and finish at the Scottish
Police and Glasgow City will not allow their education sys- Financial watchdog Audit school life. These include a lack of and school closures. Exhibition Centre on the Clyde.
Home access key to engaging
Ofqual announces
pupils in poorest households
board members
Education consultants, college
Children living in the poorest principals, and a former British
households will never fully engage ambassador to Spain and Mexico
with the digital economy unless have been named among the
they have home access to the members of Ofqual’s inaugural
internet, according to a national board.
charity. The 11 board members, who
The e-Learning Foundation, will cost a total of £66,000 each
which works to close the digital year, will help to set the exam
divide for school children in the watchdog’s strategic aims and
UK, says that time is running out standards.
to bring disadvantaged youngsters Kathleen Tattersall, chair of
up to speed with their wealthier Ofqual, said: “The appointments
peers. are the result of an extensive
It comes as a report by Save the recruitment process which has
Children found that four million resulted in a diverse board, with
children are living in poverty in excellent skills and wide experi-
the UK. ence.”
Valerie Thompson, chief execu- The new board members
tive of the e-Learning Foundation, include Denise Holt, who was
said: “It beggars belief that in an age British Ambassador to Spain
when technology is all pervasive, (2007 to 2009) and Mexico (2002
we still have to monitor the extent to to 2005) following earlier over-
which young learners have access to seas postings to Ireland and Brazil,
the internet and a computer at home and John Townsley, headteacher New board: Kathleen
for their education.” of Morley High School in Leeds, Tattersall has unveiled the
Figures from the government’s and executive headteacher of members of Ofqual’s board
Family Spending Survey, cover- Rodillian School.
ing 2008, found that 2.2 million Also appointed are Neil Watts, Board of Governors and
young people cannot go online at an experienced former secondary vice-chair of Stockport NHS
home, while 1.4 million do not have school headteacher now work- Foundation Trust; Maggie
access to a computer. ing in educational consultancy Galliers, principal of Leicester
“If more action is not taken many and who is a council member College; Tanvi Davda, director
of these children will never engage of the Advertising Standards at Barclays Wealth within the
in the digital economy and will fall Authority, and Dame Sandra Global Banking and Investment
further into the digital divide,” Ms Burslem, former vice-chancel- Solutions area of the business;
Thompson said. lor of Manchester Metropolitan Tim Balcon, chief executive of
“If digital inclusion is to be University and now Civil Service Energy, Utility and Skills; Philip
supported properly then far wider commissioner, chair of the Fletcher, chairman of Ofwat,
issues must be addressed in get- access in the first three weeks of its Around 15,000 of the applica- He added: “We’ve tapped into Education Honours Committee, the water services watchdog;
ting disadvantaged families online Home Access scheme. tion packs sent out have already a real need to ensure every child, and the first independent chair of Ray Coughlin, whose is retired
or we as a nation will pay the Prime minister, Gordon Brown, been filled in and returned, with whatever their background, has the the British Council’s Education- with a background in the finan-
consequences.” and secretary of state for children, more than 5,300 applications educational, economic and social UK partnership. cial services industry; and Fay
The charity’s fears come as min- schools and families, Ed Balls, approved. benefits of being online at home.” The other members are: Scott, head of equality and
isters announced that more than launched the scheme last month, Mr Balls described the take up as Visit www.e-learningfoundation. Gillian Eason, deputy chair of diversity at the Legal Services
130,000 families applied for free which pledged that 270,000 laptops a fantastic response by families to a com and www.homeaccess.org.uk the University of Manchester’s Commission.
computers and broadband internet would be distributed by March 2011. “ground-breaking” offer. for more information
Stress levels ‘unsustainable’
Teachers divided over Report Cards
Teachers are divided about the on the card should it be introduced “However, with roughly a
The levels of stress in schools have million was spent on covering for work are not having to carry the merits of introducing a School next year. third of teachers being unsure
been branded “unsustainable” after absent staff last year. burden.” Report Card, according to the Over 90 per cent said they about the card, it’s clear that the
figures revealed that around 15,000 Off the back of the report, a Ray Tarleton, principal of South National Foundation for Educational wanted to see pupil progress, Department for Children, Schools
teachers are absent from school headteachers contacted SecEd claim- Dartmoor Community College in Research (NFER). wellbeing and behaviour includ- and Families needs to give them
each day. ing that the current stress levels in Devon, said he doubted that teacher Of the 1,378 teachers asked, 30 ed, while more than one in five more information about this
Although government figures school make it unavoidable that days absence was any higher than in per cent were in favour of the new said the cards should detail pupil significant change in reporting
for England suggest that teachers are lost to sickness and stress. other professions. cards, which would see schools attainment, the curriculum, and schools’ achievements.”
took an average of five days off Paul Scutt, headteacher at Bishop He continued: “What is differ- assessed in areas such as pupils’ pupil views. Ministers announced plans
sick last year – down by around Fox’s School in Somerset, said: “The ent is that when a teacher is away wellbeing and their work with the Less important details, accord- to introduce the New York-style
half a per cent on 2007/08 – the idea that teachers are absenting them- someone else has to do the job. In wider community. ing to those surveyed, included School Report Card last year, in a
new “rarely cover” legislation is selves without just cause does not other jobs, you can often spread the A similar number, 37 per cent, teacher CPD and teacher retention. bid to offer parents a more detailed
placing new challenges on schools resonate with me at all. load or they catch up. But schools were against the introduction Sarah Maughan, head of assess- overview of how each school is
with absent staff, according to some “The real issue for me is reduc- are more focused now on attend- of the cards, with the remain- ment policy and impact at the performing.
headteachers. ing the levels of stress and relent- ance than they have ever been, ing teachers saying they were NFER, said: “It’s interesting that Final details about what infor-
The issue has come to the fore less accountability for all staff and and rarely cover has certainly made “unsure”. teachers’ views about what the mation the card will contain, and
after a report in a Sunday newspa- better managing legitimate absence everyone aware that there is no easy However, despite the split, most School Report Card should include whether it will replace traditional
per last week claiming that £924 such that colleagues who remain in solution when someone is away.” of those canvassed agreed over are in line with the government’s league tables, have yet to be con-
what details should be included proposals. firmed.
4 SecEd • February 25 2010
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