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Union chief wants more help with careers advice

by Chris Parr

An increasingly complex range of qualifications means that schools need clear and accurate guidance to help them deliver high-quality careers advice, a headteachers’ union has said. Brian Lightman, general sec-

retary-elect of the Association of School and College Leaders, claims that although there are many examples of good careers advice in schools, the number of qualifi- cations on offer to young people is making it increasingly difficult to provide students with informa- tion about their long-term work options. He also feels that a lack of

co-operation by companies is preventing schools from offering

students the best work experience placements. He said: “There are an ever-

growing number of routes into fur- ther education, training and employ- ment, and schools and colleges can find it difficult to keep up-to-date with the rapidly changing range of options. The government must ensure that it gives schools and colleges clear, accurate informa- tion about the options available so that these can be communicated to young people.” He continued: “Schools and

colleges want to provide relevant, worthwhile work-based learning but they are dependent on local businesses agreeing to take on pupils. Companies must do more to support schools and colleges in making high-quality work place- ments available.”

Problems with Swedish system highlighted by union officer

Parental choice in Sweden has lead to huge discrepancies in the standard of education from area to area, according to a senior officer at the country’s largest teaching union. Ann-Christin Larsson, from

the Lärarförbundet union, told SecEd that because parents have more freedom to choose where they send their children, schools can become unsettled by students moving mid-term, while others will travel miles to attend a school where they can be with students from a similar background. The Swedish system was

thrust onto the education agenda last year when the Conservatives announced their intention to implement similar ideas in the UK, should they come to power at the next election. Ms Larsson said: “Pupils

and parents can choose to go to either an independent or a public school, and 20 per cent choose a public school that is not the near- est one to their home. They also have the possibility to switch from one semester to another, which is a big problem. “Another problem we have in

Sweden is that results are unbal- anced. The gap in achievement between different areas is get- ting bigger and bigger, wider and wider. There is segregation devel- oping from area to area. “If parents and pupils can

choose which school they want to go to, they end up moving further and further, leave the suburbs, in order to go to a good school in Stockholm or another big city.” Ms Larsson was in England

to address delegates at a seminar organised by the Trades Union Congress and the Anti-academies Alliance, which campaign against state schools being granted inde- pendence from local authority control. Also attending was Kevin

Courtney, deputy general secre- tary of the National Union of Teachers, who said the seminar was “one more blow to the repu- tation of the Swedish model”. He added: “The Conservatives

claim the model leads to higher standards overall, and increased parental control. But these schools actually lower standards, and are often run by private businesses for profits – not by parents.”

Mr Lightman’s claims came

after Ofsted published research into the standard of careers advice in England, alleging that students in some areas were “at risk of making poorly informed choices about their future” because of the information they received.

The report, Moving Through

the System, found that when careers education was provided by the school, its quality varied “considerably”. It also alleged that although

most students in the 18 secondary schools visited were given good access to work experience, evaluation of the placements was a “major weakness”, with seven of the schools visited yet to develop a system to measure how the placements had impacted on learning.

Christine Gilbert, Ofsted’s chief

inspector, said: “It is important that all young people get good and impartial information, advice and guidance to enable them, together with their parents and carers, make well-informed choices about their future.” Christine Blower, general sec-

retary of the National Union of Teachers, added: “The conclusion I draw from the report is not that every teacher should be expert in careers advice, but that young peo- ple should know who to turn to when they need guidance on future learning or on employment. “Careers education in sec-

ondary schools should not be an also ran. Schools should have the resources to employ staff who can give dedicated and knowledgeable advice.”

Career call: Brian Lightman wants more help for schools

Grieving mother helps produce road safety pack

In October 2006, 17-year-old Damen Burrows was fatally injured when his motorcycle collided with a car in St Helens, Merseyside. Nearly four years on, his mother

– a passionate road safety cam- paigner – is hoping to help young- sters across the county avoid a similar fate after inspiring the local Road Safety Partnership to produce an accident teaching pack for key stage 4 students. The pack, which contains a

DVD and workbook, is designed to teach teenagers about the “rip- ple effect” of a traffic collision, and the extent of damage – both physical and psychological – that a road accident can have on those involved, their friends, and family. As well as a recreation of

Damen’s accident, the DVD pack contains interviews with witnesses and survivors of other incidents, and insights from the emergency services. Damen’s mother Paula said she

hoped the pack would help others to recognise the dangers of the road. She told SecEd: “When I lost

my son, I didn’t want him to have died for nothing. I wanted others to learn from his experience. “I remember when we rang

around to get him his CBT (motor- cycle compulsory basic training), the process seemed far to easy. It certainly wasn’t a strict enough process for a 16-year-old getting their first vehicle.” The educational pack will be distributed to schools by Road

Happier times: Damen Burrows’ tragic death in 2006 has led to the creation of a new road safety teaching pack

Safety Teams and road traffic colli- sion reduction officers, during their ongoing work with young people across Merseyside. Dave Foulkes, manager at

the Merseyside Road Safety Partnership, said: “We constantly work with young road users to edu- cate them about road safety, and ultimately reduce their risk of colli- sion or injury. “This educational pack is the lat- est method we have employed and

by using real life case studies and interviewees, we are driving home the message in a way that young people can relate to.” The Partnership is comprised

of the five local authorities on Merseyside: Liverpool County Council; Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council (MBC); Wirral MBC; St Helens MBC; and Knowsley MBC. For further information, visit www.noexcuses.co.uk

St Jude’s Church, Dulwich Road Herne Hill, London SE24 0PB www.markallengroup.com

Pupils and pensioners unite to improve community

Pupils from an inner-city school and local pensioners are proving a class act at tackling anti-social behaviour in their community. The students, from Glyn Derw

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High School in Cardiff, have joined forces with local senior citizens to learn more about each other and improve the community in which they all live. The pupils and adults from Age

Concern’s Healthy Wealthy and Wise group, have been working with Small World Theatre to write

2

and produce a short play exploring how together they can deal with problems such as anti-social behav- iour in the Ely and Caerau areas of the city. The group, who perform as

“The Lov-Elys”, has launched a local tour to break down stere- otypes about young and old, pro- mote more understanding, and get residents of all ages talking to each other. Cardiff council’s executive member for education, Councillor

Freda Salway, said: “It’s fantastic to hear of young people in our schools working with older people and discussing ways in which they can both make their communities a better place to live. “There are stereotypical ideas

of both young and old people and it’s important that the message gets across that not all young people are troublemakers and likewise, not all members of the older community are killjoys, intent on spoiling youngsters’ fun.

“It’s important that both groups

are united in their stance against anti-social behaviour.” The play will also be filmed

and a DVD produced as a learning resource for other local schools and community groups. Community learning manager

at Glyn Derw High School, Ruth McDonald, said: “With no previ- ous acting experience the group has worked tirelessly with enthusi- asm and honesty. The relationships between the young and older peo-

ple have developed and friendships have been made. “When the older people were

interviewed they had nothing but praise for the young people and have seen their present day needs in a dif- ferent light. “It has opened up channels of

understanding and empathy that would otherwise have lain dormant and the whole experience has cer- tainly changed the attitudes of those involved. We hope that it will have the same effect on those who come

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