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NEWS In brief Literacy research


Pensions report backs increased contributions


by Pete Henshaw


A report into public sector pensions has emphasised that they are not “gold-plated” and has rejected the notion that they should be reduced to mirror the private sector. These assertions in the interim


report of the Pensions Commission, being conducted by Lord Hutton, have been welcomed by education unions, who fear that the coalition government is set to target public sector pensions in its Spending Review on Wednesday (October 20) and the Budget in March. However, in his early findings,


Lord Hutton said that the case for public sector pension reform is clear and has caused concern after suggesting increasing contributions in the short-term to make savings.


Lord Hutton said: “It is wrong to


say that public service pensions are gold-plated. The average pension paid to pensioner members is about £7,800 a year. About half receive less than £5,600 a year. I also reject the argument that the downward drift of pensions in the private sec- tor is justification that pensions in the public sector must follow the same course.” However, the report does point


to the fact that public sector pen- sions have not reacted to changes in life expectancy and the fact that someone retiring now can expect to spend 40 per cent of their adult life in retirement. Lord Hutton added: “This has


driven up costs – by a third in the past decade – and these extra costs have fallen almost entirely to the taxpayers.”


Welsh schools to get powers to search pupils


Schools in Wales will soon have the power to search pupils for weapons before they enter the classroom. The Welsh Assembly govern-


ment has approved the initiative as part of a wider crackdown on an increase in violence. Teaching unions have broadly


welcomed the powers, which are already available to schools in England, but warned that they must be used sensibly. Schools could introduce scan-


ners or use handheld devices to check for weapons but they would have to pay for the equip- ment themselves. Gareth Jones, secretary of


the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, said: “There has been an increase in violent behaviour, some increase in terms of dangerous weapons but it is not a crisis. They are still very rare and the minority of incidents. What this legislation does is actually clarify the situa- tion and empower teachers.” Others have concerns about


who will carry out the searches. NASUWT Wales organiser, Rex Phillips, said: “We very much welcome the announcement. Where we may have some con- cerns is who would carry out the checks because we don’t feel that teachers should carry out these sort of checks. “We believe schools need to


employ appropriately trained and qualified staff.” ATL Cymru is also concerned


about the rising levels of vio- lence in schools but is warning


its members not to put themselves in danger. Dr Philip Dixon, director of


ATL Cymru, said: “It is not for teachers to act as surrogate police officers. “For this legislation to work the


teachers need to be given proper training and we want to see the proper resources allocated for that.” Schools and colleges will be


given further guidance at the end of this month when the powers come into force. Wales education minister


Leighton Andrews said: “It is important schools and colleges are safe places to ensure the best possible educational environment for our young people. “Views were sought on the


new powers as part of the Safe and Effective Intervention guid- ance consultation which closed in February. There was a great deal of support for the powers.”


He said that the final salary link


in public sector pensions is “inher- ently unfair” and can lead to high flyers getting almost twice as much back in pensions than those on more modest earnings for the same amount of contributions. The report states: “Long-term


structural reform is needed as these issues cannot be dealt with through provision of traditional final salary- defined benefit schemes.” He said an alternative model


was needed and that he would draw upon international experiences to investigate a range of possibilities for his final report. The report adds that if the gov-


ernment wishes to make short-term savings then there must be “proper protection” for accrued rights, but recommends that it would be “more effective to increase member contri-


butions rather than alter the benefit structure”. Brian Lightman, general secre-


tary of the Association of School and College Leaders, emphasised that the “vast majority” of school staff receive modest salaries. He said: “Pensions are an


important part of their overall income. Teacher and support staff pay has already been frozen and the proposed increase in contributions amounts to a de facto pay cut.” Unions also argue that the


switch in April to pension increases being linked to the Consumer Price Index rather than to the Retail Price Index will already reduce benefits by around 15 per cent. Dr Mary Bousted, general secre-


tary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: “The average pension paid to a retired teacher


is £9,000 a year, and £4,000 for a teaching assistant. Interim results from our pensions survey reveal nearly 90 per cent of teachers regard their pension as an important part of their remuneration package, and just under 70 per cent said it plays a key role in keeping them in education.” Chris Keates, general secretary


of the NASUWT, said: “If there is any drain on the taxpayer it is not public sector pensions but the large number of private sector employers who fail to provide occupational pensions for their employees. That is the area that should be put under the microscope of reform.” The Commission’s final report


will make its reform recommenda- tions in March 2011.


• See page 6 – SecEd: On your side. Inquiry into marking errors


Exams watchdog Ofqual is to launch an inquiry after some GCSE and A level students received lower grades than they should have done this summer. It comes after AQA discovered


thorough its regular exam-check- ing procedures that some students’ papers had not been fully marked. The awarding body has already launched its own internal investi- gation. The problems affect around 730


students – 150 at A level, 290 at AS level and 190 at GCSE (mainly short-course half-GCSEs). There was also a number of other


students whose marks changed without affecting their grades. Isabel Nisbet, chief executive of


Ofqual, said: “This is a very serious matter. Ofqual is in full agreement with AQA that the first priority is


to support students, schools and colleges. AQA has assured us that they will make sure that the affected candidates are treated fairly and receive the marks their work merits as soon as possible. “Once that is done, Ofqual’s


inquiry will focus on what went wrong and why it was not spotted sooner.” The findings of the Ofqual


inquiry, which is being carried out on behalf of exam regulators in Wales and Northern Ireland, will be made public. A statement from AQA said:


“As a result of its ongoing exam- checking procedures AQA identi- fied material in a small number of papers that had not been fully marked. This meant that some stu- dents received lower subject grades than they should have.”


The awarding body is now


working with examiners to mark the items affected and award the correct mark or grade, and is con- tacting affected schools to provide guidance on the next steps to take. It has already extended the exam results enquiry deadline for schools and students affected. Andrew Hall, AQA’s chief


executive, said: “We are extremely sorry for any distress caused and are reviewing our processes to ensure there is no repeat of this error. “We want to ensure we support


schools and individual students as we communicate the revised marks and grades and answer any ques- tions or concerns they have. That is why we have extended the exam results enquiry deadline.” AQA’s helpline for students and schools is 0844 2096614.


Young scientists head for Europe


Two students from an Edinburgh secondary will be getting a unique taste of democracy and debate next month after being chosen to take part in an event at the European Science Parliament in Brussels. Ailsa Bruce and Konain Ehsan


from Boroughmuir High will tackle issues around genetics, stem cells and modern medicine over three days of sessions in the debating chamber of the European Union. It will be run along the lines of


a real parliament, with expert advi- sors from the worlds of science and politics, and resolutions and votes. The two won through to the


expenses-paid trip after polling most votes from their peers at a Scottish version of the youth sci- ence parliament organised by the


SecEd • October 14 2010


Edinburgh International Science Festival in June. David Dowsett, their biology


teacher, said the Brussels experi- ence should prove a challenging and valuable one. “Some of the themes, such as


genetics and morality – the inter- face between science and ethics – these are the things a lot of our students are really interested in, particularly those who see a future working in bioscience or medicine. “They really appreciated the


opportunity to discuss some of those issues at the Scottish (European Youth Science) Parliament and now they have a chance to argue their points and apply their knowl- edge and understanding in a bigger forum,” he added.


Although such issues could be


aired at school, Mr Dowsett said, time and curricular constraints lim- ited the scope for discussion. Pat Hymers of the Edinburgh


International Science Festival said the event would raise understanding and knowledge of various ethical and scientific questions. Topics under discussion will


include whether genes trigger aggressive behaviour, the conse- quences for society of genetic tests, the use of embryonic stem cells, and whether DNA analysis will result in more diagnoses. This year will be the first time


the pan-European Youth Science Parliament has met but the future of the event, which is funded by the EU, is unclear, Mr Hymers said.


Schools are being invited to take part in a national research project exploring aspects of young people’s literacy. Launched by the National Literacy Trust, the research will yield data on literacy nationally, as well as provide partaking schools with more information about what their own students think about reading, writing, speaking and listening. Taking part will involve short online surveys for teachers and pupils. It is aimed at students aged eight to 16 and the surveys will be live between November 15 and December 10. Schools need to register by October 29. Email: christina.clark@literacytrust.org.uk


School Proms


Around 3,000 young musicians from across the UK are preparing to perform at the Royal Albert Hall in November in the Music for Youth School Proms Concerts. Aged between seven and 20, the musicians will perform three concerts, each with a different “flavour” and with special guest performers. Music for Youth is the world’s largest youth music festival and works with 100,000 performers every year. Visit: www.mfy.org.uk


Study grant


A study into how improving teachers’ emotional literacy can raise academic performance has been given a grant of £240,000 to help its two-year project. The Midlands-based Applied Centre for Emotional Literacy, Leadership and Research has received the grant from the European Union. As part of the project, experts from across Europe will work together to create a training programme and products to enhance teachers’ skills in this area. The centre was opened by the City of Wolverhampton College earlier this year. Visit: www.acellr.com


English online


English language learners across the world are being offered a new interactive way to learn online. The British Council and online education providers ALISON have released the revised Online English Suite, which aims to give learners 400 hours of practice materials and learning content. Visit: http://alison.com/course/ category.php?id=11


Academy offer


Teachers who have recently gained their qualified teacher status are being offered a one- year training placement with the NASUWT as part of its Graduate Organising Academy, run in conjunction with the TUC. The salaried, one-year position offers accreditation. There are eight positions available and the deadline to apply is October 22. Visit: www.nasuwt.org.uk


Green fingers


The Royal Horticulture Society has appointed a North West regional advisor as part of its Campaign for School Gardening. The charity already has advisors in Yorkshire and Humber, the East of England, and Greater London. It is part of a nationwide campaign which is aiming to reach more than 13,000 schools. The campaign encourages and supports schools to actively use a school garden while providing resources and lesson plans. Visit: www.rhs.org.uk/schoolgardening


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