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Editorial Board SecEd is advised by an editorial advisory panel. Members include: Paul Ainsworth: vice-principal, Belvoir High School, Leicestershire. Mark Blois: partner, Browne Jacobson (education law solicitors). Peggy Farrington: headteacher, Hanham High School, South Gloucestershire. Jane Frith: Rector, The Royal High School, Edinburgh. Mike Griffiths: headteacher, Northampton School for Boys. Hilary Moriarty: national director, Boarding Schools’ Association. Neill Morton: headteacher, Portora Royal School, Enniskillen. Jo Smith: vice-principal, Long Field School, Melton Mowbray. Tina Stockman: teacher, Harlaw Academy, Aberdeen. Dr Bernard Trafford: headteacher, The Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne. Simon Viccars: headteacher, Leon School and Sports College, Milton Keynes.


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Is Wales about to axe GCSEs and A levels?


By Greg Lewis


A teaching union has raised fears that Wales could create an “isolated” exam system as a consultation begins which could see GCSEs and A levels scrapped. The major review into


qualifications for 14 to 19-year- olds has been launched by the Welsh government to “simplify” the system and improve it for pupils and the economy. The review asks a variety of


questions including whether Wales needs new qualifications, whether A levels and GCSEs are fit-for- purpose and whether the Welsh Baccalaureate should be graded. Wales’s deputy minister for


skills, Jeff Cuthbert, said: “The Welsh government wants to simplify the qualifications system, and ensure it delivers for our learners and the economy. “We must ensure that (pupils’) hard work and achievements are


rewarded with qualifications that remain relevant, valued and fit-for- purpose in the 21st century.” The board behind this first-ever


review of qualifications in Wales has been gathering evidence for the past six months. It identified many key areas


to tackle and noted that, with a shrinking jobs market for young people, it was “essential” that they gained the knowledge, skills, understanding and qualifications that would best equip them to enter the increasingly competitive worlds of employment or higher education. Iestyn Davies, from the


Federation of Small Businesses in Wales, said he hoped that any new qualifications would ensure the basics, such as literacy and numeracy, are taught well. “What we need to do is get the


core skills right, the basic skills right, and make sure we have rounded individuals in schools,” he said. But Chris Keates, general


secretary of the NASUWT, warned it was important that an isolated exam system was not developed “which has no currency outside Wales.” She added: “New exam syllabuses have already been introduced for several subjects in the last two years and the prospect of further change will cause massive turbulence for schools and pupils.” Dr Philip Dixon, director of


the Association of Teachers and Lecturers Cymru, acknowledged the review was “the starting gun for an exciting debate about the future of education in Wales”. He said: “There can be no more


ducking of the difficult issues that surround things such as growing divergence from England, the suitability and value of external testing at 16, and the rigour of A-levels to name but a few.” Teachers can submit responses


via the Welsh government website or apply to give evidence to the in person on July 11. The closing date for responses is September 1.


European initiative creates free resources


Universities and industry need to collaborate more closely with schools to engage pupils and encourage the next generation of engineers and other key professionals, according to researchers at the University of Leicester. Academics from the


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university have recently completed an evaluation of a prestigious EU-funded programme, in which the national aeronautical institutes in Germany, Belgium, Romania and Italy worked with primary and secondary schools on real-life projects, lessons and workshops relating to flight and aviation. They included topics such as


“how do aeroplanes fly?” and “how do you ensure the safety of passengers?”.


Drs Maarten Tas and Frankie


McKeon, at Leicester’s School of Education, acted as pedagogical advisors and evaluated the REStARTS programme over three years. No UK schools were involved because there are no such institutes here, and similar work is done by universities and private companies. They found that the project


had instilled an understanding and appreciation of engineering in young people, as well as science and physics in a wider context at a time when students across Europe were shunning these subjects. Dr Tas said: “We believe


that this sort of collaboration is the way forward in addressing the intellectual needs of some industries. The institute researchers had an opportunity


to work with schools, but crucially teachers and pupils experienced new opportunities in the teaching and learning of the STEM subjects. “Pupils worked alongside


the researchers and developed an understanding of what their work was about. It was very exciting for them and inspired an interest and love of physics.” Dr Tas added: “This has implications for British schools, even though they were not involved in the project, because it showed the importance of collaboration and giving pupils the appropriate learning opportunities.” Lesson ideas and plans that


came from the project have been collected and are now available for all schools to download at www.fp7-restarts.eu


Arts academic calls for an extra ‘A’ in STEM


A leading computer games expert has called for drawing to be added to the national curriculum. Michael Powell, principal


lecturer for game art design at De Montfort University, said drawing skills are essential for youngsters keen to go into the computer games industry – but many school-leavers lack them. “The scandal we face at the


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moment is that we have nearly 400 applicants for 40 places every year and probably 60 per cent of those students, even


the ones with art A levels, can’t draw,” he said. “Drawing is not a mandatory


component of the education system. That is as scandalous as if maths was taken off the curriculum or if English was not taught using grammar and sentences.” Speaking at Digital Shoreditch, a London conference to celebrate creative, technical and entrepreneurial talent, Mr Powell said that many students who enrolled on his university course had to be taught how to


draw. With the current drive to improve STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education in schools, he believed art should be added alongside the other STEM subjects. “STEM is not enough,” he


continued. “What we really need is


STEAM – science, technology, engineering, art and maths – because without art, all that science, all that technology, will not connect with human beings.”


Let’s not end up like England, EIS leader says


The new leader of Scotland’s biggest teaching union has urged members to fight for successful imp l eme n t a t i o n of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) or risk “someone else’s version” and an English-style erosion of local authority control. Larry Flanagan,


Qu a l i f i c a t i o n s , which will replace Standard Grades and Intermediates from next year. E d u c a t i o n


CfE call: EIS leader Larry Flanagan


who succeeded Ronnie Smith as general secretary of the EIS earlier this year, reminded teachers at the annual general meeting that they had backed the original conception of CfE as a step forwards in educational policy. However, some partners in


national and local government, the Scottish Qualifications Agency, Education Scotland and elsewhere were now ignoring teachers’ voices and undermining professional trust and collegial practice, Mr Flanagan said.


“The biggest culprit, in my


view, is local government, aka Education Directorates,” he said. “Too many are covering up their


own insecurities with needless and misdirected bureaucracy which simply compounds the workload problems that always accompany curricular change. “CfE is still a contested area


and if we don’t fight to protect the integrity of CfE reforms, as they were promised and as we supported them, we will end up with someone else’s version.” He also criticised an audit


published by Education Scotland last month into the readiness of schools to introduce the new National


2


Scotland, which was formed at the start of this year, serves a dual role – in inspections and curricular support – but Mr Flanagan said it was already being equated in some quarters solely


with HMIE and was becoming increasingly politicised. The organisation concluded in


its report that there was no need for any other councils to delay the exams, after East Renfrewshire decided to wait an extra year before introducing them. However, on Friday (June


8) EIS members voted against industrial action over the timing of the Nationals. Mr Flanagan said the least


successful learners in Scottish schools, roughly 20 per cent of pupils, stood to gain most from CfE if the changes were enacted properly. He was scathing about English


education minister Michael Gove – a Scot – who was dismantling local authority control via the expansion of academies, excessive testing and a restricted curriculum, among other policies. “I suggest members only need


to glance south of the border to see what we have escaped. “He (Gove) is one export we are


happy to see the back of and I can only apologise to members in our kindred organisations in England,” Mr Flanagan said.


SecEd • June 14 2012


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