ATL/PR59
ATL Cymru’s
EDUCATION MANIFESTO #PutEducationFirst
WHO WE ARE ATL Cymru is the union for education professionals. Active in the maintained, independent and post-16 sectors, we use our members' experiences to influence education policy, and we work with government and employers to defend pay, conditions and career development. From early years to HE, teachers to support staff, lecturers to leaders, we support and represent our members throughout their career.
ABOUT OUR MANIFESTO We believe that all our children and young people should receive the very best education and fulfil their potential. To ensure this the next Welsh Government must: Build a strong curriculum with portable qualifications Develop an excellently skilled workforce Invest in education Provide fair terms and conditions for support staff Keep the state education system #PutEducationFirst
1 BUILD A STRONG CURRICULUM WITH PORTABLE QUALIFICATIONS Our young people need a broad and balanced curriculum to give them the skills and knowledge they need for life. We welcomed the Donaldson Review. Curriculum reform must now be done once and done well. We want to see fewer changes to policies and targets. It is vital that all young people receive full and fair advice about their options, especially post-16, to ensure appropriate progression. Our qualifications must be respected across the UK and beyond.
Two-thirds of employers want qualifications across the UK to be directly comparable.1
DEVELOP AN EXCELLENTLY SKILLED WORKFORCE Improvement in standards can only come with time and resources for continued professional development. The education workforce needs more non-delivery time in order to develop new skills and share best practice with colleagues. This will enable them to deliver a full and equitable curriculum and update vocational expertise. If providers are to be truly accountable for delivering improvements in school and FE colleges they need to be fully involved in the development of the curriculum at all stages.
The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.2
2 #PutEducationFirst
£604 PER PUPIL —
2/3
THE SCHOOL FUNDING GAP BETWEEN WALES AND ENGLAND WAS LAST REPORTED IN 2010 AS £604 PER PUPIL.
OF EMPLOYERS WANT QUALIFICATIONS ACROSS THE UK TO BE DIRECTLY COMPARABLE.
£637 MILLION
—
6%
BETWEEN 2010 AND THE END OF 2013, £637 MILLION HAD BEEN USED TO SET UP FREE SCHOOLS IN ENGLAND WHICH EDUCATE FEWER THAN 22,000 PUPILS.
FE COLLEGES ARE FACING A DEVASTATING 6% CUT IN THEIR BUDGET. #PutEducationFirst
INVEST IN EDUCATION The school funding gap between Wales and England was last reported in 2010 as £604 per pupil.3 That means that the average primary school is underfunded in Wales by nearly £118,000 per year, and the average secondary school by over £540,000.4
These cuts are deep. Wales will feel their effects for a long time to come.6
In FE many commentators suggest up to 90% of learners in Wales are underfunded in comparison to learners in England. FE colleges are facing a devastating 6% cut in their budget.5 The withdrawal of funding from Adult provision both in FE and Work Based Learning has had a disproportionate impact on older learners, especially women. Education cannot be done on the cheap. Underfunding imperils the future of Wales.
3
FAIR TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR SUPPORT STAFF We welcome the increased professionalisation of support staff in schools and colleges.7 Yet their pay and conditions vary dramatically making it a less attractive career prospect. Some pay bands do not ensure that support staff receive the living wage. Support staff are frequently the target when funding is reduced and key support roles are being lost. Support staff need favourable terms and conditions to make this a profession that attracts the best entrants. Those who support learners must be properly rewarded.
4 Despite the vast increase in the roles and responsibilities of support staff, their pay remains woefully inadequate, with many stuck in a permanent poverty trap.8
#PutEducationFirst
5 KEEP THE STATE EDUCATION SYSTEM The state education system in England is being eroded by the ever increasing numbers of ‘academies’ and ‘free schools’. It is very costly. Between 2010 and the end of 2013, £637 million had been used to set up free schools which educate fewer than 22,000 pupils.9 We want our schools to be kept free from privatisation and to maintain and develop a state school system that caters for all children and is free to all.
We want public funds invested in learners’ education, not used to line shareholders’ pockets.10
1
Emma Watkins, CBI http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-29532598
2
https://mckinseyonsociety.com/how-the-worlds-best-performing-schools-come-out-on-top/
3
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12280492
https://statswales.wales.gov.uk/Catalogue/Education-and-Skills/Schools-and-Teachers/Schools-Census/Pupil-LevelAnnual-School-Census/Pupils
4
Number of pupils divided by number of schools: primary school = 195 pupils per school, secondary schools = 898. Actual figures underfunded: Average primary school by ÂŁ117,780 a year, and the average secondary school by ÂŁ542,392 http://www.collegeswales.ac.uk/en-GB/steep_cuts_to_adult_skills_will_affect_wales_economy-728.aspx
5&6
http://learning.gov.wales/docs/learningwales/publications/131010-action-plan-promoting-the-role-and-development-ofsupport-staff-en.pdf
7
8
https://www.atl.org.uk/media-office/media-archive/ATL-campaigns-to-fight-injustices-facing-school-support-staff.asp
9
https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/Education_Not_For_Sale_Repor_Report.pdf http://educationnotforsale.org/
10
#PutEducationFirst
TALK TO US... Visit our website for more information: atl.org.uk/PutEducationFirst Email us: PutEducationFirst@atl.org.uk Join the debate: #PutEducationFirst @ATLCymru