Association of Directors of Education in Wales (ADEW)
Task and Finish Group meeting
Caer Beris Manor Hotel, Builth Wells - 27 November 2008
Present: Richard Parry Jones (RPJ) – Anglesey, Chair; Ann Jenkins (AJ) - DCELLS; Mererid Morgan - ESIS (Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taff and Caerphilly County Borough Councils); Hywyn Williams – Wrexham; Gillian Jones– Ceredigion; Bryan Stephens – Carmarthenshire; Dafydd Thomas – Conwy; Ann Jones – Denbighshire; Aled Evans – Neath Port Talbot; Ruth Salisbury - Newport / Torfaen; Kelly Small– Abertawe; Liz Powell - DCELLS, scribe.
Apologies: Caroline Davies (Blaenau Gwent), Elwyn Davies (Flintshire),
Dewi R Jones (Gwynedd), Marian Phillips (Pembrokeshire), Ann Davies (Monmouthshire), Graham Dalton (Cardiff)
1. Welcome and introductions:
RPJ outlined the background to the Welsh-Medium Education Strategy (WMES), presented as Paper 1, and also the role of the ADEW Task and Finish Group in relation to this. The differences between counties were recognised and the particular challenges this brings to the development of a policy that meets everyone’s needs, and the importance of consensus in reaching priorities was emphasised.
AJ outlined the main points of the Strategy and members offered comments and observations on experience and key issues in their individual counties.
2. Overview of key issues in the WMES, by AJ:
The main vision of the WMES was outlined, with explanation of the emphasis on increasing the number of Welsh speakers and that the best way to achieve this was through Welsh-medium education. It was noted that the Strategy will offer:
· a clear definition of ‘bilingualism’
· a methodology that can be applied across Wales
· recommendations on infrastructure to ensure progression
The 14-19 agenda was also outlined in respect of the partnerships that have received WAG funding to offer new vocational subjects, along with the need to work across county boundaries and the impact of the 14-19 Measure (and the fact that it currently contains no reference whatever to the Welsh language).
Emphasis was given to the need to prioritise relevant qualifications. It was noted that there are some 8,000 qualifications currently available in English, and that it is impossible to make them all available in Welsh. Correct priorities can be established through working with the Sector Skills Councils – e.g. it is crucial to have enough staff with bilingual skills working in the Foundation Phase, so childcare qualifications are a priority.
It was also noted that responsibility for Welsh Education Schemes was probably to move from the Welsh Language Board to DCELLS.
3. RPJ offered the following summary of the main points of relevance to ADEW:
· How the WMES can be blended in with the counties’ language schemes and the role of the Welsh Language Board / WAG in this
· Balance between local rights and the nationwide scope of the Strategy
· Clear definition of bilingualism is essential
· Agreement on a process to measure demand and on how to plan
· Partnerships within the education service and a range of other partnerships (the community, etc)
4. Priorities for the future:
All members of the group were asked to note 5 key priorities to move the agenda forward at a county level. It was agreed that the group wished the Strategy to move towards the following priorities:
1. A strategic forum is needed in every county to agree the Language Scheme. It is probable that legislation will be required to create this. A statutory forum on Welsh-medium Education would place the language on an equal footing with issues such as finance.
2. National measures / stages of progression need to be defined
3. Clear leadership is needed on the process of developing challenging language schemes
4. A single strategic grant to support the planning process was requested (i.e. existing grants need to be combined)
5. The Strategy needs to feed down into communities through partnerships (including partnerships across county boundaries)
6. Importance of clear leadership from WAG
7. Importance of collecting consistent and uniform data
8. Support for latecomers – need for more than one route into Welsh-medium education
9. Rigorous research into the methodology of developing two languages / bilingualism as a skill
10. In the context of 14-19, more leadership is required on co-operation, patterns of provision and agreement on subjects
11. Agreement is needed on the standards expected in terms of language and provision
12. The importance of co-ordinating with YPPs (Young People’s Partnerships)
13. Second-language Welsh needs to be better defined
14. Legislation needs to be strengthened (to solve the problem of persuading ‘non-Welsh’ counties to offer Welsh-medium education)
15. Developing the schools’ workforce
16. Clear definitions of roles and responsibilities (roles of Government / counties / individual schools)
17. Build from the Foundation Phase upwards
18. Bilingual work skills (demand in the economy for bilingual workers)
19. Links between sectors (FE, HE, voluntary sector etc)
20. Communication with parents (bridging the gap between what the Welsh Language Board is doing nationally and what’s happening in the counties)
5. Main headings of the draft Strategy:
The main headings of the draft Strategy (Paper 2) were outlined by Ann Jenkins. The following comments were made by the members of the group:
Paragraph 2.2.6 –
The intention to move responsibility for setting guidelines and monitoring Welsh Educations Schemes to the Welsh Assembly Government
· Important to ensure continuity if there is a change in Government; must ensure that an extra level of administration isn’t added
· Distinction between the language policy of the individual school and the county’s language scheme – there needs to be a scheme at local authority level (no need for a separate scheme at school level, but the policy should blend into everything else the school does)
· Importance of working with Estyn
paragraph 2.2.9
· Emphasis was placed on the need for solid data to inform the planning process and on the need for consistency.
paragraph 3.1
· A guarantee needs to be given to students and parents that 14-19 progression is available. If there is no way to ensure a right to Welsh-medium education, it is important to get something positive.
· The amount of funding available within ANDPs for Welsh-medium education needs to be clearly defined
· It was also noted that although the 14-19 agenda gets a lot of attention in the document, it is not top of ADEW’s list of priorities
paragraph 4
· The importance of ensuring work-based learning opportunities for young people who stay in their communities was emphasised, with linguistic continuity being of paramount importance. It was agreed that there was a need to build this from the Foundation Phase onwards, and that developing a workforce for that age-group was key.
· There was unanimous agreement to abolishing the GSCE Short Course in Welsh
· The role of the athrawon bro was discussed: it was agreed that this needed to be re-examined across Wales. It was also agreed that there needed to be flexibility from county to county – no uniform national system – and that different models needed to be developed.
· It was agreed that Assembly funding needed to be better focussed through a small number of large, strategic grants.
· The Welsh for Adults programme was recognised as being key to the success of the Strategy, in terms of encouraging parents to contribute to the learning.
paragraph 5
· Human resources are the most important part to any policy. The quality and commitment of the workforce is crucial; ensuring the best possible circumstances to allow them to achieve is essential.
· The call to extend the Sabbatical Scheme to include shorter courses, more locations etc was noted.
6. Closing comments:
RPJ ask for a final comment from each member in closing, which included the following:
· We were asked to look at what the strategy will mean in the context of a student passing through the system we recommend
· Consider the aim of students achieving confidence in their bilingualism, whether through English or Welsh-medium schools (i.e. as part of a continuum)
· The importance of ‘joined-up’ policy
· Need to consider additional capital funding, as well as revenue resources
After thanking them for their contribution to the session, AJ asked everyone to contact her with any further comments. RPJ asked the group to explain to their colleagues that work on the Strategy was progressing, and that the group would have an opportunity to meet again to consider the full draft Strategy (date to be arranged).
Minutes - English final
26/02/2009 4