NUT Comment: School Banding Publication

Thursday, 8 December 2011 10:18 AM

Wales’ largest teaching union has hit out at the direction of the Welsh Government on the day school bandings are published. The NUT, which has consistently led the campaign against the reintroduction of a league table style system, said they fear that this approach will lead to a cycle of decline and urged the Minister to reconsider the approach in future.

Commenting on the publication of the Welsh Government’s school bandings, NUT Wales Secretary, David Evans said:

“NUT members across Wales have strongly opposed this banding process and we do not believe it will be a success in terms of educational standards in Wales. The feedback we have received suggests there is little confidence in the proposal from within the profession and we really hope the Minister reconsiders this approach in future.

“We continue to have concerns about the nature of the banding process and the impact it will have on schools in Wales, especially given the fact the Welsh Government has stated that no additional funding will be made available to schools in the bottom bands.

“All teachers recognise the need to target resources and to work with parents to ensure they are aware of the performance of schools. However, this naming and shaming process is something that we in Wales were proud to have moved away from, and it is a real shame that the Government has decided to return to what is an outdated and restrictive practice. Branding schools is simply the wrong approach and it will unfortunately be children in Wales that suffer as a result. It will give the NUT no satisfaction if our warnings, which have gone unheeded, are proved correct.”

Contact Owen Hathway, NUT Cymru, Ty Sinnott, 18 Neptune Court, Vanguard Way, Cardiff CF24 5PJ. Tel: 029 20491818. Mob: 07921 146 442. e-mail: cymru.wales@nut.org.uk

 

Tags:
• education
,
• schools
,
• welsh assembly