Jul42017

Drive to improve education at heart of Estyn review

Welsh Government

Estyn plays a key role in raising standards and the quality of teaching and education across the country through rigorous inspection and expert advice. The review will look at the implications of Wales’s extensive education reforms for the future role of Estyn.

The review follows an exchange of letters between the Chief Inspector and the Cabinet Secretary, where they agreed that such a review would build on Estyn’s strengths and improve the work of the Inspectorate further.

The review, which will be undertaken by Professor Graham Donaldson, will begin in August and is due to report in early 2018.

  The Cabinet Secretary said:

“I am grateful to Meilyr for proposing this course of action. I fully support the proposals so that we continue to drive up standards in our education system.

“Our education reforms must be aligned to support the delivery of our new curriculum. I am therefore especially pleased that Professor Donaldson has agreed to take forward the review. He has a wealth of experience of conducting reviews of education systems around the world, including Australia, Portugal, Sweden and Japan. ”

Meilyr Rowlands, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales, said:

“Significant changes are happening to the education landscape in Wales and inspection is also changing. With Estyn’s mission to achieve excellence for all learners in Wales, we believe it will be helpful to gain an independent view from Professor Donaldson.

“ I am pleased that the Cabinet Secretary has accepted my proposal and is supporting this review. ”

Professor Donaldson said:

“Estyn has a vital part to play in the success of the reform programme in Wales. I am therefore pleased to have been asked, jointly by the Cabinet Secretary and the Chief Inspector, to undertake an independent review of the ways in which its contribution to the reforms can best be realised.”

Professor Donaldson will present his report to Welsh Government and the Chief Inspector after gathering and analysing evidence on inspection, quality enhancement and accountability while supporting Estyn to refine and develop their practices.

The terms of reference for the review will be published shortly on Estyn’s website.

Jul42017

News story: Primary school tests show schools rising to the challenge

HM Government

Results published today (4 July 2017) show that the percentage of children achieving the expected standard in primary school has risen

The national Key Stage 2 results show that 61% of primary school children in England achieved the expected standard, compared to 53% last year.

This year’s results are the second to be released following the introduction of a more rigorous curriculum in September 2014 that raises the bar in terms of expectations of young people’s mastery of literacy and numeracy, bringing the primary school curriculum in line with the best in the world.

Today’s results show

  • 61% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared to 53% last year

  • 71% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, compared to 66% last year

  • 75% of pupils met the expected standard in mathematics, compared to 70% last year

  • 77% of pupils met the expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling, compared to 73% last year

  • 76% of pupils met the expected standard in writing, compared to 74% last year

School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said:

Today’s results show sustained progress in reading, writing and maths and are a testament to the hard work of teachers and pupils across England. Thanks to their commitment and our new knowledge rich curriculum, thousands more children will arrive at secondary school having mastered the fundamentals of reading, writing and maths, giving them the best start in life.

The new national curriculum and reformed qualifications – at primary and at secondary – are designed to ensure pupils receive the education that they need to go as far as their talents will take them.

Jul42017

Nine confirmed dead in central China landslide

East Asia

Nine people have been confirmed dead, and 19 others are injured after a rain-triggered mudslide swept through part of a village in central China’s Hunan Province.

The mudslide occurred about 4 p.m. Saturday in Zuta Village, Ningxiang County, after continuous heavy rain since Friday, according to the county government.

A four-day search and rescue operation recovered nine bodies, the government said Tuesday.

Southern China has been battered by continuous rain over recent weeks. China’s Finance Ministry on Monday released 1.9 billion yuan (about 280 million U.S. dollars) in emergency funds for flood relief in south China.

The funds will go to 20 provinces and autonomous regions including Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang, where torrential rains in the past week have caused severe floods.

Jul42017

Chinese students eager to start businesses: survey

East Asia

Students in China are eager to start businesses and hope that their colleges can provide more opportunities to foster entrepreneurship, according to a survey from a universities alliance Tuesday.

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Alliance of China (IEEAC) is a platform for universities to share their experience in entrepreneurship and nurture students’ innovative and entrepreneurship spirit.

The IEEAC surveyed students from 130 colleges, and more than 80 percent of students said they are willing to start businesses.

Nearly half of the students surveyed hoped to receive training and financial support for entrepreneurship from colleges.

Only 17 percent of startup projects in colleges provide overseas exchange and cooperation opportunities, according to the survey.

“We should promote international cooperation in innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as cooperation between colleges and enterprises,” said Sun Hongbin, secretary general of the IEEAC.

According to the Ministry of Education, a total of 7.95 million college students are expected to graduate in 2017.

Around 3 percent of this year’s college graduates are expected to start businesses, up from only 1.6 percent of college graduates who started businesses in 2011, according to a report jointly released by the educational research company MyCOS Institute and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

“It is important for students to learn about the country’s policies and evaluate their skills before starting businesses,” said Zhu Zhuohong from CAS.

Jul42017

News story: Legal regulators issue guidance on immigration and asylum issues

HM Government

OISC works with the SRA and BSB to issues guidance for the public and professionals on immigration and asylum issues

Consumers of immigration and asylum legal services are often a particularly vulnerable group. They may have limited knowledge of their rights, the law and legal process, and can struggle to navigate a complex immigration and asylum system. These consumers can face significant barriers to accessing legal services, including inconsistent client care, the provision of poor quality advice and a lack of choice and/or accessible information, including clear information about fees.

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) in collaboration with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the OISC has developed guidance for both public and professionals following extensive consultation with consumer organisations and consumers themselves. Two documents have been published, the first guidance is aimed directly at consumers of immigration legal services. The second is for professionals working with people with immigration and asylum issues, to help them better assist their clients to navigate the legal system.

A link to the BSB guidance is found here

Anyone providing immigration advice and services to the public in the course of a business (whether or not for profit) must be registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC), or be a lawyer regulated by a “qualifying regulator”. It is a criminal offence to provide advice and services to the public without being registered with the OISC, or regulated by a “qualifying regulator”.