Mergers in universities shake-up

13 July 2011 Last updated at 14:41 GMT Swansea Metropolitan University is merging with Trinity Saint David and the University of Wales Ministers have been handed proposals for cutting the number of universities in Wales through mergers.

A blueprint from the body that funds higher education says mergers should create a "metropolitan" university in south east Wales.

Education Minister Leighton Andrews, who last year said universities must "adapt or die", is backing the proposals.

It would cut the number of universities in Wales from 11 to six.

A report from the Higher Education Funding Council Wales (Hefcw) calls for a merger between the University of Glamorgan, the University of Wales Institute Cardiff (Uwic), and University of Wales, Newport.

It would create a "metropolitan" university, comparable to those in similarly-sized cities and regions around the UK.

Trinity Saint David and Swansea Metropolitan University should merge as planned, Hefcw says, potentially with the University of Wales.

'Distinctly sub-optimal'

Continue reading the main story

I believe Hefcw's report makes a persuasive case for change and offers a clear rationale for the preferred structure proposed by the council”

End Quote Leighton Andrews Education Minister The three announced they would work together over the coming months to create a unified institution under the charter of the University of Wales, with the aim of a formal merger by August 2012.

Hefcw says a strategic alliance between Aberystwyth and Bangor universities should be deepened, with a long-term plan for merger.

Its report says "there are good grounds for arguing that the structure of the HE sector in Wales is distinctly sub-optimal".

Cardiff and Swansea Universities will continue to exist as separate institutions, although with more collaboration between them.

Mr Andrews said the report makes "a persuasive case for change and offers a clear rationale for the preferred structure proposed by the council".

"I am therefore minded at this stage to accept the broad thrust of Hefcw's recommendations," he said.

Mr Andrews said there would be more consultation with affected institutions before any final decision and dissolution order is made.

Value for money

The report was published in the week that eight Welsh universities were told they would be allowed to charge students the maximum tuition fee of ?9,000 a year. Welsh students will have the fees rise paid for them by the Welsh Government.

A spokesperson said the University of Wales, Newport had noted the announcement, but would not comment until its governing body and senior management had a chance to consider it in detail.

Trinity Saint David vice chancellor Prof Medwin Hughes will become vice chancellor of the University of Wales as part of the merger. The University of Wales's current vice chancellor, Prof Marc Clement, becomes president.

For the Conservatives, shadow education minister Angela Burns said: "At a time when there is considerable uncertainty over the future funding of universities, institutions need to co-operate and collaborate to ensure value for money for taxpayers, but we need to hear reassurances from the minister that the mergers proposed are sustainable and in the best interests of the education of young people."

Plaid Cymru education spokesman Simon Thomas urged Mr Andrews to proceed with "great sensitivity".

"I have particular concerns regarding the merger of institutions which currently see their future as independent bodies, albeit working together collaboratively, as the minister has refused to say whether he will force such mergers through," he said.

Liberal Democrat education spokesman Aled Roberts said the Hefcw report "is based on no significant discussion with the universities themselves and there is a lack of detail regarding some of the recommendations regarding Aberystwyth, Bangor and Glyndwr universities".

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Universities shake-up: Your views

28 June 2011 Last updated at 14:47 GMT A planned shake-up of higher education in England is being set out by the government.

Universities will be able to compete for some student places, be held accountable for the quality of their teaching, and be forced to provide more information about the employment prospects from particular courses.

Here lecturers and students share their views on the proposed changes.

"Increasing competition among universities would improve the quality of education"

As a recent economics graduate I believe that increasing competition among universities would improve the quality and efficiency of education while making higher education prices lower and more competitive.

I support the opinion that universities should publish the average salary of former students, the cost of accommodation, teaching hours and satisfaction ratings from previous students.

Throughout the three years of studying at the University of Nottingham I have been very satisfied with the quality of education supplied.

I was lucky to listen to lectures read by economics professors recognised worldwide and follow up-to-date studying programmes, which I believe are very important when studying such a dynamic subject as economics.

However, I am sure that the University of Nottingham having a top 10 economics school in England ensures a good quality of education in order to sustain its reputation and popularity.

This leads me to the conclusion that more competition among universities means an increase in quality.

This shake-up will probably result in the best universities expanding, while forcing the least productive to decrease their prices or shut down, making students better off and bringing efficiency to the economy as a whole.

It is time for change. I believe students paying ?9,000 in fees should have the right to quality education.

"It will only favour wealthy individuals because only the good public universities will survive"

I am a lecturer at the University of East Anglia. I hold the position of associate tutor in law and think this shake-up is a terrible idea.

Methods for assessing teaching quality have always been unfavourable for teaching staff.

Students rarely understand the demands of teaching or research posts at university or turnaround times for marking, which can be as little as four weeks.

Creating private competition will leave public universities at an unfair advantage due to different regulations and laws. How can they say universities are not competitive?

There are over 100 universities to choose from. It will become like supermarkets in this country where you have no more than six or seven big names.

This is another Tory policy that will only favour wealthy individuals because only the good public universities will survive and private universities will only want the best.

Those students who have not reached their full potential by 18 will be left without any realistic opportunities.

The university system needs a kick up the backside and I think these proposals are a very good idea.

I studied at a university in the country's top 20 list. I paid ?3,000 in tuition fees per year.

In my first year, lectures, seminars and tutorials combined came to about six or seven hours per week.

In my second year that time went up to about 10 hours per week and it stayed the same in my third year.

I didn't complain at the time about not having enough contact time but I did fill out feedback forms on particular lecturers and classes.

I always expressed my concern on this matter but it never amounted to anything. When you come straight from school you are not necessarily confident enough to voice these concerns formally.

I feel so cheated by the university system. I could have done my whole course in three terms, over one year, but it was stretched out over three because "that's the way it's always been done".

"Law suits and a large number of dubious third class degrees will follow"

I am a first year undergraduate reading earth science at Oxford University and I'm strongly opposed to this universities shake-up.

How can you fail a student who has been paying ?9,000 a year for you to teach them?

If you, as an admissions tutor, have properly selected students able to complete the course, then how will students react to being failed? They will simply say "well, you didn't teach me properly."

Universities do not exist for the sole purpose of education; they are prime research facilities.

If, and this is a big if given their current actions, this government wants the UK to remain as a competitive nation in research and development, as well as in the manufacturing and even financial industries then they've got a funny way of showing it.

Law suits and a large number of dubious third class degrees will follow.

This will surely devalue our education system. I foresee a mass migration to Scotland in the next few years - there appears to be a little more sanity there.

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Ideas for Sats shake-up set out

23 June 2011 Last updated at 11:47 GMT By Angela Harrison Education correspondent, BBC News Heads say Sats results' do not reflect properly what individual pupils or a school can do A review of Sats tests in England's primary schools is calling for changes to English tests to increase creativity - but with more focus on the basics.

Lord Bew, who led the review of the national curriculum tests taken by 11-year-olds, says a controversial creative writing test should be scrapped.

Teachers should judge children's creative writing, he says, but pupils should still face official tests of spelling, grammar and punctuation as well as reading and maths.

Last year 4,000 schools boycotted Sats, saying they narrowed pupils' education.

Teachers and head teachers in two unions had been calling for the tests to be scrapped.

Heads have given a "cautious welcome" to the findings of the independent review, saying they are "initially encouraged" by it, but one classroom teachers' union has dismissed it as a "fudge".

The coalition government had promised to reform a "flawed" testing system and commissioned this review by Lord Bew, an independent peer and professor of politics at Queen's University, Belfast.

It will announce next month its plans to change the system, but the Education Secretary Michael Gove has already described the review's findings as "educationally sound".

'Less drilling'

Lord Bew is recommending the current creative writing - or composition - test be replaced by teacher assessment, where a teacher grades a child's work over a year.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme his panel hoped this "would allow for more creativity" and mean "less emphasis on drilling and teaching to the test".

Authors had said Sats were creating an atmosphere of anxiety around reading

But he said it was "important to retain rigour within the system".

External assessments in maths and reading had been "much less criticised" by the teachers his panel had talked to, and these would be retained, he said.

His review also recommends the reading test should be "refined" and that there should be a distinct writing test covering spelling, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary.

The panel said they believed the test would raise attainment in these areas.

Also, these were areas where there were "clear right or wrong answers" - unlike in the creative writing test, which teachers had complained was subjective and difficult to judge consistently.

Critics, including many authors, had complained that the English Sats tests were killing children's natural creativity.

'Unfair snapshot'

The review also says more data should be published to give a rounded picture of a school's performance, including new measures of the progress of lower-attaining pupils.

Lord Bew recommends a three-year "rolling average" of performance be published.

"What we were constantly told by people that we talked to was, while accountability was desirable, the way it currently operated in some ways provided an unfair snapshot of a school's performance," he said.

Lord Bew is also calling for a greater emphasis on the progress children make from their initial starting points, as well as their overall attainment.

The two should be at least equally weighted in any overall judgement of a school by the government, local authorities or Ofsted, the review recommends.

'Educationally sound'

Lord Bew said the panel believed the changes would lead to a better system, benefit pupils and be fairer to teachers, while still holding schools accountable and giving parents "the vital information they need".

Education Secretary Michael Gove said the proposed changes represented an "educationally sound approach... fair for teachers and schools".

Russell Hobby, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said he hoped any changes might "reduce the tyranny of the league table" - but that much would depend on how the government interpreted the findings.

"We are pleased to see the professionalism of school leaders recognised and greater trust placed in teachers as the best judges of pupil progress," he said.

Continue reading the main story Replace creative writing test with teacher assessment during the yearHave a test of spelling, punctuation and grammarKeep maths and reading testsPublish data to reflect progress Publish separate data for pupils who have been at the school for two years or moreGive sick pupils up to a week to take the test"We are particularly encouraged that Lord Bew has recommended teacher assessment for writing and that far greater weight be given to teacher assessment overall.

"This will reduce drilling and give both parents and secondary schools a far more accurate picture of pupils' achievement.

"The move away from crude attainment statistics toward a new focus on pupil progress... is critical.

"It will highlight those schools that do fantastic work in the most challenging circumstances and level the playing field for them."

But the review's findings were criticised by the classroom teachers' union, the NASUWT.

General secretary Chris Keates, said: "The secretary of state would have been wiser to hold fire on accepting the direction of travel of this report given its incoherent nature.

"He has ducked the issue and come up with a fudge.

"[Lord] Bew is claiming to give more trust to teachers but his recommendations, on teacher assessment and making the annual performance tables even more burdensome, will do the opposite."

League tables

At the moment, national curriculum tests, or Sats, are taken by children in English and maths.

In addition, schools are required to make statutory teacher assessments in English, maths and science, which are published alongside the test results.

The published Sats results are used by media organisations to create league tables of schools' performances and it is this which many school heads and teachers are opposed to.

Sats tests only exist in England. They were abolished in Wales and Northern Ireland and were never used in Scotland.

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Child protection shake-up urged

10 May 2011 Last updated at 06:39 GMT By Hannah Richardson BBC News education and family reporter Eileen Munro said the focus on targets "are becoming obstacles on people keeping a clear eye on children"

Front-line social workers should regain the freedom to decide what is best for children in a shake up of England's child protection system, an official review says.

The review, by social policy expert Professor Eileen Munro, calls for targets and red tape to be scrapped.

Developing social workers' expertise will enable more children to stay with their families, she adds.

The government is investing ?80m implementing the reforms this year.

Education Secretary Michael Gove asked Prof Munro to review the child protection system in England, focussing on whether bureaucracy and targets have been getting in the way of good practice.

In her report, the expert from the London School of Economics, says: "Helping children is a human process. When the bureaucratic aspects of work become too dominant, the heart of the work is lost."

'Significant savings'

She argues that the system has become preoccupied by individuals "doing things right" rather than "doing the right thing".

Continue reading the main story Mark Easton Home Editor, BBC News

When the government asked Eileen Munro to review child protection procedures, her terms of reference contained a paradox.

On the one hand ministers said they wanted social workers to be free from unnecessary bureaucracy and regulation - to make decisions based on their professional judgment, not simply following procedures.

On the other, they said they wanted social workers to be clear about their responsibilities and to be accountable - lessons must be learned. Errors exposed. Names named. While the former is about the system being hands-off, the second requires it to be hands on.

Of course, it is not a simple either/or. There is a balance to be found between a tick-box approach that blinds professionals to the subtleties of individual cases and a laissez-faire model that sees vulnerable children slipping tragically through the net.

Professor Munro reflects this tension when she points out that timescales for assessing children at risk were introduced because of legitimate concerns about "drift". But now, she claims there's "an over-preoccupation" with such targets.

And she concludes this attitude has meant that learning from professional experience has been limited.

She recommends a chief social worker - similar to a chief medical officer - should be appointed to report directly to government and liaise with the profession.

Prof Munro's report sets out how the system can move from one that has become too bureaucratic and focussed on compliance to one that values and develops professional expertise.

She says centrally-prescribed time scales for formal procedures, such as social work assessments, should be scrapped.

Her report also calls on the government to revise social worker statutory guidance - said to be 55 times longer than that issued nearly 40 years ago.

The amount of regulation has led to child protection staff feeling obliged to do everything by the book rather than use their professional judgement, says the report.

Prof Munro also wants the government to ensure local areas have the freedom to innovate, with local authorities taking more responsibility for helping their staff to operate with a high level of skill and knowledge.

'Radical change'

And she calls for the social workers' expertise to be developed - pointing out that skilled help can enable more children and young people to stay safely with their families and bring "significant savings".

Prof Munro told the BBC people had "underestimated how much skill is needed to do good social work".

She said social workers did not stay on the front line long enough to become really good at the job.

"What I'm recommending is a radical change to how we see a social work career and we have a complete progression into senior management where you're still knocking on the front door and doing real work as well as managing the service."

Her report warns that more money will be needed at first to develop the additional training necessary to set the profession off on a "new path".

Prof Munro has stressed the importance of nurturing social work expertise

And it cautions that "cherry-picking" reforms will not lead to the desired improvements overall.

One of the major challenges, the report adds, is how to enable a wide range of professionals work together well for the good of vulnerable children.

Clear lines of accountability and named contacts are "vitally important" for this, she adds.

The report also places an emphasis on early intervention, calling on the government to place a duty on local councils to ensure there are enough early-help services for children, young people and families.

In particular it singles out the effectiveness of Sure Start Children's Centres in providing early help and intervention.

'Long term' implementation

Children's Minister Tim Loughton said the review presented some wide-ranging and radically different proposals for reform.

"It is now up to the government and the children's sector to work together to look at the recommendations in detail and assess the implications of their implementation in practice for the long term, not as a short term fix.

"To do this the government will be working closely with a group of professionals from across the children's sector and we will respond to Professor Munro's recommendations later this year."

Chief executive of children's charity 4Children said the review backed many of the calls families are making for a move away from bureaucratic assessment to personalised and hands on support for those who are struggling to cope.

"I hope that government follows Munro's recommendation of local support for families who are struggling but have not yet reached crisis point. Our new campaign, Give me Strength, argues for the urgent need to stop patching up problems after they spiral out of control and make prevention and early intervention a reality."

The College of Social Work agreed that social workers have been hampered by an excessive emphasis on form-filling and a compliance culture.

"Surveys have shown that child protection workers can spend more than 60% of their time at computer screens, time which would often be better spent in face-to-face work with children at risk of harm."

Children's Commissioner Maggie Atkinson said she welcomed the recognition that children and young people of all ages needed early intervention and help.

"Harmful behaviour affecting a child can occur at any age and professionals must be trained to recognise early on when family intervention and support is required for older children."

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