NEU Cymru, NASUWT Cymru, Unison Cymru, NAHT Cymru, UCAC and ASCL Cymru have come together today (22nd February) to launch a petition with the Senedd, to ask the Welsh Government to withdraw plans to change the structure of the school year – which could see weeks moved from the summer holidays to the autumn and summer terms.
The education unions are asking their members to sign the Senedd petition, as they have consistently raised concerns that Welsh Government’s plans are not, and should not be, a priority for the education system in Wales. Now that the Welsh Government’s consultation exercise has closed, the education unions believe there is an opportunity to drop these plans.
Speaking about the proposals, Emma Forrest, NEU’s Assistant General Secretary responsible for Wales said:
“NEU Cymru is clear – funding of our schools, and support for our education workforce are the priorities for our members in Wales. With the new curriculum, additional learning needs reform, behaviour and attendance challenges, Welsh Government need to be supporting schools and making sure families have accessible holiday activities and free school meals, not changing the structure of the school year.”
Neil Butler, NASUWT Cymru’s national official for Wales, said: 'The Welsh Government seems to be in the process of asking the same question over and over regarding reform of the school year in the vain hope that somebody will finally give them the answer they want to hear. It won't happen. Reform of the school year is a dangerous distraction and will only do more damage to an already beleaguered education service. We need the Welsh Government to deal with the very real problems impacting on education in Wales and to stop going down this dead end.'
Rosie Lewis, UNISON Cymru Wales lead officer for schools, said: “Schools face numerous difficult challenges at the moment, reduced budgets, insufficient staff numbers, a recruitment and retention crisis, impossible workloads and pupil attendance. Ask any member of school support staff and they’d want the Welsh Government to focus on tackling these issues as a matter of urgency, not changes to the school year."
Laura Doel, NAHT Cymru’s National Secretary said: “There is no evidence that suggest changing the academic year offers any academic benefit to learners. We must ensure that any educational reform is driven by what is best for children and young people, not on a whim when there are crucial issues that need addressing like school funding, recruitment and retention of staff and ALN support.”
Ioan Rhy Jones, General Secretary of UCAC, said: “One appreciates the fact that everyone will have an opinion on the proposed changes to the school calendar, however, it is hard to see how the Government can introduce such a far-reaching change without a full assessment of impact on the education of children and the working conditions of teachers.
“The failure to consider fully the evidence available from research and comparative studies and the further failure to engage with education experts is a grave concern and reflects poorly on the First Minister and Government.”
Eithne Hughes, Director of ASCL Cymru said: “There are many issues which need to be addressed in our schools – lack of sufficient funding, teacher shortages, high levels of pupil absence, a rising tide of mental health concerns, and unsustainable workloads. The school calendar, however, is not one of those issues.”
Contact details:
Mary van den Heuvel, National Education Union Cymru: 02920 491818 07436 549606
Neil Butler, NASUWT Cymru, 029 2054 6080, ext: 2701, [email protected]
Rosie Lewis, Unison Cymru, 029 2072 9413, [email protected]
Laura Doel, NAHT Cymru, 0775480144, [email protected]
Eithne Hughes, ASCL Cymru 07834175284, [email protected]
Ioan Rhys Jones, UCAC, 01970639950; [email protected]
Notes to editors
Copy of petition:
Withdraw plans to change the structure of the school year
The Welsh Government’s evidence base is not sufficiently robust to justify the changes, which will cause significant disruption in our schools, and across the agricultural and tourism sectors in Wales.
We believe that now is not the time to change the structure of the school year, and remove time from the summer holidays. The education sector in Wales has seen significant changes, which have caused substantial impacts in terms of workload and wellbeing for our workforce.
We already have amongst the shortest summer holidays in Europe. Primary and secondary school students in Italy, Portugal, and Spain benefit from lengthy summer holidays of 12 to 13 weeks. In Sweden, it’s 10 weeks, France and Norway 8 weeks, Germany 7 weeks. All these countries performed better than Wales in the latest PISA results.
Further still, the plans do not replace sufficient support for disadvantaged children and their families, such as opportunities to access free school meals during the holidays, and funded sporting and creative activities.
https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/246076
Welsh version
Undebau addysg yn lansio deiseb i dynnu cynlluniau i ddiwygio'r flwyddyn ysgol yn ôl
Mae NEU Cymru, NASUWT Cymru, Unsain Cymru, NAHT Cymru, UCAC ac ASCL Cymru wedi dod at ei gilydd heddiw (22 Chwefror) i lansio deiseb i’r Senedd, i ofyn i Lywodraeth Cymru dynnu cynlluniau i newid strwythur y flwyddyn ysgol, a allai weld wythnosau yn symud o wyliau’r haf i dymor yr hydref a’r haf, yn ôl.
Mae’r undebau addysg yn gofyn i’w haelodau lofnodi deiseb y Senedd, gan eu bod wedi codi pryderon yn gyson nad yw cynlluniau Llywodraeth Cymru, ac na ddylent fod, yn flaenoriaeth i’r system addysg yng Nghymru. Nawr bod cyfnod ymgynghori Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cau, mae’r undebau addysg yn credu bod yna gyfle i atal y cynlluniau hyn.
Wrth siarad am y cynigion, dywedodd Emma Forrest, Ysgrifennydd Cyffredinol Cynorthwyol yr NEU sy’n gyfrifol am Gymru:
“Mae NEU Cymru yn glir – ariannu ein hysgolion, a chefnogaeth i’n gweithlu addysg yw’r blaenoriaethau ar gyfer ein haelodau yng Nghymru. Gyda’r cwricwlwm newydd, diwygio anghenion dysgu ychwanegol, heriau ymddygiad a phresenoldeb, mae angen i Lywodraeth Cymru fod yn cefnogi ysgolion a sicrhau bod teuluoedd yn cael gweithgareddau hygyrch yn ystod y gwyliau, a chinio ysgol am ddim, a pheidio â newid strwythur y flwyddyn ysgol.”
Dywedodd Neil Butler, swyddog cenedlaethol NASUWT Cymru: ‘Mae’n ymddangos bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn y broses o ofyn yr un cwestiwn drosodd a throsodd ynghylch diwygio’r flwyddyn ysgol yn ofer y gobaith y bydd rhywun yn rhoi’r ateb y maent eisiau ei glywed. Ni wnaiff hyn ddigwydd. Mae diwygio'r flwyddyn ysgol yn wrthdyniad peryglus a fydd yn gwneud mwy o niwed i wasanaeth addysg sydd eisoes dan warchae. Mae angen i Lywodraeth Cymru ymdrin â'r problemau gwirioneddol sy'n effeithio ar addysg yng Nghymru a rhoi'r gorau i fynd lawr y stryd bengaead hon.'
Dywedodd Rosie Lewis, swyddog arweiniol UNSAIN Cymru ar gyfer ysgolion, “Mae ysgolion yn wynebu nifer o heriau anodd ar hyn o bryd, cyllidebau llai, niferoedd staff annigonol, argyfwng recriwtio a chadw, baich gwaith amhosibl a phresenoldeb disgyblion. Gofynnwch i unrhyw aelod o staff cymorth ysgolion a byddent am i Lywodraeth Cymru ganolbwyntio ar fynd i’r afael â’r materion hyn fel mater o frys, nid newidiadau i’r flwyddyn ysgol."
Dywedodd Laura Doel, Ysgrifennydd Cenedlaethol NAHT Cymru: “Nid oes unrhyw dystiolaeth sy’n awgrymu bod newid y flwyddyn academaidd yn cynnig unrhyw fudd academaidd i ddysgwyr. Mae’n rhaid i ni sicrhau bod unrhyw ddiwygio addysgol yn cael ei ysgogi gan yr hyn sydd orau i blant a phobl ifanc, nid ar fympwy pan fo mae angen mynd i’r afael â materion hollbwysig megis ariannu ysgolion, recriwtio a chadw staff a chymorth ADY.”
Dywedodd Ioan Rhy Jones, Ysgrifennydd Cyffredinol UCAC: “Mae rhywun yn gwerthfawrogi’r ffaith y bydd gan bawb farn ar y newidiadau arfaethedig i’r calendr ysgol, ond mae’n anodd gweld sut y gall y Llywodraeth gyflwyno newid mor bellgyrhaeddol heb asesiad llawn o effaith ar addysg plant ac amodau gwaith athrawon.
“Mae’r methiant i ystyried yn llawn y dystiolaeth sydd ar gael o ymchwil ac astudiaethau cymharol a’r methiant pellach i ymgysylltu ag arbenigwyr addysg yn bryder mawr ac yn adlewyrchu’n wael ar y Prif Weinidog a’r Llywodraeth.”
Dywedodd Eithne Hughes, Cyfarwyddwr ASCL Cymru said: “Mae yna lawer o faterion sydd angen sylw yn ein hysgolion - diffyg cyllid digonol, prinder athrawon, lefelau uchel o absenoldeb disgyblion, cynnydd gofidus mewn pryderon iechyd meddwl, a baich gwaith anghynaladwy. Fodd bynnag, nid yw calendr yr ysgol yn un o’r materion hynny.”
Dileu cynlluniau i newid strwythur y flwyddyn ysgol
Nid yw sylfaen dystiolaeth Llywodraeth Cymru yn ddigon cadarn i gyfiawnhau’r newidiadau arfaethedig, a fydd yn tarfu’n sylweddol ar ein hysgolion ac ar y sectorau amaethyddol a thwristiaeth yng Nghymru.
Credwn nad nawr yw’r amser i newid strwythur y flwyddyn ysgol a gwneud y gwyliau haf yn fyrrach. Mae’r sector addysg yng Nghymru wedi wynebu newidiadau sylweddol, sydd wedi cael effaith fawr ar lwythi gwaith a llesiant ein gweithlu.
Mae’r gwyliau haf yng Nghymru ymhlith y byrraf yn Ewrop. Mae myfyrwyr ysgol gynradd ac ysgol uwchradd yn yr Eidal, Portiwgal, a Sbaen yn elwa o wyliau haf hir o 12 i 13 wythnos. Mae disgyblion yn Sweden yn cael 10 wythnos o wyliau haf, 8 wythnos yn Ffrainc a Norwy, a 7 wythnos yn yr Almaen. Perfformiodd yr holl wledydd hyn yn well na Chymru yn y canlyniadau PISA diweddaraf.
At hyn, nid yw’r cynlluniau’n cymryd lle cynnig cymorth digonol i blant difreintiedig a’u teuluoedd, megis cyfleoedd i gael prydau ysgol am ddim yn ystod y gwyliau a gweithgareddau chwaraeon a gweithgareddau creadigol sydd wedi’u hariannu.
https://deisebau.senedd.cymru/deisebau/246076