Statistics released show that in 2006-07 the Welsh Assembly Government allocated an estimated £4.4 billion of its budget to children in Wales, equating to 28 per cent of its total expenditure. This is the first time comprehensive statistics of this kind have been released in the United Kingdom and are a key requirement of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
The Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills has approved the publication of the List of Approved Qualifications for learners in Wales. This means that courses leading to qualifications listed are eligible in Wales for funding by a Local Education Authority or by the Welsh Assembly Government.
A £2 million fund designed to encourage Wales’s universities to help individuals and businesses weather the economic downturn has been launched.
The Welsh Assembly Government consulted on proposals to remodel the student finance system in Wales for full-time undergraduate students.
Children’s Minister Jane Hutt has outlined the progress made in driving forward policies for children and young people in her closing speech at a conference in Cardiff [Thursday 12 March 2009] on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The verification of the compatibility of the framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ) is now complete. The report details the compatibility of the FHEQ with the framework for qualifications of the European higher education area (FQ-EHEA).
The introduction of Diplomas for 14-19 year olds is a central part of the government’s reform of 14-19 education and represents a major innovation in educational opportunity for young people in England. The Diplomas are being offered at three levels and across 17 lines of learning, and are being implemented in four phases (from September 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011).
In April 2007 the new Ofsted brought together thirty-nine different regulatory and inspection systems, each with its own processes, and although many of these were similar, there was significant variation in how Ofsted inspected across the various remits.
In this month’s newsletter, there are new resources including an interactive guide to employer engagement for diploma teachers and the newly qualified teacher quality improvement study website.
Ed Balls today set out evidence showing how the link is being broken between deprivation and poor attainment but will argue there is much more to do – this is a challenge for every school in every area including supporting disadvantaged pupils in more affluent areas.
Businesses will get a helping hand to ensure they reap the benefits of employing the best people at graduate level, with a new online professional recruitment guide launched today. The guide aims to help employers in the professions look outside of their usual practices in recruiting staff, to make sure they are open and fair and they are reaching the most talented people they can.
