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Wales email: 27 April 2021 / E-bost Cymru: 27 Ebrill 2021

27 April 2021

In today's email:

  1. UCU Wales consultation response - qualified for the future

  2. FE round up

1. UCU Wales consultation response - qualified for the future
The summer 2020 assessment shone a light on the issues at the heart of our qualification system. In this response, UCU argues that the current suite of proposed GCSE's do not adequately reflect the needs of the new curriculum, learners and Welsh economy. We identify a growing debate both inside and outside the sector, evidencing issues in relation to pedagogy, inequality and parity of esteem. Reiterating our belief that an equality led recovery cannot be built on a system of high-stake assessment which necessarily fails a third of learners, we conclude by recommending that the regulator pause Qualified for Life to enable a broader discussion. This issue will be on the agenda for discussion by your representatives at the next meeting of Wales Council in June. Read the full response here.

2. FE round up

Joint agreement for the employment of part time hourly paid lecturers
We are in the process of renegotiating this agreement and are seeking the views of Part Time Hourly paid members on the proposed amendments. Please use the link to view the existing agreement along with the proposed amendments, which are highlighted in yellow, and let us know whether we have missed anything or if there is anything else you want us to consider. Please send any comments to Karen Williams by 14th May.

Workload
Congratulations to all our members who took part in the EWC workforce survey. The JTUs, employer reps and Welsh Government are looking at the results of the survey and working out how to use those results to plan for changes to address concerns raised by respondents.

Pay claim 21/22
FESC has adopted a pay motion which will be reflected in the JTU pay claim of at least 5% in pay for all FE staff in Wales. We now need to discuss our policy with other JTUs and draft a pay claim which we can sign off on.

Wellbeing project in FE
The JTUs are working with Welsh government to address the impact of Covid-19 on staff in FE and we will be running some pilot projects in three colleges, it is hoped that if successful, the project will encourage growth and development of a culture of shared ownership in supporting the wellbeing of self and others, promoting secure and open dialogue, awareness of mental health conditions and the positive impacts of sustainable wellbeing.

Professional learning
UCU are working with the two employers and the Welsh government to run professional learning pilots in two colleges, the aims of which are:

  1. to identify elements of good practice from teaching experiences in 2020/2021 and how these can support a mode of pedagogy best suited to the needs of learners in FE and the challenging world they are operating in

  2. to identify the effectiveness of professional learning undertaken by the pilot colleges in supporting improved retention. What works, what doesn't work?

  3. to raise awareness and consider how the professional standards can support a reflective culture in which staff are encouraged to think critically and creatively about the standards when designing delivery modes, curriculum content and teaching strategies, focusing efforts in the first term on retention.

  4. to develop guidance on effective approaches to improving retention from evidence-based practice.

  5. to draw out recommendations from the pilots to inform effective ways colleges can support the professional learning of their teachers as they navigate through a pivotal time in history.

In solidarity,
UCU Wales

Yn e-bost heddiw:

  1. Ymateb UCU Cymru i'r Ymgynghoriad - Cymwys ar gyfer y dyfodol

  2. Crynodeb Addysg Bellach

1. Ymateb UCU Cymru i'r Ymgynghoriad - Cymwys ar gyfer y dyfodol
Taflodd yr asesiad a gynhaliwyd yn haf 2020 oleuni ar y materion sydd wrth wraidd ein system gymwysterau. Yn yr ymateb hwn, mae UCU y dadlau nad yw'r gyfres bresennol o TGAU arfaethedig yn cynrychioli anghenion y cwricwlwm newydd, dysgwyr nac economi Cymru yn ddigonol. Rydym yn tynnu sylw at ddadl sy'n datblygu yn y sector ac y tu allan iddo, gan ddarparu tystiolaeth am faterion sy'n ymwneud ag addysgeg, anghydraddoldeb a pharch cydradd. Gan bwysleisio eto ein barn nad oes modd saernïo adferiad a arweinir gan gydraddoldeb ar sail system o asesu sy'n rhoi popeth yn y fantol ac sydd, wrth reswm, yn methu un o bob tri dysgwr, rydym yn argymell y dylai'r rheoleiddiwr oedi proses cynllun Cymwys am Oes er mwyn rhoi cyfle i gynnal trafodaeth ehangach. Bydd y mater ar yr Agenda i gael ei drafod gan eich cynrychiolwyr yng nghyfarfod nesaf Cyngor Cymru a gynhelir ym mis Mehefin. Gallwch ddarllen yr ymateb cyflawn yma.

2. Crynodeb Addysg Bellach

Cytundeb ar y Cyd ar Gyflogi Darlithwyr Rhan Amser a Delir Fesul Awr
Rydym wrthi'n ailnegodi'r cytundeb hwn ac yn gofyn am farn aelodau a Delir Fesul Awr am y diwygiadau arfaethedig. Defnyddiwch y ddolen i weld y cytundeb presennol ynghyd â'r diwygiadau arfaethedig, sydd wedi'u hamlygu'n felyn, a rhowch wybod i ni os ydym wedi methu unrhyw beth neu os oes unrhyw beth arall yr hoffech i ni ei ystyried. Anfonwch unrhyw sylwadau i Karen Williams erbyn 14 Mai.

Llwyth gwaith
Llongyfarchiadau i bob un o'n haelodau a gymerodd ran yn ein harolwg o weithlu Cyngor y Gweithlu Addysg. Mae'r Cyd-Undebau Llafur, cynrychiolwyr cyflogwyr a Llywodraeth Cymru yn ystyried canlyniadau'r arolwg ac yn trafod sut i ddefnyddio'r canlyniadau hynny i gynllunio ar gyfer newidiadau i fynd i'r afael â'r pryderon a godwyd gan ymatebwyr.

Hawliad Cyflog 21/22
Mae FESC wedi mabwysiadu cynnig cyflog a gaiff ei adlewyrchu yn hawliad cyflog y Cyd-Undebau Llafur o 5% o leiaf mewn cyflog ar gyfer staff Addysg Bellach yng Nghymru. Mae angen i ni drafod ein polisi â Chyd-Undebau Llafur eraill a llunio hawliad cyflog y gallwn ei gymeradwyo.

Prosiect Llesiant ym maes Addysg Bellach
Mae'r Cyd-Undebau Llafur yn gweithio gyda Llywodraeth Cymru i fynd i'r afael ag effaith COVID-19 ar staff ym maes Addyg Bellach, a byddwn yn cynnal prosiectau peilot mewn tri choleg yn y gobaith o annog twf a datblygiad diwylliant o berchenogaeth a rennir drwy gefnogi llesiant, hyrwyddo deialog ddiogel ac agored, ymwybyddiaeth o gyflyrau iechyd meddwl ac effeithiau cadarnhaol llesiant cynaliadwy.

Dysgu Proffesiynol
Mae UCU yn gweithio gyda'r ddau gyflogwr a Llywodraeth Cymru i gynnal cynlluniau peilot dysgu proffesiynol mewn dau goleg, gyda'r nod o wneud y canlynol:

  1. Nodi arferion da o brofiadau addysgu yn 2020/2021 a'r modd y gall y rhain gefnogi dull addysgeg sy'n gweddu orau i anghenion dysgwyr ym maes Addysg Bellach a'r byd heriol y maent yn gweithio ynddo.

  2. Nodi effeithiolrwydd dysgu proffesiynol a gyflawnir gan y colegau peilot o ran helpu i wella cyfraddau cadw. Beth sy'n gweithio, beth nad yw'n gweithio?

  3. Codi ymwybyddiaeth o'r safonau proffesiynol ac ystyried sut y gallant gefnogi diwylliant myfyriol lle y caiff staff eu hannog i ystyried y safonau mewn modd beirniadol a chreadigol wrth ddylunio dulliau cyflwyno, cynnwys y cwricwlwm a strategaethau addysgu, gan ganolbwyntio ymdrechion yn y tymor cyntaf ar gyfraddau cadw.

  4. Datblygu canllawiau ar ddulliau effeithiol o wella cyfraddau cadw o ymarfer sy'n seiliedig ar dystiolaeth.

  5. Nodi argymhellion o'r cynlluniau peilot i lywio ffyrdd effeithiol y gall colegau gefnogi dysgu proffesiynol eu hathrawon wrth iddynt lywio drwy gyfnod pwysig mewn hanes.

Mewn undod,
UCU Cymru

Last updated: 20 July 2021