Wales’s educational renaissance is symbolised by next week’s National Education Exhibition and Conference, which looks set to be the biggest and best ever. The country has taken firm control of its own educational destiny and is beginning to reap the benefits of its post-Devolution freedom. Exam results have reached record-breaking levels, fewer young people are leaving school with no qualifications, and primary class sizes are down to a record low.
But next week’s conference at the Cardiff International Arena, to be addressed by both Rhodri Morgan, the First Minister, and Jane Davidson, the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, mirrors educational concerns as well as triumphs. The many workshops and seminars tackle themes such as inclusion, classroom management and bullying. Truancy rates rose again in Wales last year and a recent union survey suggests that many Welsh teachers feel as overburdened as their colleagues in England.
The conference - the third of its kind to be held in the Cardiff International Arena - will give teachers a chance to revive their spirits and look at the best practice and resources available. Several schools have arranged to spend their in-service training days at Wales 2002, eager for information on the latest educational developments.
“The transition from key stages 2 to 3, early years and performance management are three of the important issues we will be focusing on this year,” said Neil Harries, the former chief education officer of Caerphilly who chairs the conference’s steering committee.
Workshop topics range from tried-and-tested approaches that smooth transition from primary to secondary in maths, English and science, to tackling Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in under-fives.
There are also five specialist mini-conferences, including one organised by CILT Cymru, the Welsh modern foreign languages centre, where Jane Davidson will introduce the new National Language Strategy for Wales. This aims to staunch the flow of pupils away from modern languages, which have never been compulsory at key stage 4.
The National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN) is also breaking new ground at its conference, which will introduce the results of research into parent partnership, jointly funded by NASEN Wales and the Welsh Assembly.
Other mini-conferences focus on early-years education, classroom management and school leadership. Sessions include an analysis of performance management by Chris Keates, deputy general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, and an outline of the new standards for day-care provision.
To bridge the gap between urban and rural Wales, the conference is featuring Ceridigion, a successful rural authority where half the primary schools have fewer than 50 pupils. Teachers and advisers from Ceredigion will be organising workshops in science and thinking skills and the authority’s 200-strong primary schools’ choir will sing at the opening ceremony.
Parents and grandparents have not been forgotten, either. “Having Fun with Science”, presented by advisers from Ceridigion, will show parents how they can encourage their children to explore science at home. And Grandma’s Stories, a new exhibitor, will demonstrate how grandparents can support children’s learning through storytelling. It is this cohesive and all-embracing approach to education which shows that Wales can truly be the learning country for which the Welsh Assembly and so many others are striving.
The full conference programme is available from Educational Exhibitions. Tel 020 8445 1757 email edex@educational-exhibitions.com
