Page 6 - ELG1802 Feb Issue 454

NEWS . NEWS

Performance statistics for England’s IRISH SCHOOLS’ COURT ACTION OVER TEACHERS ATTACK

LANGUAGE
English learners spark debate LACK OF QUALITY ASSURANCE SCHEME SCHOOLS OVER

By Melanie Butler according to a new study by the CONDITIONS
Non-native-speaker children Runnymede Trust. By Melanie Butler by Acels before the scheme was before. In 2014, NED Training By Melanie Butler
have hit the headlines in England Among those on free school The Irish government is again closed. Centre and Academic Bridge While the Irish government is being
after government figures showed meals, children of poor families in legal trouble over its failure David Russell, managing took the government to court sued by angry English language
they outperformed their native from India, Bangladesh and to introduce a quality assurance chair of PCN and director of for introducing a ban on non- schools (see left), the language
speaker peers in their GCSEs, Africa scored double the marks of scheme for international NED Training Centre, pointed Acels schools enrolling students schools themselves are coming
the national exams taken at age the white British. education, first promised in out that Acels has accredited from outside the EU. under attack from teachers.
sixteen. The way the statistics Educationalists are concerned 2012. no new schools since 2015 and They argued that Acels had The Unite union, which has
were presented, however, has that the government will use the The Progressive Colleges precious few since 2012. no statutory standing and that taken up the cudgels for the
come under fire from experts. results as an excuse to reduce Network (PCN), an association In a letter to the government the government was wrong country’s EFL teachers, recently
The difference in scores funding for English language of six language schools, is published in the Journal, he in banning non-Acels from lobbied both the Spanish and Swiss
between native and non-native support for migrant children, taking authorities to court for writes, ‘The assertion that only enrolling non-EU students. The embassies to warn their nationals
speakers was less than 1 per cent. based on results achieved by ‘anti-competitive’ practices, schools who got into Acels prior judge agreed. of the deteriorating conditions for
This was far lower than the 27 per largely second-generation migrant according to the Journal website. to 2012 are the only regulated Last year, the government Irish staff. This followed a series
cent difference between children children. This follows the discovery of and “quality” schools in the passed the first part of legislation of teacher demonstrations against
receiving free school meals – the Non-English-speaking children in the recent exams for 16 year- and those with families from an email from the Irish embassy country is simply not true.’ to enable a new quality assurance being forced into self-employed
strongest indicator of poverty currently in English primary olds. This is because a new system Bangladesh, 0.7 per cent, also advising an international PCN members have scheme, which is scheduled to status, illegal under Irish law, or
– and their more privileged schools were born after the of marking was introduced, perform above the national student to only study at schools successfully sued the government go live in 2019. stuck on zero-hour contracts.
peers, regardless of language increase in EU migration in 2004 which gave more marks for high average. Children from all three listed as part of the Acels School association MEI has
background. and are more likely to have been performance and with fewer marks groups are generally second- or scheme because ‘Acels is a warned its schools against using
Indeed, the marginally lower born abroad to first-generation available for other levels. Ethnic third-generation migrants whose quality accreditation.’ self-employed contracts and
overall exam performance of migrant parents who don’t speak Chinese, who make up only 0.7 parents speak English well. Acels, a scheme jointly run by welcomed moves to outlaw zero-
native-speaker children can English. per cent of the population, have Roughly 15 per cent of the the Department of Education Jean Housen hours contracts.
largely be accounted for by the As the graph shows, except for long been the top performers. school population in England and the EFL industry, did indeed Permanent contracts for
disastrous performance of the the Chinese, the performance Children of Indian heritage, currently comes from a non- provide accreditation from 1969 language-school staff all but
poorest white British children, of all ethnic groups fell slightly 2.3 per cent of the population, English-speaking background. to 2012, when it was taken disappeared some years ago.
over by the Irish government But hourly rates in the country
pending the introduction of a remained among the best in Europe
Anglophone The leader of the anglophone speaking regions from its much the Republic of Ambazonia. Over new quality assurance scheme. until the dismantling of the Acels
this
the
accreditation system in 2012.
During
time,
larger French-speaking area. The
the last 60 years the ‘Ambazonians’
separatist movement of Cameroon,
The
quality
long-promised
separatist Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe, has central government of Cameroon say they have suffered systematic permanent staff of Acels were assurance system due to be
reportedly been arrested in Nigeria.
has for decades marginalised
violation of their educational and
reduced to a single person and
leader He has been accused of taking the country’s English-speaking legal system. Mr Tabe’s group, the access to new applicants was implemented by the Irish
Governing Council of Ambazonia,
provinces, which historically made
part in a clandestine plot against
government in 2019 is likely to
severely restricted in the first
arrested in the Cameroonian authorities, up a separate British colony. At declared autonomy last October, three years. improve terms and conditions. But
there is no mention of teachers’
according to the BBC.
independence, it chose to merge
generating clashes between the
The scheme was closed to
is
Cameroon campaigning for separation of the with the French Cameroons. But government and supporters of the new entrants in 2015. Leinster House, the seat of the wages, employment status or even
movement
Mr
Tabe’s
many English speakers now want to
separatist groups that left a number
Only one PCN member,
qualifications in the draft code of
West African country’s two English- set up a separate state, to be called of casualties. SEDA College, was accredited Irish parliament practice.
newsinbrief IRAN ENGLISH BAN OVER ‘CULTURAL INVASION’
A DRUGS BUST A NEW WEBSITE THE HEAD OF DEMAND FOR INTERNATIONAL By Melanie Butler
REVEALED IS GATHERING AMERICA’S LARGEST INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS BRING as the language of the Koran, is country. While the government families prioritising English in
marijuana plants stories about sexual school district is stepping schools in a number £20.3 billion net to the UK Iran has banned teaching compulsory from the beginning has been swift to blame the their children’s education.’
growing in the homes harassment and bullying down from her role at of key European cities economy, a new study English in primary schools, of secondary school. unrest on foreign interference,
of two English language in the English language age 74. Carmen Fariña, has surged because of says. These benefits work citing fears of ‘cultural invasion’, A second foreign language is the reality may be far more
teachers in Taiwan. industry. The site, New York’s Schools companies relocating out at ten times the cost according to reports. also mandatory in high school complex. Former president
One teacher was ELTtoo, has already Chancellor since 2014, due to Brexit, according of hosting students from In January, Mehdi Navid- but the choice of English is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who Daniella Zalcman
arrested after the received dozens of recently launched a to market analysts overseas, the research Adham, head of the country’s almost universal, with most is strongly anti-Western, was
discovery of 220 plants testimonies, including major expansion of dual- ISC Research. Susan published by the Higher High Council of Education, private schools and some state placed under house arrest
and 1kg of dried one from a woman language programmes Krumrei, head of ISC’s Education Policy Institute
cannabis in the raids whose boss would lick in the city. The former field research in Europe, and Kaplan International told state television: ‘In primary schools offering it at primary for inciting further riots by
on their homes in New lollipops suggestively elementary school added: ‘Several schools Pathways said. It found schools, the foundations should level. criticising corrupt politicians.
Taipei City and Taoyuan over her desk. Another principal, who was born in Frankfurt have seen that the total benefits – be laid to promote Farsi and Enrolment in private language ‘The ban on English teaching
City. tells how she was patted to Spanish immigrants, a rise in enrolment including tuition fees, other Iranian culture.’ schools is also common, might not be related to the
Taiwan English News on the bottom by a said the expansion would demand of up to 40 spending and economic Navid-Adham also said the especially among middle-class protests but it can spread despair
reported the men conference speaker. The prepare New York’s per cent as companies, knock-on effects – amount teaching of English in primary families. At the time of writing, in the country,’ an Iranian
met while they were site, set up by a group of 150,000 ELLs ‘for real-world planning on relocation to £22.6bn, of which schools was against regulations, the Gazette has been unable to politician told the Financial
both teaching English educators, is anonymous experiences and success in as a result of Brexit, are £5.1bn is generated by EU reports in the Guardian and establish whether the primary Times.
language at a cram – see elttoo.wordpress. the classroom and beyond’. blocking places for their students and £17.5bn by Financial Times newspapers said. ban extends to language schools. The paper also quoted a
school. com. (Read more on page 10) families.’ non-EU students.
Arabic is the first foreign It is not clear that the ban is a primary teacher as saying, ‘It is Former president Ahmadinejad
language in Iran’s schools and, direct result of recent riots in the not even do-able, with [many] was placed under house arrest
6 February 2018 editorial@elgazette.com 7