Page 7 - ELG1803 Mar Issue 455

NEWS . NEWS

British language schools employ DON’T USE EDUCATION AS ‘WEAPON IN THE NO-GO FOR

ENGLISH-ONLY
hundreds of non-graduate teachers POLITICAL BATTLE’, SAY CATALAN TEACHERS DEGREES IN ITALY

By Andrea Pérez Egido Spanish and ‘blow up linguistic education minister, Íñigo Méndez By Federica Tedeschi
Catalan politicians and educators immersion’ showed that it wished de Vigo has decided to take more Italian universities cannot offer
By Melanie Butler the historically low level of graduate have blamed the Spanish ‘to continue hurting Catalonia.’ time to think about the changes to a degree exclusively in English,
Hundreds of teachers employed by unemployment in the economy. government for taking advantage of Ramon Font, spokesman for language education. He said that Italy’s high administrative court
UK accredited language schools do As an association, we are keen political instability in the region to USTEC, the largest primary school the government cannot change has ruled. The ruling has scuppered
not have all the core qualifications to support our members to make plan sweeping changes to language teachers’ union, told EL País the linguistic model because it a plan by the Polytechnic Institute
required by the British Council the best possible decisions around education. newspaper: ‘We ask that education needs the approval of the regional of Milan to offer all graduate
(BC), an analysis of inspection staffing...and we will be looking into Mariano Rajoy’s government has not be used as a weapon in the chamber. programmes in English to promote
reports reveals. Over 200 schools this further .’ announced that it is considering political battle.’ He added that the finding of the internationalisation and global
employ at least one teacher without A low graduate unemployment using its recent powers of direct In the same week, the Constitutional Court has reminded competition.
a first degree or equivalent, known rate and the financial squeeze rule over the region to bring Spanish Constitutional Court the government that it cannot The ruling, which is a victory
as a level 6 qualification. on language schools seems to be back Spanish medium lessons in has overturned articles in the ‘invade independent jurisdiction for the over 90 teachers who
However, the Gazette found only resulting in an increase in the Catalan schools. It has prompted 2013 education act which meant in the matter of education’. New challenged the plan in 2012, stated
12 cases where the requirement for number of exceptions granted by one teachers’ leader to suggest Catalonia must foot the bill for research published by EL País states that running a degree course
level 6 teachers is marked as ‘not the BC inspectors over the graduate education was being used as a Catalonian families who want to that Catalan students have the solely in English would relegate
met’ on the inspection report. teacher requirement. ‘weapon in the political battle’. study in Spanish. same or better level of Spanish as the Italian language to a marginal
Our analysis also found that ‘Exceptions may be justified The central goverment proposal According to EL Mundo, the the average student in Spain. position in academia. It would also
30 per cent of schools have one for a small minority of individual could allow parents to choose more restrict access to higher education
or more teachers without an cases within a centre’, the BC hours teaching in Spanish or even for those students who don’t
EFL certificate that meets the Officially, language school spokesperson said. The proportion choose it as their preferred language speak English, while also affecting
requirements of the scheme. In teachers should be graduates of non-graduate teachers deemed of instruction. Currently, only two lecturers’ freedom to teach, it
every single case the centre was unacceptable in a single language subjects, Spanish literature and found.
judged as not meeting the teaching examined rationales submitted for recruit the best person for the job.’ school remains unclear. language, are taught in Spanish in Meanwhile, the president of
qualifications requirement. employing non-graduate teachers However English UK, the members One summer school met the the region. the Italian language academy
The most serious shortfall were accepted by the inspectors. association which jointly runs the graduate staff requirement although Until the dramatic events of the Claudio Marazzini told the EL
appears to be in the number of Our research found a range of accreditation scheme with the BC, 10 out of 50 teachers did not have a Catalan independence referendum Gazette: ‘Those universities that
graduate teachers. The inspection ‘post school study’ was accepted had a different explanation. level six education. Another school, in October, Catalan education want to privilege English language
criteria state that all academic staff including a qualification in social A spokesperson said: ‘The EL which had nine non-graduates out was controlled by the regional over Italian can still go that way,
must be educated to degree level care, police training and a level 4 Gazette’s analysis highlights the of 54 teachers was judged not to government. however, they now need consensus
but ‘exceptionally, the employment certificate in hospitality. difficulties our member schools face meet the criterion. But since the ousting of Catalan from all involved teachers in order
of any academic staff without A spokesperson for the BC in employing sufficient numbers The BC added: ‘Decisions are president Carles Puigdemont, to avoid litigation’.
the appropriate general level of told the Gazette: ‘The scheme’s of teachers with the required made on a case-by-case basis, which Madrid has taken control. Depending on the specific
education may be acceptable with requirements maintain high levels of education and teacher means there is no fixed proportion Joan Tardà, an independent discipline taught, academies can
the provision of a valid rationale.’ standards but allow for some qualifications. ‘There are many of exceptions allowed under the political leader who sits on the run degrees in both languages
In 95 per cent of cases we flexibility to enable providers to reasons for this, and in particular scheme.’ national congress in Madrid, said A child wears the Catalan concurrently and offer individual
independence flag
that ministers’ attempt to impose English-taught modules.
newsinbrief SERIAL KILLER ADMITS TO 1990 MURDER OF ENGLISH

NEW ZEALAND’S A STUDENT AT A POPULAR TAXI AN ENGLISH CHINESE VOCABULARY LANGUAGE ASSISTANT IN FRANCE
NATIONALIST PARTY PRIVATE SCHOOL APP UBER TEACHER VIOLENTLY AND CONCEPTS
is calling for English to in Mexico has scored has dropped a legal attacked a Slovak woman are being increasingly
be recognised as an the highest mark in the challenge to plans and subjected her to understood outside of By Irena Barker
official language in the world in a Cambridge to introduce English racist abuse after a night China, according to an ‘It’s hard [for the family], but relieved in many ways. Let’s he said. ‘At last they can have
country. University English as a language tests for out in the seaside town official report. Shaolin, A French serial killer known as the end of a long legal battle.’ hope it’s something which we closure. This is a long awaited
New Zealand First has second language exam. drivers after authorities of Folkestone, UK. Hope a form of Chinese kung ‘the Ogre of the Ardennes’ has Ms Parrish, from Newnham can take forward. ‘If we can get breakthrough.’
submitted a bill that The 16 year-old was one made changes to Graham, 23, from the fu, was listed as the most confessed to the murder of an on Severn, Gloucester, had been that kind of certainty, it would Fourniret is already serving life
would give English the of tens of thousands of the proposed exam. south coast town, had recognised Chinese word, English language assistant in working as an English language be a huge relief. It’s the final in prison, without the possibility
same legal status as Te learners in 145 countries Transport for London been teaching English according to a report France nearly 28 years ago. assistant at the Jacques-Aymot hurdle that we’ve faced for the of parole.
Reo Māori, which was who sat the exam, Mexico told drivers that it in Thailand but had issued by the China Foreign Michel Fourniret was jailed high school in Auxerre, in the last 27 years.
recognised as an official News Daily reports. The would make the test returned to England Languages Publishing for life in 2008 for killing seven Burgundy region. ‘Our lawyers are confident
language in 1987. top-performing student ‘more relevant to the because her mother Administration. Top ten
New Zealand Sign attends Victoria School, role’. The original test was unwell, KentLive words and concepts also girls and young women, but has She went missing after going that this has a degree of
Language received the an international school had included asking reported. Graham was included: yin yang, yuan, now reportedly confessed to to meet a man who had answered positivity which we’ve not had
same status in 2006, but of about 500 students drivers to write short ordered to carry out 200 gugong, nihao, wushu, the killing of Joanna Parrish, an advert she placed in the local up to now,’ he said.
no law has ever been operated by British essays about subjects hours unpaid community qi, qigong, renminbi and a student at Leeds University paper offering English language Retired Gloucestershire police
passed to make English teachers in Tequisquiapan, such as life on Mars and work and pay £500 in mahjong, according to the who was raped and murdered in tuition. detective chief superintendent
official. central Mexico. river pollution. compensation. official Xinhua news agency. 1990. The police and the Parrish Bernie Kinsella, who helped
Fourniret has also admitted to family had long suspected French police investigate
the murder of French teenager Fourniret may also be responsible Joanna’s death, said he was
Marie-Angele Domece, Parrish for Joanna’s death, but he has delighted that the case finally
family lawyer Didier Seban said. never admitted it until now. appeared to have been solved.
‘It’s a new development – a Roger Parrish, Joanna’s father, ‘Roger, Pauline and Joanna’s
resolution of the affair, it seems, said, ‘It’s something that we’re brother have been to hell and
in a remarkable way,’ he added. pleased to hear about. We’re back over the last 28 years,’ Joanna Parrish
6 March 2018 editorial@elgazette.com 7