Latest news with #Di'Iasio
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Spanish overtakes French as most popular foreign language GCSE
Holidays to the Balearic Islands have helped make Spanish the most popular foreign language choice at GCSE, a union has claimed. GCSE entries for Spanish rose by 1.6 per cent to 131,965 this summer, provisional data for England show, edging French off the top spot for the first time in more than a decade. Spanish has risen in popularity in recent years, with GCSE entries jumping almost half since 2014, when 89,450 teenagers took the subject. The boost may be in part fuelled by growing British interest in the Spanish islands as a holiday destination, one union has claimed. Pepe Di'Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the rising dominance of Spanish at GCSE level was because 'young people may be more familiar with the Spanish language, because of the popularity of Spain, the Balearics and Canary Islands as holiday destinations'. Spain is now the top foreign holiday choice for Britons, with 17.8 million visits made in 2023, according to research published by the House of Commons. The country's islands are now so popular among UK holidaymakers that many have seen a rise in anti-tourist protests in the past year, including in Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza. France is still the second choice for Britons travelling abroad, but is thought to be falling out of favour among young people in search of cheap, sun-filled beach holidays. Meanwhile, trips to Germany dropped by more than 900,000 between 2019 and 2023, meaning the country is no longer in the top 10, as new destinations such as Turkey and Poland also creep up the chart. It may explain why French and German are now both on the wane at GCSE while Spanish sees increasing traction. The number of teenagers sitting GCSE French has slumped by a fifth since 2014, while German entries have dwindled by around 45 per cent over that time, according to Telegraph analysis of Ofqual figures. In total, 128,155 pupils are expecting their GCSE results in French this summer, marking a 1.9 per cent fall compared to last year. German entries dropped 7.6 per cent to 32,430 across the same period, having collapsed over the past decade or so. There are fears that German could die out altogether as a language choice among British pupils, with the number of children taking the subject at GCSE this year representing around a quarter of those sitting either French and Spanish. Provisional data for England show a similar pattern at at A-level, with entries for French and German down by 8.3 per cent and 6.8 per cent respectively, while entries for Spanish rose 1.4 per cent this summer. Mr Di'Iasio said: 'The growing popularity of Spanish is really good news as there has been a long-term decline in modern foreign languages, but we do need to do more at a national level to boost language learning more generally.' Others have pointed to a lack of specialist teachers in state schools under a worsening recruitment and retention crisis. Languages are not compulsory at GCSE level, but many schools choose to make them part of their core syllabus. Sarah Hannafin, head of policy at school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'With recruitment challenges really biting in schools, some simply don't have the teachers they need to offer courses in certain subjects. 'Teacher recruitment targets were missed in computing, chemistry, physics and modern foreign languages in the last couple of years, and these are among the subjects which experienced a fall in entries.' Statistics, performing arts and music were the biggest risers in GCSE subjects this year, according to provisional Ofqual data published on Thursday, with engineering, German and physics recording the biggest falls in entries. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The Guardian
17-03-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Unauthorised school absence widening ‘disadvantage gap' in England
Unauthorised school absence is a leading cause of the widening performance gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers in England, according to analysis from a respected thinktank. The research by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) found that all of the increase in the 'disadvantage gap' among 16-year-olds since 2019 can be explained by students on free school meals (FSM) missing more time off school than other pupils, putting them several months behind in terms of their results. 'It is unauthorised absence that is of key concern, particularly at secondary school. Compared with authorised absence, it contributes more to the GCSE gap, and its contribution has grown faster since 2019,' the report stated. Poor attendance has also widened the attainment gap at all ages. The EPI calculated that if disadvantaged pupils had the same attendance record as other pupils, the attainment gap at age 11 would be almost 10% smaller, and the gap at age 16 would be 20% lower. Emily Hunt, the EPI's associate director of social mobility, said: 'For the first time, we have shown that high and increasing levels of absence among disadvantaged pupils are the primary reason why the disadvantage gap has grown since 2019 and that the government won't tackle the gap unless it gets to grips with the complex root causes of absence.' School leaders endorsed the EPI's analysis. Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: 'Too often, the burden of ensuring children attend school falls entirely on teachers and leaders, who are then held accountable for absences beyond their control. 'Without a broader system of support, it is extremely difficult for schools to drive meaningful change in attendance rates.' Di'Iasio said that 'for some families, school seems to have become – at least in part – optional', and said fines for taking unauthorised termtime holidays were failing to halt that trend. 'Far from solving the problem, fines often deepen tensions between schools and parents. Schools, simply enforcing the rules, are left looking like the villains,' Di'Iasio told the ASCL's annual conference on Saturday. The Department for Education's data showed one in 50 pupils at state schools in England missed at least half of their lessons in 2022-23, with pupils on free school meals twice as likely to be absent than others. The DfE will this week publish its updated school attendance figures for 2023-24. Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, told the ASCL conference that 'green shoots are appearing, especially in our secondary schools' on attendance. Phillipson added: 'If we keep this up, we'll achieve one of the biggest annual increases in recent memory.' The EPI found that children whose special educational needs and disabilities (Send) were not identified early in their time at school were likely to fall behind. Hunt said the results were 'confirmation that the youngest children with Send have been some of the worst impacted, post-pandemic.' The research also found that girls 'are increasingly making less progress during secondary school than boys since the pandemic. We therefore reiterate our call for more research to understand the declining attainment of girls and any links with the widening of the gender mental health gap in recent years.' Attainment gaps continued to grow among all age groups, according to the EPI. By age seven, nearly 60% of the gap at age 11 had already developed. The thinktank is calling on the government to tackle the disadvantage gap by increasing the early years pupil premium – paid to education providers for disadvantaged children aged from nine months – to match the pupil premium in later years. A DfE spokesperson said: 'This government inherited a system with a number of baked-in inequalities, and this report is further evidence that the absence epidemic is having a detrimental impact on children's learning and their future success. Getting more pupils attending school regularly is a top priority for the government.'
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Some parents see school as optional and £80 fines for holidays have no impact'
Some parents see school as "optional" following the Covid-19 pandemic and fines for unauthorised absences are "not reversing" that trend, according to the leader of a headteachers' union. Pepe Di'Iasio, the leader of a headteachers' union, is set to say some families now view school attendance as "optional" post-pandemic, and that fines for unauthorised absences failing to curb the trend. Speaking at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) annual conference in Liverpool on Saturday (today), Di'Iasio will argue that penalties for parents who take their children out of school without permission can "often deepen tensions" with families. In his address, Mr Di'Iasio will urge ministers to collaborate with the travel industry to tackle the "excessive" costs of holidays during school breaks. These remarks come as a recent ASCL survey indicates that 93% of state school teachers and leaders have encountered instances this academic year where pupils were absent because their families opted for a holiday during term time. READ MORE: Mum fined £480 for taking kids on term-time holiday takes drastic action after she's left with 'no choice' READ MORE: Mum taken to court after going on holiday with her children during school term-time The survey, conducted by the Teacher Tapp app, questioned 9,127 teachers and leaders across England about pupil absences they've encountered this year. Findings reveal that over four-fifths (81%) of respondents reported students missing school for family events, while 74% noted absences due to school-related anxiety. Additionally, 61% mentioned pupils staying home because they were tired after a previous night's event, and 36% cited disputes between parents or carers and the school as a reason for absence. Furthermore, the poll found that around one in eight (13%) educators had been informed of students wanting to work online from home instead of attending school. In September, fines for school absences in England were increased from £60 to £80, with a subsequent fine for the same child within three years now set at £160. The hike in fines was announced by the previous Conservative government in February last year as an initiative to improve school attendance post-pandemic. During his speech at the union's annual conference, Mr Di'Iasio will say: "We all know something changed in society after the Covid-19 pandemic. "I can't pinpoint exactly why, but for some families, school seems to have become – at least in part – optional. And that mindset persists." Mr Di'Iasio will also say that "the blunt instrument of fines is not reversing this trend." Penalty notices issued to parents in England for unauthorised school absences soared to nearly half a million (487,344) in the 2023/24 academic year, with the majority (91%) being for unauthorised family holidays. Mr Di'Iasio will discuss how "fines often deepen tensions between schools and parents" and result in schools "are left looking like the villains". Addressing hundreds of school and college leaders on Saturday, he will propose: "It's time to refresh and renew the social contract with a declaration agreed and developed by schools, government, and parents working together. "This means setting out clear expectations, the importance of following the rules for the collective good, and the proper channels for complaints. "Such an agreement should be developed, endorsed, and promoted by everyone with a stake in education. We need to speak with one voice. "I want to address the increasingly strained relationship between schools and some of our parents. "When I speak to colleagues across the country, many tell me they feel under siege from a growing culture of complaints. "These grievances aren't just directed at schools – they're escalated to Ofsted, the Teaching Regulation Agency, the Department for Education, and local authorities. "And if that weren't enough, they are often amplified on social media, adding further pressure to already overstretched staff, who feel unable to respond." Professor Becky Francis, chair of the Government's curriculum and assessment review, will also take the stage at the ASCL conference this Saturday. In her Friday speech to school and college leaders, the Education Secretary highlighted the urgent need for schools to "catch up fast" in enhancing pupil attendance rates. Bridget Phillipson expressed concerns that some schools were lagging in tackling absenteeism and emphasised the need for "old-fashioned graft". Speaking at the conference in Liverpool, Ms Phillipson conveyed her refusal to overlook the "damage" inflicted when children miss out on their schooling.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Families see school as ‘optional' and fines are not reversing post-Covid trend
Some families see school as 'optional' since the pandemic – and fines for unauthorised absences are 'not reversing' the trend, the leader of a headteachers' union will say. Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), will say fining parents who take their children out of school without permission 'often deepen tensions' with families. In a speech at the union's annual conference on Saturday in Liverpool, Mr Di'Iasio will call on ministers to engage with the travel industry to address the 'excessive' cost of holidays during the school breaks. His comments come as a survey for the ASCL suggested that 93% of teachers and leaders in state schools had been told this academic year that a pupil had been absent as their family wanted to go on holiday during term time. The poll by the Teacher Tapp app asked 9,127 teachers and leaders in England what reasons they had been given for pupil absence this academic year. More than four in five (81%) said a pupil had missed school to attend a family event and 74% said a pupil was too anxious about school to attend. More than three in five (61%) said a pupil had been kept home because they were tired after an event the night before, and 36% said they had been kept off school because the parent or carer was in dispute with the school. Around one in eight (13%) said a pupil had been absent as they wanted to work online from home, according to the poll. In September, school absence fines in England rose from £60 to £80, and a parent who receives a second fine for the same child within a three-year period will now receive a £160 fine. The former Conservative government announced the hike in fines in February last year as part of a drive to boost school attendance since the pandemic. In his address to the union's annual conference, Mr Di'Iasio will say: 'We all know something changed in society after the Covid-19 pandemic. 'I can't pinpoint exactly why, but for some families, school seems to have become – at least in part – optional. And that mindset persists. 'The blunt instrument of fines is not reversing this trend.' The number of fines issued to parents in England for taking their children out of school without permission increased to almost half a million (487,344) in the 2023/24 academic year – and the vast majority (91%) of these penalty notices were for unauthorised family holidays. Mr Di'Iasio say that 'fines often deepen tensions between schools and parents' and schools 'are left looking like the villains'. He will tell hundreds of school and college leaders on Saturday: 'It's time to refresh and renew the social contract with a declaration agreed and developed by schools, government, and parents working together. 'This means setting out clear expectations, the importance of following the rules for the collective good, and the proper channels for complaints. 'Such an agreement should be developed, endorsed, and promoted by everyone with a stake in education. We need to speak with one voice.' Mr Di'Iasio will add: 'I want to address the increasingly strained relationship between schools and some of our parents. 'When I speak to colleagues across the country, many tell me they feel under siege from a growing culture of complaints. 'These grievances aren't just directed at schools – they're escalated to Ofsted, the Teaching Regulation Agency, the Department for Education, and local authorities. 'And if that weren't enough, they are often amplified on social media, adding further pressure to already overstretched staff, who feel unable to respond.' Professor Becky Francis, chair of the Government's curriculum and assessment review, is also due to address ASCL's conference on Saturday. During her speech to school and college leaders on Friday, the Education Secretary called for schools to 'catch up fast' to improve pupil attendance. Bridget Phillipson said some schools were 'not making enough progress' on absences as she called for 'old-fashioned graft'. In her address to the conference in Liverpool, Ms Phillipson said she would not accept the 'damage' caused by children missing school.
