25 January 2022

UCAC teachers’ union

In response to today’s announcement from the Education Minister, Jeremy Miles MS, Rebecca Williams, Deputy General Secretary of UCAC teachers’ union said “UCAC welcomes Welsh Government’s latest decision to move in a phased and cautious way towards moderating Covid measures in schools and returning to the local decision-making framework.

“The priority across the education system is to keep learners and staff healthy and in school, continuing with education. Keeping the requirement for face coverings in place for the time being is an essential and wholly reasonable component of the strategy to achieve that.

08 September 2021

In response to confirmation from the Education Minister, Jeremy Miles MS, today that there will be a 1.75% pay rise for teachers in Wales, Dilwyn Roberts-Young, Secretary General of UCAC said “We welcome the fact that the Welsh Government, on the recommendation of the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body, has decided to award a pay rise for teachers in Wales. The profession has worked in extremely challenging conditions over the last 18 months and fully deserves this acknowledgement.

“We realise that this was not an easy decision for the Welsh Government to make in light of the Westminster Government's decision to freeze teacher salaries in England and resulting lack of Barnett consequential funding. We therefore appreciate the additional contribution that the Welsh Government has announced today which goes at least some way towards funding the pay rise for school teachers and further education lecturers. We would not want to see a reduction in school budgets as a result of the pay award.

06 July 2021

In response to the Welsh Government Education Minister’s announcement today that there will be an adjustment to the timetable for implementing Wales’s new curriculum, Dilwyn Roberts-Young, UCAC General Secretary said “We welcome the adjustment to the timetable as a sensible compromise. UCAC tends to agree that the primary sector is, in general, better placed to proceed according to the original timetable, while an extra year for secondary schools will be very much appreciated.

"This is recognition of the fact that secondary schools face a greater challenge in terms of changes to pedagogy and school structures. It is also an acknowledgement of the overwhelming task that has landed on the shoulders of secondary school staff in implementing this year’s alternative qualifications arrangements.

22 March 2021

UCAC has sent letters to the Education Minister and the Children’s Commissioner for Wales expressing deep concern about the assessment arrangements being put in place for summer 2021.

Although UCAC welcomes the cancellation of this year’s exams, developments over recent days have led to fears about the proportionality of the process in terms of the expectations on pupils and on schools.

19 February 2021

On Friday, 19 February, six organizations sent a joint letter to the Minister for Education requesting amendments to the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Bill.

The Minister had rejected an amendment to the Bill that would create a Code for Teaching Welsh on a Single Continuum, but suggested that a Welsh Language Framework could be created and that it could be statutory.