A Fair Deal for Education
in Wales A Fair Deal for Education
in Wales
Crisis in Education Funding
Eighteen years of Conservative government undermined the grant and made students increasingly dependent on loans, In 1997, new Labour continued the Tory agenda by abolishing the grant and introducing Tuition Fees, currently set at £1050 a year. Students now leave university with an average £12,000 of debt. Nine out of 10 students admit to being in financial hardship and student debt has trebled in the last three years.
Reducing Access to Education
Low-income individuals and families are frightened of debt, for obvious reasons. The prospect of emerging from university with £12,000 of debt is enough to deter many people, regardless of their ability or potential. Students are increasingly unable to support themselves and are often forced to take up part-time work which risks harming their studies. Years of neglect and the remote nature of some communities mean that even this option can be denied to students in Wales. Objective One status in parts of Wales has proved that they are amongst the poorest areas in Europe.
Discrimination against the native language
Although Welsh education institutions should be the defenders of the Welsh language, many Welsh speakers are discriminated against by the use of mono-lingual English for important official documents.
What is to be done?
Students cannot afford to stand alone. An organised campaign within UCMC/NUS Wales and within local Students Unions is needed to demand the introduction of the points of the Glanrafon Charter by the National Assembly education review. We must work towards a broad mass of public support for the Charter involving Trades Unions, parents, lecturers and other campaigners. To do this we must advertise the Charter as widely as possible and get as many organisations to adopt its clauses as we can. All AMs and MPs in Wales need to know our demands and the mass of public support for them.
The Glanrafon Charter - Fair deal in education for Wales
1. A “Cubie style” enquiry be set up to analyse student funding and to make recommendations to the National Assembly.
2. The National Assembly should be given control over education in Wales.
3. The total abolition of tuition fees for UK residents studying in the UK.
4. The restoration of a living grant to H.E. students, to be means tested on the basis of the student’s income not parental income.
5. The introduction of a maintenance grant for F.E. students to be means tested on the basis of student income not parental income.
6. The right to Students Union representation for all students both H.E. and F.E.
7. The restoration of full benefit rights to all students.
8. Safe affordable child care facilities available to all students.
9. Safe affordable accommodation made available to all H.E. students.
10. An end to discrimination of age rates in the minimum wage.
11. Equal rights for those wishing to study through the medium of Welsh.
12. Greater provision of Welsh medium study in all subject areas, academic and vocational.
13. Equal representation of both the Welsh and English languages in all official documents and notices in the Universities and Colleges of Wales.
14. The right to Student Union representation at all disciplinary hearings in the Universities and Colleges of Wales.
15. The right to decide to hear disciplinary and official proceedings in either Welsh or English in the Universities and Colleges of Wales.
TEGWCH I ADDYSG YNG NGHYMRU
Argyfwng y Gyllid Addysgol
Tanseiliwyd y grant gan ddeunaw mlynedd o Iywodraeth Geidwadol, gan wneud myfyrwyr yn fwyfwy dibynnol ar fenthyciadau. Yn 1997, daliodd Llafur Newydd at yr agenda Doriaidd trwy ddiddymu’r grant a phennu Ffioedd Dysgu, sy’n £1050 ar hyn o bryd. Mae myfyrwyr yn gadael y brifysgol yn awr gyda dyled o £12,000, ar gyfartaledd. Cyfaddef naw o bob deg myfyriwr fod gannddynt drafferthion ariannol a threblodd dyled ymhlith myfyrwyr yn ystod y dair blynedd diwethaf.
Gweud Addysg yn fwy Anhygyrch
Mae unigolion a theuluoedd a’u hincwm yn isel yn ofni mynd i ddyled, am resymau amlwg. Mae’r posibilrwydd o adael y brifysgol a dyled o £12,000 yn ddigon i gadw llawer draw, waeth beth fo’u gallu na’u potensial. Aeth yn fwyfwy anodd i fyfyrwyr gynnal eu hunain ac fe’u gorfodir yn aml i gymryd swyddi rhan-amser all niweidio’u gwaith academaidd. Oherwydd blynydddoedd o esgeuelustod a lleoliad diarffordd rhai cymunedau, gall y cyfryw swyddi fod o gyrraedd myfyrwyr yng Nghymru. Profodd statws Amcan Un rhai ardaloedd Cymreig eu bod ymhlith y tlotaf yn Ewrop.
Anffafriaeth yn erbyn y Gymraeg
Er mai dyletswydd sefydliadau addysgol Cymru yw gwarchod yr iaith Gymraeg, difreinir llawer o Gymry Cymraeg oherwydd fod nifer fawr o ddogfennau swyddogol pwysig yn uniaith Saesneg.
Be nawn ni?
Ni all myfyrwyr fforddio sefyll ar eu pennau eu hunain. Rhaid wrth ymgyrch drefnus yn UCMC/NUS Cymru i fynnu bod Adolygaid Addysgol y Cynulliad yn derbyn Siartr Glanrafon. Rhaid inni gydweithio i sicrhau cefnogaeth gyhoeddus eang i’r Siartr gydag Undebau Llafur, rhieni, darlithwyr ac ymgyrchwyr eraill. I’r perwyl hwn, dylem hysbysu’r Siartr yn eang a chymell y nifer mwyaf bosib o fudiadau i’w harddel. Rhiad i holl A.C’au acA.S’au Cymru ddeall ein hamcanion a gweld y gefnogaeth gyhoeddus syweddol sydd iddynt.
Siartr Glanrafon - Chwarae teg mewn addysg i Gymru
1. Cynnal arolwg tebyg i “Cubie” a fyddai’n dadansoddi cyllido myfyrwyrac yn gwneud argymhellion i’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol.
2. Dylasai fod gan y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol reolaeth dros addysg yng Ngymru.
3. Diddymu ffioedd hyfforddi yn llwyr ar gyfer preswylwyr y Deyrnas Unedig sy’n astudio yn y DU.
4. Adfer grant teilwng i fyw ar gyfer myfyrwyr Addysg Uwch, gyda phrawf moddion ar sail incwm myfyrwyr yn hytrach nag incwm rhieni.
5. Cyflwyno grant cynnal ar gyfer myfyrwyr Addysg Bellach gyda phrawf moddion ar sail incwm myfyrwyr yn hytrach nag incwm rhieni.
6. Yr hawl i gynrychiolaeth Undeb Myfyrwyr ar gyfer pob myfyriwr boed mewn Addysg Uwch neu Addysg Bellach.
7. Adfer hawliau budd-dal llawn ar gyfer pob myfyriwr.
8. Adnoddau gofal plant diogel a fforddiadwy ar gael ar gyfer pob myfyriwr.
9. Llety diogel a fforddiadwy ar gael ar gyfer pob myfyriwr Addysg Uwch.
10. Diwedd i wahaniaethu yn yr isafswm cyflog ar sail graddfeydd oed.
11. Hawliau cyfartal i’r rhai hynny sydd yn dymuno astudiio trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg.
12. Gwell darpariaeth ar gyfer astudio trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg ym mhob maes pwnc, yn academaidd a galwedigaethol.
13. Cynrychiolaeth gyfartal i’r iaith Gymraeg a’r Saesneg ym mhob dogfen ac arwydd/hysbyseb swyddogol ym Mhrifysgolion a Cholegau Cymru.
14. Yr hawl i gynrychiolaeth Undeb y Myfyrwyr ym mhob gwrandawiad disgyblu ym Mhrifysgolion a Cholegau Cymru.
15. Yr hawl i ddewis clywed gweithrediadau disgyblu a gweithrediadau swyddogol yn naill ai’r Gymraeg neu’r Saesneg ym Mhrifysgolion a Cholegau Cymru.