TV celebrity stands up for ‘pressured’ pupils as Maes turnout marvellous
Abby Bolter reports from the Maes, where day president Martyn Geraint criticised the treatment of school pupils by politicians, and organisers are celebrating a ‘fantastic’ turnout so far...
POLITICIANS’ treatment of school pupils as “machines” subjected to “endless tests” has been slammed by the Urdd Eisteddfod’s day president, Martyn Geraint.
Speaking at a press conference on the Maes yesterday, he said their interference and focus on “data” deprived children of the kind of enriching experiences that are found at Europe’s largest youth cultural festival, adding that it was making teachers ill with stress.
Known to generations of youngsters after decades fronting children’s shows on S4C, Martyn praised teachers’ work in the classroom and also in training pupils who come to perform on the Maes.
But he said teaching was the only job where “no-one is ever worthy, no matter how hard you work”.
“Who does the data help? Does it help the children? They just feel the added pressure,” he said.
“The parents: does the data help? No. The teachers – they are just worried about everything else they could be doing.
“And that leaves the politicians. Oh yeah, the data helps the politicians as they test the children endlessly. So we have to ask, are the politicians worthy?”
He recalled an experience where he said he encountered such an “unworthy politician” while serving as a governor at Ysgol Gyfun Garth Olwg, in Church Village, formerly Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen.
As a resident of Pontypridd and former pupil of YG Rhydfelen, Martyn said he was honoured to serve the new generation of pupils.
“And then in 2012 I was suspended because I continued to argue for the children and the staff against injustice. “The situation in Rhydfelen showed that some politicians were not bothered about people’s opinion as long as they got their own way. But is that the situation throughout the whole of Wales?
“I am fortunate to visit schools throughout Wales every year. Very often I hear of teachers that are under pressure and a number that are ill and under stress. And what about the jobs that are not filled because no-one is worthy?
“What about the endless tests and data. Does it help or hinder the situation?”
The Welsh Government introduced national reading and numeracy tests for seven- to 14-year-olds in 2013 as part of the response to poor Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) results.
But the NUT has highlighted teachers’ concerns over the impact the tests are having on pupils’ confidence – there have been reports that children have been reduced to tears – and the way they believe the tests are acting as a barrier to learning, not an enhancement.
But Welsh Labour has said the tests have been a “positive step forward” for education.
Martyn asked: “So is there too much politics in the Welsh education system and has teaching passed the test? Because, after all, our children aren’t machines.
“Can we do something different here in Wales?”
He said only time would tell if the report by Professor Graham Donaldson setting out a new vision for a Welsh curriculum, which should be in place by 2021, would be “the new hope”.
He added: “It would be lovely to have less interference from politicians.
“In the meantime the Urdd will have to give everyone the opportunity – from the academic, but also importantly, not the academic.
“For example, people like Gareth Bale, who competed in the Urdd football competitions and those who compete in art and cooking.
“Perhaps the children who have come here this week haven’t ticked a lot of data boxes but they have benefited.”