Welsh unis urged to forge ● Education Secretary Kirsty closer Williams links with schools
UNIVERSITIES in Wales have been told to engage more with local schools, and to use their “expertise, experience and resources to deliver social innovation”.
Education Secretary Kirsty Williams said the links between universities and schools must go beyond teacher training.
She told an audience including university vice-chancellors, high- profile academics and Professor Ellen Hazelkorn – the author of a review of university governance in Wales – that Wales could lead the way on the role of universities in their communities.
Ms Williams said she wants universities to “recapture their civic mission” by doing more to connect with local communities and the country as a whole.
Speaking at the Civic Mission Summit, which included academics, thinktanks from across the UK, and community groups who work with universities and school leaders, she said: “The university as the link between the global and the local will be ever more important as we meet the challenges of Brexit. Universities are global in their outlook, but they must first and foremost be good stewards of their place and the people there.
“This is how they will contribute to developing a confident, international and innovative Wales.”
Setting out actions for better university and school links, she proposed that universities work directly with schools to support leadership development, financial management and attainment programmes. Ms Williams also wants a “significant increase” in the number of university senior managers and leaders on local school governing bodies, while proposing that more industry and undergraduate programmes should also be run in Wales’ schools to promote pupil opportunities in areas like languages and coding.
She told the higher education leaders: “I would like to see Welsh universities pursuing ‘boundary- spanning’ civic leadership. I want to see you working beyond the higher education sector and engaging with other key civic leaders at a national and community level.
“Universities should use their expertise, experience and resources to deliver social innovation and civic engagement, building future leadership capacity, and supporting community and educational organisations.
“Improving education is our nation- al mission. Raising standards, reducing the attainment gap and delivering a system that enjoys public confidence and is a source of national pride.
“Our higher-education sector must further contribute to this – going beyond preparing tomorrow’s teachers, important work though that is.”
Universities welcomed the challenge. Prof Julie Lydon, chairman of Universities Wales, said: “I feel passionately about the difference universities are uniquely placed to make across Wales, from research we undertake to help to improve people’s health to providing opportunities for people of all ages to share in new experiences; from helping grow businesses to providing additional support for young people studying for their GCSEs.”