Ann Keane Chief of ESTYN attempting to raise concerns about education in
Wales. This is
priceless.
At 0:11 she says, "At the age of 11 about 40% of children go into
secondary schools with literacy levels that are below their actual
age"
Taken at face value that's good isn't it? After all we'd expect, on
average, 50% of children to have literacy levels below average
(i.e. their age) wouldn't we?
As it is we, according to Ann Keane, are doing rather well. We have
60% doing better than average and only 40% below
average.
Of course Ann Keane is clearly suffering from inadequate numeracy
skills. This is surprising because on
the ESTYN website it says
here that
"Welsh speaking, Ann Keane was born in Carmarthen and attended
schools in Llanboidy, Llandovery, Ystalyfera and Llandysul. She
studied at UCW Aberystwyth, the London School of Economics and
University College London."
Really??
Well the rest of specch is not much better. She gives us no idea of
the distribution of literacy scores and so that when she says immediately
afterwards that:
"about 20% of them have a reading age which is between 6 months and 18
months below their actual age"
how can we really know whether this is good or not. However, she has a
very serious tone and I guess we'll be persuaded that what she has to
say about literacy in schools is well worth her enormous salary.
Ann Keane I'm giving you, "Unsatisfactory".