News and Blog

With all eyes on the results of the ‘Super Thursday’ elections, much has been made of the differences in the electoral fortunes of political parties in England, Scotland and Wales. Indeed, the strength of the Conservatives’ performance in England was not replicated either in Scotland or Wales – with the SNP dominating the former and…

There is evidence to suggest that school exclusions can have negative effects on children’s lives. Exclusions have been associated with poor educational outcomes, and long-term physical and mental health problems. We need to investigate how patterns of exclusions and characteristics of excluded pupils differ across time and can help to inform current understanding of possible…

On 20 April, Professor W. John Morgan, Leverhulme Emeritus Fellow at WISERD, gave an invitation Zoom lecture on Ben Bowen Thomas, Wales, and UNESCO to the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion, a London Welsh learned society founded in 1751. The focus of Professor Morgan’s Leverhulme research is the use of the United Nations and its specialised…

A global demographic shift means that an ageing population creates an unprecedent demand for adult social care. We live in an era when, for the first time, the number of older people (60+ years) will exceed younger people1. In the UK this challenge is magnified by the effects of austerity and welfare state capacity. New…

Professor Sally Power shares WISERD Education Multi Cohort Study findings in a BBC Wales Radio interview highlighting the impact of lockdown on young people’s learning. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000t6bz (From minute 37:16)

Cardiff University researcher Dr Catherine Foster (WISERD) said children from disadvantaged backgrounds more likely to have fallen behind while learning from home. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-56423630

Local authorities in Wales have had to make difficult decisions to close or rationalise a wide range of services in response to changes in the incidence of COVID-19. This has had major impacts for those sectors of the community most dependent on various forms of service provision.  Where there have been partial closures involving changes…

New research by WISERD Co-Director, Professor Paul Chaney, analyses civil society organisations’ perspectives on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in nine former Soviet republics, latterly renamed the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Namely, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Over the past…

On an Wales Online interview, Dr Catherine Foster said life had “changed dramatically” for many young people who suffered from effects such as loneliness and loss of routine. She said: “Although some children have been able to continue going to school at least part of the time, most have lost the organization and structure that…

Dr Sioned Pearce highlights the impact of COVID-19 on youth unemployment. In an interview with BBC Wales, she said the pandemic had “exacerbated issues of uncertainty” for young people with zero hour contracts, part-time work and low-paid jobs.