St Martin’s and St Cenydd Comprehensive Schools have each launched their own student radio stations.
BBC Wales Weather Presenter, Behnaz Akhgar, and the Mayor of Caerphilly County Borough Council recently joined students at both of the Caerphilly schools to officially open the exciting new radio stations which will be run by students and will be played in the school break areas.
The Mayor and Behnaz toured the new radio facilities at each school and then students had the chance to question Behnaz about her career in broadcasting.
Behnaz said: “Coming here has made me very happy and very sad! I’m thrilled to see how technology has advanced so much and to see that youngsters are having the opportunities to experience broadcasting that I didn’t get until I was 25 doing a post-graduate degree.
“I’m sad because both of these schools have been so amazing that I wish I was a student again. The pupils and teachers have been so warm and welcoming at both schools and it is fantastic to see such ambition in all the teachers, which is passed down to their students who I’m sure will go on to have bright futures in whatever career they choose.”
The radio stations will play all the latest music and will also feature interviews with local people from the community.
Both St Martins and St Cenydd Comprehensive School’s new radio stations were made possible through Safer Caerphilly Community Safety Partnership Funding through the Welsh Government.
It makes me feel sick. This is why the education system is so bad in our country and there is a large movement to return to grammar schools and traditional subjects.
Our tax money should be used on textbooks, equipment for science labs and technology for general teaching whilst continually reinvesting in the schools. It shouldn't be used on setting up a radio station that will play absolute rubbish (licensing for music is expensive)feature conversations between students who interview a teacher and whatever other nonsense they come up with. It will only operate during break time too! It's a waste of hard-to-come-by, valuable money in a time of budget decreases.
The radio stations offer pupils at both schools a chance to learn industry standard skills in using new technologies and developing their own interpersonal skills. The radio stations also offers pupils a chance to improve their literacy skills by writing scripts and conducting interviews . The media industry is one of the few industries that are growing in this country and employs more people than manufacturing so rubbishing such an invaluable project as this shows that those who criticise it do not understand its true potential. It is the creative minds that drive industry and made this country such a success in the past. Unfortunately we are no longer governed or led by those who can see beyond a pointing finger. It is sad to read such comments which show a lack of understanding of education and the modern world. As for tax payers money , it is an investment in our children's education.