EDUCATION
Equality Bill: Making it Work - Ending Age Discrimination in Services and Public Functions - Policy Statement
Government and Equalities Office
27/01/2010
This policy statement sets out plans for specific exceptions from the ban on age discrimination.
Equality Bill: Making it Work - Policy Proposals for Specific Duties: Policy Statement
Government and Equalities Office
27/01/2010
This policy statement sets out the specific duties to support better performance by public bodies of the new single Equality Duty. It will be followed by a consultation on the draft regulations for the specific duties after Royal Assent of the Equality Bill. The Government's aim is for the general and specific Equality Duties to come into force in April 2011.
The Equality Bill: Duty to reduce socio-economic inequalities: A guide
Government and Equalities Office
27/01/2010
Interim guidance on the Equality Bill duty to reduce socio-economic inequalities explains the background to the duty, its rationale and how it will operate for each type of public body covered by it. Formal guidance on the duty will be published in summer 2010 for consultation.
EDUCATION - FURTHER EDUCATION
"Closure" campus to stay open despite debt
Times Educational Supplement
29/01/2010
The new leadership team at Brooklands College, the first college that threatened closure as a result of the LSC capital funding crisis, has decided to keep its Ashford campus open. Redundancies are likely to reduce the level of debt.
Black marks for CPD eluders not sanctions, says IfL
Times Educational Supplement
29/01/2010
About 70,000 FE teachers who failed to declare their professional development records for 2008/09 to the Institute for Learning will not face serious sanctions that could lead to them losing their licence to teach.
Bogus colleges shut
Times Educational Supplement
29/01/2010
140 colleges have been suspended and 14 shut down under new immigration rules aimed at tackling bogus colleges.
Colleges face restructure as 25% budget cuts loom
Times Educational Supplement
29/01/2010
The LSC is preparing for a worst-case scenario of more than 100 colleges requiring radical restructuring or mergers to cope with funding cuts.
Colleges helping beat the recession face new £200m adult course cuts
Association of Colleges
02/02/2010
An AoC funding survey of 147 colleges reveals that they face an average cut of 16%, with over two fifths facing a cut of more than 20%.
Door to teaching in schools remains closed to FE staff
Times Educational Supplement
29/01/2010
The Training and Development Agency for Schools has said it cannot relax the requirement for qualified teachers in schools to have a degree, thus excluding up to 70% of FE teachers without a degree.
EDUCATION - HIGHER EDUCATION
A Lego University - is this another brick in the wall?
Guardian
02/02/2010
Private universities are still rare in western Europe but the sector is growing.
Back to the UK future - trends in internationalism and cross-border higher education
Perspectives: policy and practice in higher education (Vol 13, No 4)
28/01/2010
This academic article examines the trend of globalisation on the provision of higher education.
Carbon management strategies and plans: A guide to good practice
Hefce
28/01/2010
Hefce has published guidance for institutions on producing individual carbon reduction strategies, targets and associated carbon management plans.
Current challenges in higher education administration and management
Perspectives: policy and practice in higher education (Vol 13, No 4)
28/01/2010
This academic paper on management of universities suggests perhaps universities are the last nationalised industry. It covers government policies, funding, and student as consumer issues.
Digital copyright law will be "burdensome"
Times Higher Education
28/01/2010
Major concerns have been raised about the impact of the Digital Economy Bill on universities. There are fears that universities, which will be held responsible for the activities of their students, will be unduly affected by the proposals.
Hefce reduces carbon targets after protests
Times Higher Education
28/01/2010
Hefce's new strategy on the role universities will play in tackling climate change has been published. Institutions will be expected to cut their carbon output by 34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, based on 1990 levels. These targets are significantly lower than those proposed in Hefce's initial consultation.
It's another 1988 moment: Universities can break free.
Guardian
26/01/2010
An opinion article discusses the merits of independent universities. It suggests that university governing bodies should take back control over fees and teaching from the government.
Looking back, looking ahead
University Business (Dec 2009)
28/01/2010
A panel of industry experts discuss what issues most affected them in 2009 and what they predict for 2010 in the higher education sector.
Making it count: how universities are using income from variable fees
Universities UK
29/01/2010
This report, to be provided as evidence to the Independent Review of Higher Education Funding & Student Finance, provides an insight into how income from variable tuition fees has been used by English universities since their introduction.
Money talks: students receptive to subject premiums
Times Higher Education
28/01/2010
A government-commissioned report from the Institute for Employment Studies suggests that students may be more likely to consider paying higher fees to study a particular subject than to attend an "elite" university.
Participation would fall if fees rise without extra aid
Times Higher Education
28/01/2010
The Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance, which is being led by Lord Browne of Madingley, has held its first public hearing. The first submissions describe how costs affect applications.
Sector faces £10 million fine for over-recruitment
Times Higher Education
01/02/2010
Hefce has announced it is tentatively budgeting that universities will be fined a total of £10 million for enrolling too many undergraduates in September 2009.
Undergraduate places to fall by 3,000-4,000
Times Higher Education
01/02/2010
Despite record levels of demand there could be 3,000 to 4,000 fewer places for full-time undergraduate entrants in 2010-11 than there were in 2009-10.
Universities UK response to HEFCE letter on funding for 2010-11
Universities UK
01/02/2010
Professor Steve Smith, President of Universities UK, said "One month after the announcement of £915 million cuts to the HE sector by 2013, this letter appears to indicate that the cuts are even deeper than expected. This includes a new £51 million cut in year-end flexibility for Hefce... This will leave universities in England with £449 million less than they had expected for 2010-11."
University teaching budgets slashed
Guardian
01/02/2010
Hefce has announced its funding decisions for universities and colleges in 2010-11, with the first cuts in a decade despite increased demand for university places.
Visit marks new chapter in Anglo-Indian relations
Times Higher Education
28/01/2010
British and Indian universities' collaboration is set to increase following a visit to the UK by an Indian Cabinet minister and university heads. A number of agreements formalising partnerships were signed between institutions.
We did it before...
Times Higher Education
28/01/2010
Considers the state of public funding of higher education and alternative revenue streams.
EDUCATION - SCHOOLS
Ed Balls sets out Government action to turn schools green
DCSF
28/01/2010
The government accepts the recommendations of the Zero Carbon Task Force which has published its report on what needs to be done to cut the carbon footprint of schools across England. Schools Secretary Ed Balls has set out plans to help schools fight climate change and reduce energy costs and announced that at least four pilot zero carbon schools will be built.
Employment law update
Education Now
28/01/2010
This article looks at some recent developments in employment law with implications for schools. It covers retirement, pre-claim conciliation, and non-conviction information in CRB checks.
Part-time school smacking loophole to be explored
BBC
28/01/2010
Sir Roger Singleton, the government's child safety adviser, has replied to Ed Balls' request for an urgent review of the rules on physical punishment in schools. He has said the loophole in the law on smacking needs further exploration and he has been asked to report back by the end of March.
SEN support crackdown will deny schools right to appeal
Times Educational Supplement
29/01/2010
Parents will have new powers to complain about special education needs education to the Office of the Local Government Ombudsman. The Local Government Association is concerned that schools will be forced to provide extra resources and pay compensation regardless of whether the local authority can provide additional funding.
Standard of proof in exclusion cases
Education Law Journal (Vol 10, Issue 4)
27/01/2010
Considers legislation, guidance and cases on the standard of proof required in school exclusion appeals, and whether Art 6 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is applicable to school exclusions
