EDUCATION
NUT deal with FE union creates a half-million 'force to be reckoned with'
Times Educational Supplement
03/07/2009
National Union of Teachers leaders say the tie-up with the University and College Union (UCU) will give teachers more clout with Government and lead to smoother teacher transfers between further education institutions and schools.
EDUCATION - FURTHER EDUCATION
Colleges are unhappy that an official system for rating them will create a league table
Guardian
30/06/2009
The LSC claims that the point of the new official rating system is "to provide information for learners and employers to make informed choices". But Joy Mercer, a senior policy advisor at the Association of Colleges, says: "There is no intention to publish a league table, but people will inevitably create a league table."
Ed Balls Confirms Chair and CEO of Young People’s Learning Agency
DCSF
30/06/2009
Les Walton, former principal of Tyne Metropolitan College, will be the Chair of the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) committee, and Peter Lauener of the DCSF will be the first Chief Executive.
Train to Gain boosted by 'inappropriate' incentives
Times Educational Supplement
03/07/2009
Colleges and training providers who are facing cuts are outraged that some providers paid employers to take the free training for staff.
EDUCATION - HIGHER EDUCATION
Back to business - The recession hit business schools hard, but the market is turning
Education Investor
29/06/2009
The business schools that have built the strongest relationships with industry should survive the rest of the downturn, but it seems unlikely that both fees and volumes won’t dip in the short to medium term.
Hefce considered ‘nuclear option’ over London Met
Times Higher Education
27/06/2009
Ministerial correspondence reveals that show that the Higher Education Funding Council for England considered closure of London Metropolitan University, albeit as the last resort.
Hong Kong opens up to overseas providers
Times Higher Education
02/07/2009
The Hong Kong Government is inviting bids from overseas universities to establish campuses there as part of a drive to boost its knowledge economy. It unveiled an economic development strategy that includes plans to reserve two prime urban sites in the densely populated region for "self- financed" campuses, most likely to be provided by overseas institutions.
Is the low carbon economy set for take off?
University Business
02/07/2009
Considers how universities can make green legislation work for them.
Student grants frozen as tuition fees rise
Guardian
01/07/2009
The government announced it is freezing all student grants and loans and cutting financial support for trainee teachers as a result of the recession.
University places: Student squeeze looms
Guardian
30/06/2009
Ministers are promoting university as a route out of recession - but are there enough places?
V-Cs' candid views slip out online
Times Higher Education
02/07/2009
Comments made by ten UK vice-chancellors interviewed by researchers working on a paper for Higher Education Quarterly, were published on the internet before permission to use their names had been gained from all the interviewees.
Visa regime hurts UK as study destination
Times Higher Education
02/07/2009
Dominic Scott, chief executive of the UK Council for International Student Affairs, said that in the first few weeks of the new points-based system for visa applications, refusal rates soared to more than 60 per cent.
EDUCATION - SCHOOLS
Academy staff spared from licence to teach
Times Educational Supplement
03/07/2009
Teachers working in some academies who are not required to register with the General Teaching Council, will be exempt from the Government's controversial new "licence to teach" reassessment scheme.
Balls plans five-year licensing system in attempt to rid schools of bad teachers
Guardian
01/07/2009
Teachers will need a new "licence to teach" to work in state schools, which will be reviewed every five years and revoked if they are not up to scratch, under plans to eradicate poorly performing staff from the English education system.
Court threat for pupils' parents
BBC
28/06/2009
Parents of unruly pupils could be taken to court by teachers if their children continually misbehave at school. Schools will have more power to get parenting orders which can include making parents go to classes on how to control their children. Further sanctions include a £1,000 fine and prison if they fail to pay. The proposals are to be announced in the education White Paper.
Managing the recovery of schools causing concern - part two
Education Management Update
30/06/2009
Continues the explanation of the process of recovery management for schools that find themselves in the category of 'schools causing concern'.
Non-funded sector must give councils data on five-year-olds from this month
Times Educational Supplement
03/07/2009
Councils will get powers to require independent schools to pass on data about five-year-olds' academic and social achievements.
Private tuition for state pupils
Financial Times
27/06/2009
The Training and Development Agency for Schools has outlined plans to give state school pupils falling behind in mathematics and English private one-to-one tuition paid for by the Government. The GBP 468 million initiative is intended to reduce the competitive advantage enjoyed by children from richer families which can afford private tuition. The initiative will employ 100,000 tutors, who will be paid up to GBP 29 an hour, by September 2010.
Sink or swim - What happens when a BSF contractor goes under?
Education Investor
29/06/2009
Hackney and Kent Building Schools for the Future projects have been affected by the administration of William Verry Construction.
Watchdog accuses schools of wasting nearly GBP 1bn a year
Guardian
30/06/2009
An Audit Commission report concludes that schools are wasting nearly GBP 1 billion of public money every year by "hoarding" it in bank accounts and failing to shop around for the best deals on meals, equipment and cleaning.
White paper lacks surprise, but 'licence to teach' delivers a jolt
Times Educational Supplement
03/07/2009
Analysis of the education White Paper "Your child, yours schools, our future: building a 21st century schools system".
Your child, your schools, our future building a 21st century schools system
DCSF
30/06/2009
The White Paper sets out proposals to ensure that every child enjoys their childhood, does well at school, and turns 18 with the knowledge, skills and qualifications that will give them the best chance of success in adult life. Measures include:
every child will have a personal tutor; any child falling behind in Key Stage 2 will have an entitlement to 10 hours of one-to-one tuition; those behind at the start of secondary school will either have one-to-one or group catch-up tuition in Year 7; pupil and parent guarantees will be underpinned by legislation; schools will work in partnership with other schools and wider children's services to assist in tackling underperformance and extending best practice; the Academy programme will be extended; school accountability will focus on how well each child is progressing and developing, and take more account of the views of pupils and parents; and a new School Report Card (SRC) for each school will provide a rounded assessment of school performance.
http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm75/7588/7588.pdf
