EDUCATION - FURTHER EDUCATION
'Academic hub' to focus on creative skills training
Times Higher Education
28/02/2008
Plan proposes 5,000 apprenticeships and better links with industry and schools.
LSC launches recruitment campaign to bring on board new Regional Councils
LSC Press Release
03/03/2008
The Regional Councils are being established as part of the Further Education and Training Act 2007, they will inform the LSC's decision making at a regional level, guide progress and make sure the Government's strategy for education and skills works on the ground.
New AoC Chief Executive Appointed
AoC News Release
19/02/2008
Marin Doel, Director of Training and Education at the Ministry of Defence, is currently responsible for training and education policy and strategy across all three armed forces. He has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the AoC.
Schools wary of diplomas, say Lib Dems
The Guardian
26/02/2008
More than one fifth of schools have not signed up to teach the government's flagship diploma qualifications that will be introduced into schools and colleges from September.
EDUCATION - HIGHER EDUCATION
Academics denounce courses tailored for businesses
The Guardian
26/02/2008
Lecturers have condemned reports that the government is planning a major expansion of the role business plays in the delivery of degrees.
Denham sets out vision for HE global dominance
The Guardian
29/02/2008
The Government today set a 15 year deadline to equip the higher education system to meet and beat its global competitors.
Inquiry into impact of Google on HE
The Guardian
29/02/2008
A UK-wide independent inquiry that will look at how the use of new technologies by the "Google generation" will shape higher education has been launched.
Overseas students 'buying essays'
BBC Education News
03/03/2008
Essay-writing services are reporting a sharp increase in demand from overseas students at UK universities. Universities have accused essay writing firms of fuelling plagiarism. But a spokesman for UKEssays.com says the rise in demand is caused by universities recruiting students with inadequate English language skills.
Plans for 20 new university towns
The Observer
02/03/2008
Campuses are to be set up over the next six years at a cost of £150m, with many located in areas suffering high levels of unemployment.
Tax plan could deter high-flyers
Times Higher Education
28/02/2008
Levy for non-domiciled residents threatens the recruitment of top academics.
UCU warned to 'think again' over pay bargaining
The Guardian
29/02/2008
UCU members have rejected proposed changes to negotiating arrangements agreed with employers and other unions in December, to the annoyance of leading universities which have warned the union to think again. The UCU has also been strongly criticised by other trade unions in higher education amidst fears that the vote could lead to the break-up of national pay bargaining.
'University challenge' for 20 new campuses
The Times
03/03/2008
Twenty new university campuses serving 10,000 students are to be built in England over the next six years in a drive to ensure that no region is left without access to higher education.
Urban centres lose out in the allocation of access cash
Times Higher Education
28/02/2008
Rural areas gain as AimHigher redirects funding to address imbalance.
EDUCATION - SCHOOLS
Academy programme to be further accelerated with lower set up costs as part of new "National Challenge" programme
DCSF Press Release
29/02/2008
Set-up costs will be reduced from £4.15M down to £3.5M. Universities are now able to sponsor academies without needing to provide the usual £2M sponsorship contribution and there are now 22 universities which have come forward. The Government has said it wants every university to sponsor an academy. The plan to accelerate the academies programme is one of the building blocks of the newly named "national challenge" programme.
Parents urged to challenge schools decisions
The Times
04/03/2008
Parents are unhappy with the secondary school allocated to their children are being urged by the Schools Minister to appeal against the decision.
Religious schools 'show bias for rich'
The Observer
02/03/2008
Damning new evidence that faith schools are siphoning off middle-class pupils has been revealed, research shows they are failing to take children from the poorest backgrounds nationwide. Faith schools deny the claims of selection.
School choice 'misleads parents'
BBC Education News
03/03/2008
School leaders are calling on politicians to end what they call "the misleading rhetoric" of school choice - which, they say, cannot be delivered. The challenge has been issued by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) ad Foundation and Aided Schools National Association (FASNA).
