EDUCATION - FURTHER EDUCATION
Launch of the Implementation Plan for the Workforce Strategy for the FE Sector in England
AoC Press Release
07/04/2008
The Strategy will support employee retention and the professionalisation of the current workforce.
EDUCATION - HIGHER EDUCATION
Contract workers exploited in universities, says union
The Guardian
04/04/2008
Unison higher education conference delegates have voted overwhelmingly to end the exploitation of contract workers in higher education. In an effort to make them more aware of their rights delegates have voted to produce materials on the terms and conditions they are entitled to in different languages.
Make admissions more transparent, universities told
The Guardian
08/04/2008
Higher education institutions need to be more open about how they admit students, the universities secretary, John Denham, will tell vice-chancellors today.
NUS drops free education doctrine
The Guardian
02/04/2008
Students have voted to get rid of the principle that the National Union of Students will only argue for free education. The newly-elected president, Wes Streeting, said the union would propose alternatives to the current higher education fees system, which is to be reviewed next year.
There may be trouble ahead
Times Higher Education
03/04/2008
The sector has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years, with fees and overseas income boosting overall prosperity, but not all universities are in a position to keep expanding. An assessment of the financial strengths and weaknesses and trends in higher education.
University aspiration gap stays stubbornly wide, survey shows
The Guardian
07/04/2008
A multimillion-pound drive to encourage students from the poorest backgrounds to go to university has failed to narrow the gap between the numbers of poorest and richest teenagers wanting to get a degree, new figures show.
University students to help school and college pupils aim higher under new £21 Million mentoring scheme
DIUS Press Release
04/04/2008
Thousands of school and college pupils across England are to get a helping hand from university students in exploring, selecting and applying for university courses under a £21million new initiative announced today by John Denham.
EDUCATION - SCHOOLS
Ed Balls Announces Chair of OFQUAL, the regulator of qualifications and examinations
DCSF Press Release
02/04/2008
Kathleen Tattersall OBE has been appointed as the first Chair of the regulator of qualifications and examinations (Ofqual). Ofqual will act as the independent guardian of standards across the qualifications, tests and exam system in England. Ed Balls also announced that the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), to be known as the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA), will develop into an agency for developing curriculum, assessment and qualifications.
Schools 'recycle' weakest teachers
The Observer
06/04/2008
A tenth of staff are underperforming, but headmasters are encouraging them to apply elsewhere rather than become retrained.
Spot checks show faith schools broke rules
The Times Educational Supplement
04/04/2008
A majority of state faith schools break admissions rules, according to figures released by ministers.
