EDUCATION - FURTHER EDUCATION
Adult education funding could be slashed by 10%
Times Educational Supplement
04/12/2009
AoC initial analysis of the Government's Skills Investment Strategy suggests there may be further cuts to college budgets.
Foreign student visa review call by UK advisory body
BBC
04/12/2009
The Migration Advisory Committee says it is concerned students can obtain two-year visas regardless of the standard of the teaching or degree, and that the rules allowing non-European students to stay in the UK after attending further education colleges should be reviewed.
Colleges call for tighter student immigration rules - response to MAC review
AoC
04/12/2009
Martin Doel, the Association of Colleges Chief Executive, has critically responded to the Migration Advisory Committee review of highly skilled migration routes. He suggests the committee did not consult colleges as the accompanying comments were "imprecise and ill-informed." He said: “If the committee had consulted they would have discovered that less than 20 further education Colleges – and not 600 as suggested by Professor Metcalf – deliver degree courses that result in an ability to stay on to work. It would have also found that those Colleges are inspected by the same body that inspects universities and are judged to provide high-quality education that meets the needs of individuals and business".
First ever guide for college staff governors launched
LSIS
02/12/2009
The Learning and Skills Improvement Service and the University and College Union has launched the first guide for FE college staff governors.
Top colleges to be released from spending shackles
Times Educational Supplement
04/12/2009
The new Skills Funding Agency will give the top 15% of colleges greater control of their budgets for adult learning.
EDUCATION - HIGHER EDUCATION
Free thinking? States' firm grip on Europe's academy
Times Higher Education
03/12/2009
An analysis of governance in 34 countries by the European University Association concludes that European universities lack true autonomy from state control.
HEIs must ensure campuses are accessible to all
Equality Challenge Unit
03/12/2009
The Equality Challenge Unit has published new guidance to support the higher education sector to develop buildings and outdoor spaces that are genuinely accessible and inclusive to people with disabilities. At the launch the ECU claimed some higher education institutions are letting inclusive and accessible building design slip down the agenda despite increased legislation.
http://www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/managing-inclusive-building-design-for-higher-education
Mission groups: Christian values
Times Higher Education
03/12/2009
Universities and colleges with church foundations have formally established themselves as the Cathedrals Group.
Second union backs 0.5% pay increase
Times Higher Education
03/12/2009
Unite has recommended that members should accept employers' long-resisted 0.5 per cent pay offer. The negotiations with employers also produced a proposed digest advising institutions how to avoid redundancies.
Students to take central role in new quality arrangements
Hefce & Universities UK
01/12/2009
Hefce and Universities UK have published a consultation on new arrangements to assure the quality of higher education standards. It proposes that students should increasingly play a part in the new quality assurance system, engaging through feedback, representation, and acting as student auditors.
Thousands of academics call for impact to be axed
Times Higher Education
03/12/2009
More than 13,000 academics have signed a petition calling for plans to measure the impact of research in the forthcoming research excellence framework to be axed.
V-c: scholars should lighten the administrative burden
Times Higher Education
03/12/2009
The University of Greenwich Vice-Chancellor has suggested at the Association of University Administrators conference that academics should take on more administrative tasks to enable HEIs to reduce administrative staff numbers and employ more academics to increase the staff-student ratio and league table position. The suggestion was dismissed by the union Unison as ridiculous.
Would-be students not getting the message about bursaries
Times Higher Education
03/12/2009
Research for the Office for Fair Access reveals that 25% of students have not heard of bursaries and more than half feel poorly informed about how they work.
EDUCATION - SCHOOLS
Capita 'billed schools £75m too much'
Guardian
06/12/2009
Outsourcing IT firm Capita has been reported to the Office of Fair Trading by rivals over alleged anti-competitive practice, including the allegation it has overcharged schools by £75m for IT over the past 10 years.
Consultation on amended legislation
DCSF
03/12/2009
Consultation on changed Regulations and National Minimum Standards affecting the provision of education, care and information in independent schools, non-maintained special schools and in all schools providing boarding / residential accommodation.
Ebay: great for concert tickets... and Ofsted cheats
Times Educational Supplement
04/12/2009
Comments on the enterprising trend of selling "outstanding" completed Ofsted forms on the online auction website.
State schools teach IGCSEs in secret
Times Educational Supplement
04/12/2009
Some state secondary schools are continuing to teach pupils for a banned examination outside school hours. The DCSF has already intervened in one school to stop IGCSEs being taught.
The spectre at the feast
Times Educational Supplement
04/12/2009
Discusses the financial and environmental consequences of food waste at schools, with case studies of how schools are responding to the problem. Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap) will be producing advice to schools to reduce waste in the future.
