EDUCATION
Diplomas more expensive than GCSEs or A-levels
Guardian
07/08/2009
Schools and colleges are paying more to enter pupils for the new qualification, a report by Ofqual found.
EDUCATION - FURTHER EDUCATION
16-19 funding transfer lacks clarity, says report
Times Educational Supplement
07/08/2009
Progress towards the transfer of funding for 16-19 education from the LSC to local authorities is patchy and beset by uncertainties and a lack of clarity, according to a report by the National Foundation for Educational Research for the Local Government Association.
Approved capital projects must cut costs by £50m
Times Educational Supplement
31/07/2009
The 13 colleges whose capital funding bids were approved by the Learning and Skills Council last month will have to cut costs by nearly £50 million if the projects are to go ahead. The LSC approved £574m of spending for a budget of only £500m, after seven colleges received the same score in the assessment of projects by PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
Colleges key to HE expansion
Times Educational Supplement
07/08/2009
A House of Commons Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee report suggests that further education colleges' degree-level programmes should be expanded because they are "at the centre" of widening participation in higher education.
MPs fear for colleges with more debts than income
Times Educational Supplement
31/07/2009
A Public Accounts Committee report on the LSC capital funding fiasco shows that MPs fear that colleges may have been forced into taking on more debt than can repay
Ofsted gives two weeks' notice to see trainers in normal state
Times Educational Supplement
31/07/2009
Under the new inspection regime for further education, Ofsted will give two week's notice of inspections. Good or outstanding institutions will face less frequent inspections, possibly they may go six years without inspection, but there will be more class observation.
Renewing the physical infrastructure of English further education colleges: Forty-eighth Report of Session 2008-09
House of Commons Public Accounts Committee
28/07/2009
A Public Accounts Committee report examines the progress on the programme of renewal of the physical infrastructure of further education colleges in England and recommends the Learning and Skills Council needs to monitor closely the financial health of some colleges, particularly those that have borrowings that exceed 40 per cent of their annual income. It also suggests that delayed college schemes could be bundled together with Building Schools for the Future projects to get them off the ground.
Top grades for student progress
Times Educational Supplement
07/08/2009
The results of the first Framework for Excellence assessment find most colleges and training providers score highly, but questions have been raised over qualification success rates.
EDUCATION - HIGHER EDUCATION
A gift would mean so much...
Times Higher Education
06/08/2009
As state funding declines, alumni donations are needed more than ever. This article explores university fundraising.
Anglo-American report 'imperialist', say critics
Times Higher Education
06/08/2009
A report commissioned by the Prime Minister has been criticised for its imperialistic overtones. "Higher Education and Collaboration in a Global Context" advises UK and US universities to work together to retain their international primacy. It reiterates the need for a "special relationship" between the two countries and recommends mergers between UK and US universities.
Consultation on a carbon reduction target and strategy for higher education in England
Hefce
29/07/2009
A joint consultation between HEFCE, Universities UK and GuildHE proposes that universities should exceed ambitious national targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. This follows publication of a research report for Hefce on a carbon reduction target and strategy for Higher Education in England.
'Dumbing down' row over value of degrees
Observer
02/08/2009
Universities were yesterday embroiled in a furious row over dumbing down after a parliamentary inquiry revealed the number of first-class degrees had almost doubled in a decade. Amid the war of words, senior Tories vowed to publish data that they claimed would reveal the true value of degrees.
Extra student places go largely to new universities
Guardian
31/07/2009
Hefce has confirmed which universities will take on additional students, after several leading universities rejected the offer of extra places. New universities will take the lion's share of the 10,000 extra student places the government is allowing in subjects important to the economy.
Higher education in England: achievements, challenges and prospects
Hefce
28/07/2009
This detailed report examines the character, size and scope of English higher education. It concludes with a chapter on issues affecting future provision.
Historic and modern foundations face cuts
Times Higher Education
30/07/2009
The Higher Education Funding Council for England is consulting on how to reduce the higher education budget by £180 million in 2010-11. It proposes cuts from three areas - old and historic buildings, accelerated and intensive provision of postgraduate taught subjects in price band D, and foundation degrees.
Lecturers targeted in new wave of protest
Financial Times
03/08/2009
University lecturers are voicing fears that a recent spate of student protests over teaching quality could spread quickly when the new academic year begins. Students are increasingly staging campaigns using social networking tools to protest.
New Advisory Panel On New Industry, New Jobs, Universities And Skills
BIS
31/07/2009
Lord Mandelson has announced the creation of an advisory panel on New Industry, New Jobs, Universities And Skills. The panel will be chaired by Roger Liddle, Chair of the Policy Network and CumbriaVision, and will help link the Government's New Industry, New Jobs agenda with the skills and higher education agenda.
Performance in higher education estates
Hefce
30/07/2009
This publication reports on the latest findings of the Estate Management Statistics Service. It focuses on the changing profile of the UK higher education estate and trends affecting universities, with particular emphasis on environmental sustainability.
Rivalry hots up but Malaysian students prefer British brand
Times Higher Education
30/07/2009
Universities in the UK will maintain or even increase their numbers of Malaysian students in the face of growing international competition, attracting as many as 12,000 by 2015, according to a report commissioned by the British Council. It claims respected degrees and a weak pound will allow the UK to prosper.
Staff continue using terms deemed inappropriate by PC language advice
Times Higher Education
06/08/2009
Many universities are falling foul of do's and don'ts in their own guidelines.
Students less satisfied with their universities, says survey
Guardian
06/08/2009
19% of final-year students told the National Student Survey they were dissatisfied with or ambivalent about their courses. This is the first time in the five-year history of the survey that overall satisfaction has fallen.
There's no need to be charitable over external governor appointments
Times Higher Education
06/08/2009
An opinion article suggests the widely held assumption that university councils must have a majority of external members is incorrect.
U-Map if you want to, but critics aren't convinced
Times Higher Education
06/08/2009
Criticisms have been raised about U-Map, the European Commission's project to categorise every European university under a single classification system.
Universities UK ‘disappointed’ by Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee final report
Universities UK
03/08/2009
Responding to the IUSS Committee report on ‘Students and Universities’, Diana Warwick, Chief Executive, Universities UK, said: “While there are some useful recommendations in this report, we are disappointed that so much of the work that universities are doing to improve the student experience has been ignored, and that the picture being painted of the HE sector in many areas is so negative. It’s particularly disappointing when elsewhere the Chair of the Committee has praised the UK’s outstanding university system."
University cuts may hit equality
BBC
27/07/2009
The University and College Union claims 21 of the 43 institutions planning cuts have not met rules requiring them to assess their impact on minority groups.
EDUCATION - SCHOOLS
Academy funds deal
Times Educational Supplement
07/08/2009
Funding for the new Furness Academy has been agreed after the Government won a landmark legal battle over how it appoints sponsors. The case concerning an academy in Camden was turned down by the Court of Appeal last week.
Committee to consider extension of school hours
Times Educational Supplement
31/07/2009
The House of Commons Schools Select Committee is to launch an investigation into a possible extension of school hours across the maintained sector.
Ed Balls: New inspection focus on children with special educational needs and disabilities and greater appeal rights for parents
DCSF
03/08/2009
Plans to change the law to oblige Ofsted to report on quality of special educational needs education provided by schools have been announced. Parents will also be given greater rights over their child's statement of SEN.
Faith and race discrimination in education: implications of recent judgments for schools
Education Law Journal Vol 10, Issue 1
28/07/2009
Discusses how school policies may impinge on the laws relating to race and religious discrimination. Examines five cases in particular, one of which concerned a school's admissions policy which gave priority to pupils whose mothers were born Jewish rather than converted to Judaism, and four cases involving the wearing of jewellery and clothing worn in accordance with pupils' religious beliefs but which did not accord with their schools' uniform policy.
Fast-track to citizenship for overseas maths and science teachers
Times Educational Supplement
07/08/2009
Immigrant mathematics and science teachers working in British schools could be fast-tracked to citizenship under new government proposals.
Handle with care
Times Educational Supplement
31/07/2009
This article discusses health and safety issues in schools.
Ministers plan swine flu vaccination in every school
Guardian
06/08/2009
All 8.5 million five- to 16-year-olds pupils in the UK would be immunised against swine flu at immunisation posts in every school, under plans being studied by ministers.
New rules on cover for teachers threaten outings, say heads
Guardian
02/08/2009
From 1st September, state primary and secondary teachers will be expected to cover for their absent colleagues only "rarely". The National Association of Head Teachers suggests up to a quarter of all school trips will be cut as a result of the rule because schools do not have the money to pay for agency cover for teachers away on trips.
Racist incident report changes delayed
Times Educational Supplement
31/07/2009
DCSF was due to introduce a statutory requirement next term for schools to keep a record of all incidents of racist verbal and physical abuse, but this has now been postponed.
School protection register is flawed
Independent
06/08/2009
The government should rethink new rules for vetting people who work with children to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy, according to Sir Michael Bichard who led the inquiry that prompted the procedures.
What would you do now?
Times Educational Supplement
07/08/2009
Following the case of the teacher who has been charged with the attempted murder of a pupil, this article considers the level of provocative behaviour teachers may face and how they can deal with such situations.
