EDUCATION - FURTHER EDUCATION
Colleges urged to outsource services and save thousands
Times Educational Supplement
12/03/2010
The head of Becta has said that colleges should outsource more of their central and administrative services to make savings.
Further education "needs HE makeover"
Times Educational Supplement
12/03/2010
A report by the Learning and Skills Network's Centre for Innovation in Learning recommends FE students receive loans, colleges be able to develop and accredit their own qualifications, and more information should be published about providers' performance.
Topping up: colleges look for fees to hand back what cuts have taken away
Times Educational Supplement
12/03/2010
This article considers whether charging more will help colleges fill the gap in public funding.
EDUCATION - HIGHER EDUCATION
Animal rights activist using FOI laws to target universities
Guardian
15/03/2010
Luke Steele, a convicted animal rights activist, is using freedom of information laws to force universities to reveal details of their animal experiments, raising fears that scientists involved could suffer renewed intimidation.
Review finds “clear agreement” that top-up fees have not deterred students
Times Higher Education
15/03/2010
Lord Browne's Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance has set out its initial findings and called for views on how the system should be funded in the future.
Salaries soar for heads of British universities
Guardian
14/03/2010
The salaries of vice chancellors have soared over the past decade, far outstripping growth in the average lecturers' pay. More than 80 vice-chancellors now earn more than the Prime Minister.
UK universities likely to adapt to budget challenges
Moody's Investors Service
12/03/2010
Analysts at Moody's Investors Services have published a paper on the UK Higher Education sector and its institutions.
Universities face going to the wall
Guardian
16/03/2010
This article on the current state of university finances discusses whether the Government would allow a university to face bankruptcy or whether they would be bailed out as the banks have been.
Universities must deliver more with less
Guardian
16/03/2010
This article considers the key points from the Guardian's annual higher education summit. The overall conclusion was that universities will be delivering more for less and there was debate about what priorities should be in the future.
EDUCATION - SCHOOLS
Balls sets out funding increases for schools- average annual increase of 2.1 per cent in cash terms per pupil in 2011-13
DCSF
15/03/2010
Ed Balls has a published a funding document on what the Pre-Budget Report means for schools and how schools can make efficiencies. He also launched a consultation on how to make schools funding fairer in the future through the Dedicated Schools Grant and a new Local Pupil Premium. This follows his announcement on 10th March that primary schools will have access to up to a thousand extra school business managers.
Heads' union: appealing against Ofsted is "not worth the time"
Times Educational Supplement
12/03/2010
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) claims that the way appeals against Ofsted are handled means schools now lack an effective way of challenging Ofsted inspectors on judgments they believe are unfair.
Ministers rule out ban on BNP teachers
Guardian
12/03/2010
The Government has accepted the findings of a report by Maurice Smith, a former chief inspector of schools. A separate inquiry has been announced into whether measures to stop racism being promoted in private schools are adequate.
Parents who lie on school applications escape penalties
Times
12/03/2010
The Schools Adjudicator has announced proposals aimed at tackling fraud in school applications including spot checks on application forms, a telephone line for whistleblowers, and the withdrawal of school places if parents are found to have lied on the application. A proposal by the Secretary of State for Schools to bring civil action against parents making fraudulent applications was not included.
Schools 'break law' to spy on pupils
Guardian
15/03/2010
A study claims that most schools are probably breaching the Data Protection Act by failing to alert students where security cameras have been installed and for what purpose the images and sounds captured on them are being used.
Tories to "shelve" building projects
Times Educational Supplement
12/03/2010
The Conservative shadow schools minister Nick Gibb has warned that completion of new Building Schools for the Future schemes will not be guaranteed unless "financial close" with a preferred bidder has been reached
