EDUCATION - FURTHER EDUCATION
Colleges eye legal action over funding
Financial Times
14/03/2009
The Association of Colleges, the national body that represents further education colleges, has consulted on legal action to recover their heavy investment in projects across England that have been frozen by the Government. The Association said that colleges have spent up to GBP 3 million each on advanced-stage bidding for funding from the Learning and Skills Council, which has stopped funding approval for many capital projects to prevent itself running over budget in difficult economic conditions.
Colleges face £170m projects loss
BBC Education News
19/03/2009
Colleges in England have indicated they face losing more than £170m because of delays in getting funding they say was promised for refurbishment.
Colleges need quick, clear decisions on College building programme
AoC News Release
18/03/2009
Martin Doel, AoC Chief Executive, said: Colleges must have quick, clear and consistently fair decisions on these projects. These new buildings will benefit students, staff, business and communities across the country.
Colleges to ask for cheap loans to restart building
The Times Educational Supplement
20/03/2009
Principals to discuss local authorities lending money as a way to complete suspended projects.
Stricken colleges have only themselves to blame
The Guardian
19/03/2009
Colleges started building works before they had final permission, say officials.
Surge for extra places blows £65m hole in 16 - 19 budget
The Times Educational Supplement
20/03/2009
Unpredicted demand from 13,000 extra FE and sixth form students causes funding delay.
EDUCATION - HIGHER EDUCATION
Bribe to keep Welsh students at home universities scrapped
The Guardian
18/03/2009
Grant given to Welsh students who study in Wales is to be cut in favour of helping those from the poorest families.
Copyright laws are easily broken...hang on, that book looks familiar
Times Higher Education
19/03/2009
Plagiarism expert finds his work published illegally on a website.
Neighbours need say over student houses
Birmingham Post
17/03/2009
Residents should be consulted over plans to convert family homes in their street into bedsits or house-sharing properties, according to a city council chief.
NUS proposes tax on graduates
The Guardian
17/03/2009
Student union breaks with years of opposition to any form of tuition payment in attempt to resolve fees debate.
Pay packets of excellence (tables showing Vcs annual salaries)
Times Higher Education
19/03/2009
Its been a good year. In 2007-08, academic pay rose more rapidly than the national average. Vice-chancellors took home the big money, but thanks to the credit crunch, this year may be the high water mark.
Three As no longer enough for university
The Times
17/03/2009
Fears of a new educational elitism emerged yesterday after the University of Cambridge changed its admissions policy in a way that critics said would favour independent schools.
UK brings in £50 visa surcharge
BBC Education News
19/03/2009
People from outside the EU moving to the UK to work or study will have to pay £50 extra for visas to help areas struggling to cope with immigration.
UUK report considers future tuition fee options
UUK Media Release
17/03/2009
A report published today (Tuesday) by Universities UK looks at the likely impact that changes to the variable fees system might have on universities, students and government.
EDUCATION - SCHOOLS
Delays to new vetting system
Local Government Chronicle
20/03/2009
The government is to delay the introduction of new safeguarding regulations for 11 million staff working with vulnerable adults and children.
Ed Balls seeks power to dictate what textbooks GCSE and A-level students must study
The Guardian
19/03/2009
The schools secretary, Ed Balls, is seeking a new legal power to dictate the basic content of every public exam in England, in a move that would give him or any future secretary of state the right to decide which books children must study at GCSE or A-level.
Schools to get expert help to outwit cheats
The Times Educational Supplement
20/03/2009
And as watchdog report reveals extent of copying, all exam boards will now have access to plagiarism-detection software.
