Education News Feeds

In the last day...

The UK lost its status as one of the world leaders in producing graduates, according to a league table published today.

In the last 3 days...

The international reputation of Britain's universities could be jeopardised by plans to cap the numbers of foreign students, academics fear. Fears that the Government's "free" schools programme will be dominated by faith groups and create more segregation between religions were re-ignited yesterday. Five of the first 16 schools announced by Education Secretary Michael Gove will be faith-orientated – two Jewish, one Hindu, one Sikh and one Christian. Education Secretary Michael Gove today outlined what he described as "a formidable reform programme" for schooling. It is probably the most important day of your life. Your mind is racing and your hands are trembling at the thought of the erudite questions you are about to be asked, which will determine your future education, career and indeed the rest of your life. Then a man leans forward towards you and says: "Tell me about a banana." Business leaders today voice their concern over the level of public spending cuts facing Britain's universities. Richard Lambert, director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) warned that some universities might find it difficult to "pull through" as a result of the scale of the cuts.He was echoing fears expressed by Professor Steve Smith, the president of Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors, who told The Independent he could foresee institutions having to merge. A new English Baccalaureate exam is being planned by ministers to fight the decline in the number of young people studying languages and science at GCSE. The new qualification will be awarded to any student who gains A* to C grade GCSE passes in five named subjects – English, maths, modern foreign languages, science and a humanity. Imagine that you have scarcely stumbled across the concept of work – and then suddenly you are conscripted into an incomprehensible job in which most people are bigger and more clued-up than you. More than 5,000 children face being taught in temporary classrooms this winter as the impact of the recession and the public spending squeeze begins to bite in schools. For me, it is the suitcases. The ancient brown leather is battered and crumpled. But the letters are clear enough. Each bears only the name and date of birth of its owner. Some belonged to adults. But many belonged to children. It is not hard to imagine how the child's mother selected the bare essentials to pack – the Nazis often provided lists, reminding mothers not to forget their child's favourite toys – while their father lettered the outside of the case in white paint – to make sure that things went as right as they could for their little one.

In the last week...

The head of the top performing GCSE school claims today that the exam is no longer "academically challenging". Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Education, has often talked about importing a Swedish-style teaching revolution to England's state-school system. Ah, that first weekend of September. Poverty has a far greater influence on the performance of white British pupils at school than any other ethnic group, according to research published today. Jamie Wilson is the last of a dying breed – the only young man left working in a state-run nursery school in the country. Figures published yesterday by the General Teaching Council show the 23-year-old from Liverpool is the only male under 25 in England working with under-fives as a state school nursery teacher. They also highlighted the dearth of male role models for primary school pupils of any age. A mixture of teaching union pressure, legal hitches and a lack of interest from schools marred the first day of the Government's blitz to boost the academies programme yesterday. Britain's most prestigious universities should be allowed to charge higher fees for their courses, the leader of the country's university vice-chancellors says today. Steve Smith sounds wistful as he contemplates his two-year stint leading the body that represents Britain's university vice-chancellors. "I don't expect much will happen," the vice-chancellor of Exeter University says dryly. News that the headmistress of one of the country's leading state grammar schools is encouraging pupils to switch from A-levels to the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) prompts consideration of whether A-levels continue to serve students, universities and prospective employers as well as they did in the past. Nicole Chapman, headmistress of Chelmsford County High School for Girls in Essex, says the IB offers a broader curriculum and is a better preparation for university. Michael Gove's plans to let schools become academies was branded a "failure" by teachers' leaders today after figures showed just 32 have taken him up on the offer. Just 32 schools will reopen as academies this month after taking Education Secretary Michael Gove up on his offer to apply for the status, government figures will reveal today. A man entrusted with helping to sell a 1.3 million-dollar painting said it disappeared while he was in a drunken haze, according to a lawsuit filed by a co-owner of the canvas. Schoolboys perform worse than girls in exams because they think girls are cleverer than them, a study has found.

In the last fortnight...

Boys at independent schools have scored better A-level results than girls at the top level. The first academic research project into lap dancing has found that, rather than being uneducated young women who have been coerced into the industry, one in four dancers has a degree and has been attracted by the money.