New year, new cabinet… Justine Greening’s out as education secretary, Jo Johnson’s been ‘demoted’ from his position as Universities minister, and there’s a new Office for Students (which, thankfully, will not include Toby Young). So what does it all mean for schools and universities? Well, Justine Greening quit her role in the government, refusing a job as work and pensions … Read More
Education News Weekly – 4th October, 2017
Wrong exams grades, frugal students and the cost of living near a top state school… Tories’ new funding formula for schools merely ‘papering over the cracks’ – Independent Justine Greening, the Education Secretary, said schools will be given a funding rise of 0.5 per cent per pupil next year and a 1 per cent increase in 2019-20. The most … Read More
Education News Weekly – July 10th, 2017
University tuition fees, argumentative youngsters and what Malala did next… Tuition Fees – BBC, Telegraph, Independent One of education’s hottest potatoes has been back in the news, with an IFS report revealing that students can expect to leave university with debts of up to £57,000, taking into account the new 6.1% interest rates (Minerva’s blogger can confirm this figure, … Read More
Education News Weekly – 23rd April, 2017
General election pledges, the dangers of screen time and surprisingly happy teenagers Labour focused on education in upcoming general election – BBC Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has put education at the centre of his campaign for the snap general election. Corbyn described education as being in crisis, specifically highlighting the Tories’ recent record on school budget cuts and growing … Read More
Education News Weekly – 16th April, 2017
Teacher discrimination, toddler mental health and why timetabling could be the key to school success. Mental illness affecting children as young as four – BBC The NASUWT teaching union highlighted the problems with mental health among young people, reporting symptoms in pupils as young as 4. Virtually every single one of 2,000 respondents said they’ve encountered pupils with mental … Read More
Why Now Is the Time to Make Sex Education Compulsory in Schools.
…and finally the government agrees. All the evidence says the decision is long overdue – and over 70% of adults agree, as a recent survey by charity Plan International UK reveals. UPDATE: WITHIN AN HOUR OF THIS ARTICLE BEING PUBLISHED, THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED AGE-APPROPRIATE SEX EDUCATION WILL BE COMPULSORY IN ALL UK SCHOOLS. Read about the decision here, or read on for the … Read More
Education News Weekly – 27th January, 2017
Compulsory sex education, voluntary grammar school funding and the plight of young people in 2017. Grammar schools may have to ask parents for funding – BBC The funding crisis in British education has now got to such a critical point that Grammar schools may need to ask parents for voluntary funding, to the tune of £40 a month. While not … Read More
Education News Weekly – 20th January, 2017
League Tables, the key to school success and the search of a new generation of ‘Jane Bonds’ League Tables Reveal 282 Failing Secondary Schools – BBC After the government’s introduction of new, tougher assessment criteria for schools (known as Progress 8 and Attainment 8), the first new league table reveals 282 schools failed to meet the new national criteria. However, … Read More
Education News: What Happened in 2016?
2016 saw some major education news, including a new education secretary in Justine Greening, the controversial re-introduction of grammar schools, banned by Labour since 1998, and the ominous threat of Brexit to international students and our entire higher education system. What else happened? And what can we expect in 2017? Last year, we saw the growth of a teaching … Read More
Education News Weekly – 9th December, 2016
International education rankings, dodgy A Level predictions and the schools that’s grading parents School grades parents on support of their children’s education – Telegraph A Nottinghamshire school has been praised by Ofsted for its innovative scheme of grading parents on their support of their child’s education. Since 2011, Parents at Greasley Beauvale Primary School have been graded A to … Read More
