If you’ve missed any of this week’s education news, here is a summary of the main events:
The General Teaching Council for England is to be axed. Education Secretary Michael Gove told MPs that he believed that the organisation ‘does little to raise teaching standards or professionalism’. This follows the the scrapping of the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency and BECTA, and will allow the money to spent ‘on the front line’ instead. The TES spoke to Michael Gove about his plans in this report.- Michael Gove has also stated that more than 1,000 schools have shown an interest in becoming an academy, stating that the level of interest is ‘overwhelming’.
- Failing schools will be ‘given a year to improve’. After that time, ‘organisations with an excellent track record of educational excellence’ will take them over.
- Concern has been expressed over the increasing use of modern technology in nurseries, rather than traditional play-based activities.
- A reading test for 6 year olds will be introduced ‘to make sure that young children are learning and to identify problems early’.
- The Institute for Fiscal Studies has said that there is not enough money to finish Labour’s ‘Building Schools for the Future’ scheme and to fund free schools. Therefore, building work on hundreds of schools may have to be abandoned.
- Despite cuts to spending on adult education, the new business secretary has described how ‘his mother’s mind was saved by adult education’. The BBC have also spoken to a number of adults who have returned to education and have started learning new literacy and maths skills.
- A report from the Guardian states that children need ‘a sense of the broad sweep of history’, rather than teaching of selected events.
- A group of young carers have joined forces to create a campaign to raise awareness and help find young people who may be hidden young carers so they can get the support they need. Watch their video below:
- A report from the CfBT Education Trust explains that schools policies are more influenced by the media and by pressure for quick fixes, than by research evidence. It also calls for the setting up of an independent chief education officer to give objective advice.
- A union leader has stated that university lecturers could opt for a national strike unless agreement is reached over redundancies.
- Plans to create a ‘ super college’ in Glasgow have been questioned by the Educational Institute of Scotland, who have said that few student places would be provided there than are already currently available.
- An A-level student has asked for an exam to be rescheduled because it clashes with one of England’s World Cup matches.
- A new survey had reported that parents spend an average of 49 minutes a day together with their children.
- Parents in Wales have been warned that under-15s should not drink alcohol, even under parental supervision.
