Education News January
Sources: NGA, Croner, BBC, Guardian
This month: * NUT to ballot over SATS * Students have more say in schools * Free laptops to lead to a two grade improvement? * Pack lunches not nutritious * Claw back less likely as school surpluses reduce * Worthless GCSEs?
Teachers’ unions in England are to ballot members on a boycott of this year’s Sats tests for 11 year olds.
The National Union of Teachers and the National Association of Head Teachers have called on the government to scrap the tests, saying they narrow learning.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8479426.stm
Student voice gets louder
Resulting from Education and Skills Act 2008 from Sept 2010 all state primary and secondary schools legally obliged to seek children’s views on major policy changes in an attempt to make them feel more valued. Although schools already have to include pupils on major decisions involving behaviour policies, schools must also ask pupils about changes to the curriculum. Concerns raised that the “obsession” with consulting children could lead to a “crisis of adult authority”.
Free laptops and broadband
As the pioneering scheme for free laptops and broadband at home is rolled out nationally, research from the Institute of Fiscal Studies has shown that having a computer at home could lead to a two-grade improvement in one subject at GCSE. The £300 million scheme will give 270,000 low-income families a free computer and free broadband access, as part of a major drive to narrow the digital and educational divide between advantaged and disadvantaged pupils and to help keep parents in touch with their child’s progress.
Packed lunches not nutritious
Recent report on pupils’ packed lunches found only 1.1% met the Government’s minimum nutritional standards for school lunches. This research highlights why buying a well-balanced school lunch is now the most nutritious choice for children and young people.
Fall in school surplus balances?
Schools Minister, Vernon Coaker, has welcomed figures showing that school surplus balances have fallen for the first time since 2002/03, but said that the balances are still too high and so urged schools and local authorities to ensure excessive balances are used to improve standards for all pupils.
The DCSF made it clear when it decided not to require LAs to institute a blanket 5% clawback on all balances (committed or uncommitted) that LAs and Schools Forums needed to take balances in hand at a local level and institute robust controls. If LAs and Schools Forums cannot demonstrate they are doing this then in the current financial situation the risk is that government will use the issue of surplus balances as evidence to justify budget cuts or standstills.
Worthless Qualifications
Claims that public schools are deceiving students with ‘Worthless qualifications’ like ‘X-Factor contestants who can’t sing’. ”More children who were eligible for free school meals sat GCSEs in media studies than in physics, chemistry and biology combined”
1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8475876.stm
2. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/jan/22/deceive-children-worthless-qualifications
