Education News

UK childcare 'needs an overhaul'

Childcare in the UK needs to be overhauled to make it more affordable, a report by MP Elizabeth Truss, for the CentreForum think tank, suggests....

'Minority language data is key'

Schools should keep detailed records of the languages spoken by ethnic minority pupils urges a report....

£9k fees 'to push debt up £100bn'

A study suggests public sector debt will be pushed up by £100bn over next two decades by higher university fees....

GCSE overhaul may cut grade range

GCSE results could be overhauled with a cut in the number of grades suggests the exams regulator for England, Ofqual....

Warning over A-level reform plans

An independent schools leader says A-levels could become university entrance exams if academics are given too much control....

Gove loses court ruling over cuts

Education Secretary Michael Gove loses a High Court battle with Essex County Council over government cuts to nursery funding....

Fees rise 'didn't boost teaching'

Higher university tuition fees have not boosted teaching time at England's universities, research suggests....

Social work cuts 'risking lives'

Some 88% of social workers think cuts are putting vulnerable children's lives at risk, a survey five years after the death of baby Peter Connolly suggests....

Some work schemes 'of no benefit'

A parliamentary committee questions the length and quality of some apprenticeships, saying six month programmes are of no real benefit....

Schools 'fail to teach swimming'

A third of children in England cannot swim by the time they leave primary school, according to research from the Amateur Swimming Association....

Poor literacy standards tackled

A five-year plan to tackle poor reading and writing standards in schools is published by the Welsh government....

SA 'fails pupils on textbooks'

The South African government's failure to provide textbooks to all state school pupils violates the constitution, the high court rules....

Gove pushes for performance pay

Teachers' pay in England and Wales could be linked to performance and set at different local levels, under proposals set out by the government....

Early school entry 'detrimental'

Schooling in England should not start until the age of six because having formal lessons too early can put bright children off learning, research claims....

Sexting threat comes from peers

A report commissioned by the NSPCC suggests that children are coming under pressure from friends to post explicit pictures....

Teachers' performance pay doubts

There is no clear link between performance pay for teachers and raising standards in schools, says an international survey....

Special needs budgets for parents

Parents in England are to be given more financial control over support for their children with special educational needs....

Ministers end contract with A4e

The government terminates a contract with welfare-to-work company A4e after deciding that continuing would be "too great a risk"....

Limits on schools' biometric data

Schools in England will be banned from taking pupils' fingerprints and using face-recognition technology unless they get permission from parents....

World's Biggest School Assembly in pictures

Schools everywhere are holding assemblies to decide what matters to them...

Don't miss...

Find out what is happening on 8 May...

King James Bible gift to schools

Schools in England will be sent copies of the King James Bible from this week to mark the 400th anniversary of its publication....

Prince turns down homework appeal

Prince Edward declines a pupil's appeal for a royal reprieve from homework....

Schools 'to compete' for cash pot

Schools which find the best ways to spend the pupil premium could win £10,000, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg says....

Special needs budgets: Your views

Parents react to the news that they are to be given more financial control over support for children with special educational needs....

MPs criticise school cash checks

A report from a committee of MPs says they fear the system for checking on school spending is not robust enough....

New adoption scorecards attacked

Council leaders in England condemn new adoption scorecards being introduced in England in an effort to speed up the adoption process....

UK higher education '10th best'

The author of a report on higher education has questioned whether UK universities can remain world leaders without more funding....

MPs call for wider food strategy

The government needs to tackle a "failing food system" by linking its policies on health, environment and education, MPs say....

£850,000 to stop young smoking

Children as young as 11 are to be targeted in a major new drive costing more than £850,000 to encourage them to stop smoking....

Families feature in Queen's Speech

Plans for more flexible parental leave, speedier adoptions and a radical shake-up of support for children with special educational needs are announced in the Queen's Speech....

Age-ratings call for music DVDs

The government is to consult on whether music DVDs should have age ratings, to protect children from over-sexualised images....

Nursery teachers fall highlighted

Unions and parents accuse councils of undermining standards in nurseries by employing fewer teachers and more nursery nurses....

VIDEO: Miliband attacks vocational snobbery

Ed Miliband has attacked "snobbery" against people who gain vocational qualifications rather than going to university....

VIDEO: Social workers warn over cuts threat

Nearly five years after the death of Baby Peter Connelly, a survey of social workers suggests many are worried about unmanageable amounts of work....

VIDEO: Ban chips on school menus, says Reid

Big businesses should sponsor compulsory school meals, and packed lunches should be banned, says the former cage fighter and Celebrity Big Brother winner Alex Reid....

VIDEO: Why exams are about to get harder

Free schools, an accelerated move to academies and a planned return to a more rigorous, traditional type of exam are part of government changes for the English education system....

Babies to 'teach' pupils empathy

How a baby in class could help curb bullying and aggression...

Swimming: Why I took the plunge

How swimming can be a life-changer...

Move from 'textbooks to tablets'

Use of mobile devices in class could be expanded...

Italian university switches to English

A top Italian university switches to English...

Extreme breastfeeding

Did magazine cover exploit or promote debate on nursing?...

China: The world's cleverest country?

Is China the world's smartest country?...