Monday, November 23, 2009
News in brief, November 2009
A summary of education news stories from the last month.
The Education and Families Bill announced in The Queen’s Speech on 18th November 2009 outlined the planned education law and policy for the year ahead. The DCSF summary of the plans is:
• Pupil and Parents Guarantees including a right to receive one to one catch up tuition for pupils that need it most;
• curriculum reforms – introduction of the new primary curriculum and making PSHE compulsory;
• Licence to Practise – a new professional standard for teachers;
• 21st century schools – in future schools will work more in partnership and have greater flexibility in how they spend their budgets;
• making it easier for strong schools to sponsor academies;
• new powers for local authorities and Secretary of State to intervene to raise standards in schools;
• supporting the introduction of the new School Report Card – this will provide more information for parents and a more intelligent and well-rounded assessment of school performance;
• safeguarding the vulnerable – strengthening the powers of local authorities and others with regards to registration, inspection and intervention including setting up a new home education registration system.
We will continue to detail each of these changes as and when they are implemented.
New Statutory requirements for national curriculum in England were announced in November. Building on the recommendations of an independent review by Sir Alasdair Macdonald and following extensive public consultations, PSHE, will become a statutory part of the national curriculum at primary and secondary level for all young people for the first time in 2011.New sex and relationship education requirements from 2011 will remove right of parents to refuse permission for their 15 year old sons and daughters to receive sex education at school. Consultation research published by DCSF this November investigated the views of parents about sex and relationship education and views on parental opt outs.
The iGCSE has been rejected by the UK government as a suitable qualification for students in state schools. The Cambridge International Certificates, offered by the Cambridge International Examinations exam board, was rejected on the grounds of failing "to meet the requirements of the curriculum in the key subjects of English, maths, science and ICT".
Dawn Butler MP has been appointed as the new Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement on the 30 October 2009. The post was created following a recommendation that came from the Youth Citizenship Commission that there should be a Minister for Youth Citizenship.
Finalists for the BETT Awards 2009 were announced on 12th November. See site for details. The winners are announced at the BETT Award dinner in January, part of the BETT show at Olympia.
Contact Point a new facility launched by DCSF, to enable all agencies working with and for a child to link with each other has been rolled out across the country this month after a successful trial. The webtool will allow authorised practitioners to find contact details of other people working with a child or young person making it easier to work as a team and in a coordinated way.Before being granted access, users will have completed mandatory ContactPoint training. They must have security clearance, including enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosure, and will need a username, PIN, security token and password. Access is audited and monitored.
The UK government announced a Higher Education Review in England in November. Lord Browne of Madingley has been appointed by Business Secretary Peter Mandelson to Chair the panel of seven experts carrying out the review. The team also includes former student leader Rajay Naik. Student fees will be part of their review.