Education officials have put together a forty page report that explains why the gypsy community feel like they are stigmatised and how this problem can be turned around through a twenty three point programme.

There will also be a dedicated officer who will act as a link between the gypsy community and the schools in the area. However not everyone is pleased about the amount of taxpayers’ money being spent on issues such as this, when the money could be spent on providing more resources for the schools.

Source [Telegraph]

The lessons will cover many controversial subjects such as the existence of UFO’s, life after death and the reasons for and against assisted suicide.

The subject is going to be known as Thinking and Reasoning Skills; it will be available for pupils to choose from next year.

The course will be taken by students under the age of sixteen, it will take around sixty hours of teaching and at the end, and the student will have to sit two one hour long exams. These will be graded as Pass, Merit and Distinction.

Source [Telegraph]

The study compiled by the Higher Education Policy Institute shows that places at the top universities are likely to go to women, who are going on to get better grades too.

This success in education is reflected in the subjects that they are taking, medicine and law are where women are outnumbering and outperforming men.

This shows that in a few years there will be a change in the work market too, with women taking on high profile positions within the professional and business world.

Whether this is a change of men not pursuing the educational path, or if it is a complete change of how the market is going is another matter.

Source [BBC]

It seems that the best thing a teacher can do these days is sit with the child and offer support, but even that could be misinterpreted as being wrong. Primary school is different from high school because these children are experiencing life outside of the home, some for the first time and it is this that makes their job so difficult.

Yet it is the child who suffers, they can become withdrawn and this can stay with them for a long time.

Source [BBC]

There some arguments that homework can be just as good for the parents as it is for the children, this is because they have to keep their brains in tune as they do not want to be embarrassed over not knowing any answers.

Here are some points of view:

Homework helps children develop routines and discipline around being organized and managing their time
Homework enables parents to engage with their children in what they’re learning in school
When parents engage with their child in doing homework, they demonstrate that what he/she is learning in school is so important that they are willing to invest their own time in it
Homework allows parents to observe their children “at work” and to intervene when/if there’s a problem
Homework provides a frequent, structured way for teachers and parents to work together to ensure students are learning

Source [Modern Age Mom]

The database is not without any controversy either, as with many of the government IT projects there are issues regarding who gets access to the database and for what reasons.

ContactPoint was created in response to the report by Lord Laming; it followed the death of Victoria Climbie.

So far the project has cost around £225 million, has been already been delayed a couple of time due to concerns over security. With almost 400,000 having access to the database there are still concerns as what the information will be used for.

Source [BBC]

This announcement follows claims that thousands of students are leaving school each year, unable to make even the most basic of calculations simply because they are traumatised over their school time experiences in the maths department.

The education system teaches maths in a narrow format missing out some of the more interesting aspects of the subject. It is because of this that children close up when it comes to maths, it becomes a chore and therefore they tend to switch off.

This can have long term effects on how people run their finances and could be a reason as to why some people cannot manage their finances in later years.

Source [Scotsman]

There are many things that the student and their families should be taking into account; these can range from distance from home, friends and family. It is not always a good thing to go to the best college because if the student is unable to work there, then it is going to be a waste of time.

Here are some the things that need to be considered when thinking about going to college:

Size
Type
Location
Distance from Home
Cost/Scholarships & Financial Aid
Student Population
Majors and Requirements
Athletics and Events
Activities and Special Programs
Your Gut Feeling

Source [Yahoo]

It seems that over the past ten years or so the rise of the faceless manager in public services has been astronomical in fact there are nearly as many managers as there are staff in some cases and then there are the managers who are in charge of the managers, the cycle just grows.

It is these faceless bureaucrats who issue orders at the drop of hat and employ another manager to oversee it. This is the root of the problem, the cost in money, services and lost time is what is wrong with the education system today.

Source [Telegraph]

But now there is some solid research that actually confirms these claims, according to a research student at Bristol University, Steven Proud. Who will tell the Royal Economic Society’s conference of his findings.

It is boys who come out worse off in mixed English classes in both primary and secondary schools, but in other subjects such as maths and science it was found that boys and girls can achieve up to a tenth of a grade more, when the are more girls in the class.

There is now a case for boys to be taught English in single sex classes.

Source [Guardian]