Universities have been accused of running a ‘cartel’ and failing to offer enough two-year bachelor’s degrees, by a right of centre think tank. The UK 2020 report argues that fast-track degrees could cut student debt. It is backed by Labour’s Lord Adonis and Sir Anthony Seldon, vice-chancellor of the University of Buckingham, which offers two-year degrees. But the umbrella group Universities UK said uptake of existing two-year courses had been limited. Read more
Fears about their looks can prevent pupils from taking part in PE lessons – or even from raising their hands in class, research shows. More than two-thirds of secondary pupils begin the new term worrying about their appearance, according to a new survey. And a quarter say that the way they look is one of their biggest concerns at the start of the school year. Read more
Teaching pupils in mixed-ability groups is so unpopular that researchers struggled to find enough examples to complete a recent study into the practice. They found that factors driving schools to avoid such classes included the ‘fear that parents may respond negatively and results will be endangered’, according to a new paper from the British Educational Research Association. Read more
Four-year-olds who arrive at school without being able to speak properly are on the rise, headteachers have said, as they blame the ‘pressures’ of modern day family life where parents no longer have time to speak to their children. Speech, language and the communication skills of pupils starting primary school was the greatest cause for concern for teachers, according to a survey of school leaders. Read more