ISC Daily News Summary

ISC today launches a free service, the Independent Schools Council information & advice service (ISCias), for parents, grandparents, guardians or anyone involved in bringing up a child. ISCias provides impartial advice on choosing and applying to independent schools in the UK and Ireland. ISCias comprises a 9-5 helpline, 0845 SCHOOLS (7246657) and a team of expert Regional Advisors who maintain a busy schedule of school visits and are therefore in a unique position to link parents with the right school for their child. Parents can also search for schools by using ISC's 'find a school' facility. Further information about ISCias is available here.

Times, Daily Mail, TES, Daily Telegraph

Further debate in the press surrounding the publication of the Charity Commission's public benefit guidance, and Dr Anthony Seldon's comments earlier this week. High Mistress of St Paul's Girls' School, Clarissa Farr, and former ISC General Secretary, Alistair Cooke, have letters published in the Times. The TES includes a letter from the Forum of Independent Day Schools (FIDS), expressing their view that the government could pay for bright children to study GCSEs at independent schools. Headmistress of James Allen's Girls' School, Marion Gibbs, is also quoted in the TES.

Independent schools: charitable or exclusive? (Times letters)
Private schools cream off the best? Well, not some of the ones I went to! (Daily Mail)
Independents offer to take in state-funded pupils for GCSEs (TES not online)
Inclusive thinking (TES letters not online)
The importance of charities in our society (Daily Telegraph)
Helping state schools (Daily Telegraph letters)

TES

Further coverage of 'The Economics of Private Schools' study by Kent University and University College London, originally reported on in the Guardian and Daily Telegraph last week. The TES highlights that job satisfaction for teachers in the independent sector is higher than in the state sector, and that female independent school teachers appear to be paid less than their female counterparts in state schools. Rosie Fielder, a Housemistress at Wellington College, is quoted and pictured.

Private schools pay women less (TES)

TES, TES magazine

King Henry VIII School teacher, Colin Foster, discusses the notion of helicopter parents and teachers in a TES comment piece. Governor at the Royal Grammar School and The Alice Ottley School, Rosemary Ham, reviews a collection of student short stories in the TES magazine.

Beware the rise of helicopter teachers (TES not online)
Find talent in spades (TES magazine not online)

BBC News Online, Financial Times, Evening Standard

Figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) reveal that a record number of students started university courses in the UK in 2007, with 22,540 more undergraduates accepted in 2007 than in 2006. The Financial Times reports on the sharp rise in the number of foreign undergraduates, which is also 'boosting' UK independent schools as overseas pupils seek to gain entry into the top universities.

Record rise in UK undergraduates (BBC News Online)
Universities see sharp rise in foreign students (Financial Times)
‘Too few teachers' for flood of foreign pupils (Evening Standard)

BBC News Online

The government has announced small concessions on its plans to cut funding from students taking a second undergraduate degree.

Attempt to defuse degree row (BBC News Online)

TES

The TES reports that the growing popularity of English-medium private schools is widening the gap between rich and poor in developing countries, according to research by Bath University.

English schools abroad stress gap between rich and poor (TES not online)

Times, Daily Telegraph, Guardian, Independent, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Evening Standard

Further coverage of the school admissions policy, after it emerged that nearly 80 schools have been reported to the admissions watchdog and accused of covertly selecting more able students. There are also additional calls to allocate some school places using a lottery system.

‘Ban catchment areas to stop the middle class buying their way in' (Times)
Schools still cherry-picking the better-off families (Times)
Those who can afford to save make best use of child funds (Times)
Schools accused of breaking new admission rules (Daily Telegraph)
School admissions Q&A (Daily Telegraph)
Selection by lottery could be just the ticket (Daily Telegraph)
None must have prizes: it's only fair to the kiddies (Daily Telegraph)
Minister warns schools accused of breaking law on admissions (Guardian)
The choice choice (Guardian)
Poorer pupils 'denied places' (Independent not online)
Minister warns schools that target middle-class pupils (Daily Mail not online)
Boost for poor kids (Daily Mirror)
'Stop schools selecting only middle-class pupils' (Evening Standard not online)
Wrong-headed schools policy (Evening Standard not online)

Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail

A report by Cambridge University suggests that a lack of basic literacy and numeracy skills among British workers is damaging the economy, with Britain's productivity falling behind that of its economic competitors.

Failure to teach three Rs 'damaging economy' (Daily Telegraph)
Failure at three s 'is putting the economy at risk' (Daily Mail)

Times, BBC News Online

Clinical psychologist Dr Tanya Byron, who will present her review into the impact of violent computer games and the internet on children next month, has told the Oxford Media Convention that parents must be educated in the dangers posed by the internet. BBC News Online reports on a survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), which suggests that more than half of teachers believe internet plagiarism is a serious problem among sixth-form students.

‘Parents don't understand risks posed by internet' (Times)
Teachers voice plagiarism fears (BBC News Online)

Scotsman

A controversial contract for £100 million to build nine schools has been signed in Dumfries and Galloway, despite fears that the schools will be too small.

New 'too small' schools get green light (Scotsman)

Ghetto schools (Daily Telegraph letters)
A faith school for the community (Independent letters)

Today's TES also includes articles on the new pay package for teachers, 'soft' A-levels and geography. This week's Times Higher Education (THE) includes articles on sector budget cuts, 'emotive' teaching and dyslexia support.

Times

Life models in Italy have climbed back into their clothes and gone on strike for better pay and conditions.

We won't take this lying down, say nudes (Times)