ISC Daily News Summary

Herald, Scotsman, Third Sector

The Herald reports on figures published by the Office of the Scottish Charities Regulator (OSCR) on the income of Scotland's charities, including a number of independent schools. Fettes College, Merchiston Castle School, Hutchesons' Grammar School, Dollar Academy, The Mary Erskine School, Stewart's Melville College and George Watson's College are referred to, with Headmaster of Fettes College, Michael Spens, quoted. Director of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS), Judith Sischy, is also quoted in the piece, stating that 'these are all very large schools with lots of pupils to educate, so although it sounds like a lot of money, every penny is needed to pay for the education of the children. If there was spare money around, we would be lowering fees.'

Revealed: the £160m income of top private schools (Herald)
How charitable status boosted income of private schools (Herald)
Revealed: the richest charities and how much they earn (Scotsman)
Education charities have largest incomes in Scotland (Third Sector)

Today's Independent Education supplement includes a feature on the Cambridge Pre-U qualification. Assistant Headmaster of Charterhouse, Andrew Turner, is quoted.

How Pre-U became preferred (Independent Education)

An online Guardian article reports on a debate that took place on Monday between Master of Wellington College, Dr Anthony Seldon, and sociologist Frank Furedi, on whether happiness should be taught in schools.

Think positive (Guardian)

The Independent reports on a study by the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA), which concludes that US-style university aptitude tests are 'invalid' in assessing candidates' suitability for courses and an 'unfair' method of allocating places. The report, by Dr Neil Stranger, also states that it is just as easy to coach pupils for an aptitude test as it is for an A-level exam, giving pupils at independent or selective grammar schools an unfair advantage.

Aptitude tests 'are biased against comprehensive school pupils' (Independent)

The Evening Standard reports that King's College School in Wimbledon has installed a new wind turbine.

School powered by quiet mini turbine (Evening Standard not online)

Head Master of Eton College, Anthony Little, discusses Eton's entrance test,  which he says measures 'both character and ability', in a letter to Country Life. 

Not just brains (Country Life letters not online)

A number of letters in the Guardian respond to Philip Hunter's and Richard Tice's education proposals earlier this week.

Lessons to be learned from school 'failure' (Guardian letters)
Teaching for truants (Times letters)

Widespread coverage of Key Stage 3 Achievement and Attainment tables, published today by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). The Daily Telegraph reports that more than a third of schoolchildren in England are failing to master the basics after three years of secondary school. It also reports on concerns expressed by the National Grammar Schools Association (NGSA) about the government's new 'contextual value added' (CVA) table, in which grammar schools are ranked lower as a result of their pupil's backgrounds. BBC News Online focuses on the achievement gap between boys and girls.

Jim Knight congratulates pupils, teachers and parents for improvements at 14 (DCSF)
One in three pupils fails to reach target in core subjects (Daily Telegraph)
Results in full (Daily Telegraph)
Grammar schools 'victims' of new-style tables (Daily Telegraph)
Ministers 'socially engineered school league tables to cast doubt on performance of grammar schools' (Daily Mail)
400,000 pupils go to failing schools (Daily Express not online)
100,000 pupils in 'lost 3 years' (Sun)
Kids failing maths (Daily Mirror)
Many teenage boys fail test grade (BBC News Online)
The toxicity of poverty (New Statesman)

Research by Durham University suggests that one in 10 children might have a memory impairment that causes them to do less well than expected at school.

Memory issue 'hits 10% of pupils' (BBC News Online)
Many struggling pupils suffer from poor memory - report (Guardian)
Pupils who fail may just have rotten memories (Daily Mail)

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) says that many head teachers are not addressing the problem of teachers who are being bullied or harassed by pupils. The Sun reports that 25 teachers who were attacked by pupils last year were given a total of over £300,000 in compensation.

Heads 'ignore bullied teachers'  (BBC News Online)
Teachers hit by kids win £300k (Sun not online)

Feature analysing the government's Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) scheme, which will be introduced in all early years settings this September.

Do little ones need formal lessons? (Independent Education)

Research by the Institute of Education indicates that teenagers are more likely to be convicted of violent crimes and racially motivated offences in areas which have sharp educational divides. There is also widespread coverage of the publication of a 10-year government strategy to reduce the use of class-A drugs, which includes the involvement of primary and secondary school teachers.

Schools divide linked to rise in violent crime (Guardian)
Cash aid to help grandparents care for children in drug-risk families (Guardian)
Anti-drug campaign to target children aged five (Daily Telegraph)
Grandparents will be given help to look after children of addicts (Times)
Teachers and families enlisted to war on drugs (Independent)
Drug lessons at four (Daily Mail)
Children of four to get drugs danger lessons (Daily Mirror)

A brief piece in the Daily Telegraph on a proposed government scheme to help public sector employees get on the property ladder.

Half-price houses for teachers (Daily Telegraph not online)

A French website that allows pupils to rate their teachers is likely to be closed down after an outcry from France's centralist education establishment. The Daily Telegraph reports on a government survey of pupils, which reveals that text messaging has damaged their writing skills. The Guardian reports that the BBC's controversial £150m digital education project, BBC Jam, will not be re-launched after it was pulled last year.

Must try harder - teachers get ticking off on pupils' website (Times)
Pupils' bad English blamed on txt msg (Daily Telegraph)
No relaunch for £150m BBC Jam (Guardian)

A number of education-related articles in the Herald and Scotsman, including reports on new figures that reveal a large rise in the number of pupils in Scotland who do not speak English.

3500 pupils can't speak English (Herald)
One nation, 138 languages...and the problems facing Scottish classrooms (Herald)
Surge in children who lack English 'may threaten all pupils' education' (Scotsman)
Schools 'must do more to encourage enterprise among pupils' (Herald not online)
How Scots girls are getting a sporting chance (Scotsman)

Today's Independent Education supplement also includes articles on diplomas, university academy protests and a 'computers in schools' supplement (not online).

A 'generous but modest' retired art teacher, Sheila Mair, has left £4million to charities across Scotland in her will.

Teacher leaves £4m to charities (Press Association)