ISC Daily News Summary

Chairman of the Society of Headmasters and Headmistresses of Independent Schools (SHMIS) and Headmaster of Lord Wandsworth College, Ian Power, is quoted in a TES piece ahead of next week's SHMIS Conference 2008. In the article, Mr Power expresses his view that independent boarding schools should consider giving places to children at risk of going into care.

'We should board vulnerable pupils' (TES not online)

At a seminar hosted by think tank Civitas, Chief Executive of the Girls' Day School Trust (GDST), Barbara Harrison, said that all teachers should have to work in both state and independent schools. Headmistress of Wimbledon High School, Pamela Wilkes, is also quoted in the TES piece, with reference made to King's College School and Birkenhead High School.

Staff exchange urged between school sectors (TES not online)

An un-named independent school has expressed disbelief after one of its pupils, whose first language is Russian, scored zero marks in a Russian AS-level oral exam. The school contacted the TES after it reported on an investigation being carried out into exam grading irregularities.

Linguist lost for words over zero school (TES not online)

The Economist includes a feature on the value-for-money of independent schools. The Spectator analyses the latest 'Intelligence Squared' debate, which took place in London last week on the subject of selective education. High Master of St Paul's School, Dr Martin Stephen, was one of the speakers. Director of International Baccalaureate Studies at Wellington College, David James, discusses the merits of independent schools in a Guardian response column, with other newspapers also running articles on the issues of selection and school admissions today.

Private education - is it worth it? (Economist)
IQ² goes back to school (Spectator)
Maybe Eton's pupils are simply brighter than state schools' (Guardian)
Selection lies at the root of the Ridings school's problems (Guardian letters)
Grammar schools are good - these tables are bad (Daily Telegraph)
Be a cunning, canny parent (Times2)

Guardian, Third Sector

The Charity Commission has today launched its sub-sector public benefit guidance consultations for religious and relief of poverty charities.

Consultations on draft supplementary guidance (Charity Commission)
New warning to faith charities (Guardian)
Public benefit guidance released for poverty and religious groups (Third Sector)

The Primary Review into primary education, led by Cambridge University, has published its latest findings. The reports state that the multibillion pound investment in education since 1997 has led to a decline in the quality of primary education, with schools failing to teach pupils the basics. It would have been better, the project concludes, if the government had done nothing at all.

Governance, Funding, Reform and Quality Assurance: policy frameworks for English primary education (Primary Review reports)
Underfunded primary schools fail to teach basic literacy, says key review (Guardian)
Failed! Political interference is damaging children's education, report claims (Independent)
A shattering failure for our masters (Independent)
Lessons of the Soviet Union should have been learnt (Independent)
Primary pupils 'let down by Labour' (Daily Telegraph)
Too much testing takes its toll on school standards (Daily Mail)
Pupils are facing 'too many tests' (Daily Express)
Primary schools 'have got worse' (BBC News Online)

The TES reports that a fifth of state school sixth forms entered no pupils for A-level physics last year and one in 10 entered none for maths.

Sixth formers shun science (TES not online)

Children's Secretary Ed Balls is today expected to promise to step up the pace of the academy schools programme, raising the government target for new openings by five academies a year. The Spectator includes an analysis of the Swedish system of independent state schools, which is inspiring the Conservative Party's blueprint for British schools.

More city academies on the way (Guardian)
Academy roll-out to be accelerated (Financial Times)
Made in Sweden: the new Tory education revolution (Spectator)

A Childhood Wellbeing survey, commissioned by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), suggests parents are concerned that childhood is bring ruined by society's health and safety culture.

'Childhood is being ruined by PC culture' (Daily Telegraph not online)
Schools are spoiled by politically-correct policies, say parents (Daily Mail)
So when can you let a child walk home alone? (Daily Express)
Kid flag ban by PC teachers (Sun)

A survey by the Tesco Computers for Schools programme indicates that girls are more confident than boys about using a computer.

Girls 'more skilled on computers' (BBC News Online)

The Scottish government has voted to abolish the graduate endowment fee.

Cash boost for thousands as 'graduate poll tax' axed (Scotsman)

American psychologist Professor Rudski says that many Harry Potter fans are suffering from withdrawal in just the way that drug addicts do.

Harry Potter and the cold turkey (Daily Mail)
Harry Potter is as addictive as being hooked on drugs, says new report (Daily Mirror)