ISC Daily News Summary

TES

ISC Chief Executive Chris Parry is profiled and photographed in today's TES.

After Balkan warlords, bring on the heads (TES not online)

TES

Further coverage of a letter ISC has sent to Children's Minister Beverley Hughes on the subject of EYFS. Chris Parry is quoted.

Private schools join curriculum clamour (TES not online)

TES

Master of Wellington College, Dr Anthony Seldon, discusses global politics and the increasing influence of China in a TES comment piece.

We must focus on China before it sprints into a global lead (TES not online)

TES

Alan and Jan Rae, science teachers from Salisbury Cathedral School, are photographed in the TES magazine in its weekly 'picture perfect' section.

Picture Perfect (TES magazine not online)

Times, Independent

'I fear that the question setters at Cambridge may be going through some sort of midlife crisis. Not content with setting Amy Winehouse's lyrics as part of the English tripos, their school exams arm, the OCR, has set that masterpiece of verbal dexterity, Money, Money, Money by Abba on their specimen English language and literature A-level paper.' Steven Pollard, Head of English, Kimbolton School.

Pop goes the syllabus (Times letters)
Class divide (Independent letters)

Daily Telegraph, Economist

Analysis of data from the 2003 OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) by academics in the US and Italy shows that boys are not born better at maths than girls, and differences in exam results are down to nurture not nature.

The 'myth' of boys being born better at maths (Daily Telegraph)
Vital statistics (Economist)

Times, Guardian, Independent, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, BBC News Online

A study into the government's new childcare study, commissioned by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), has found that 56,000 children are currently missing out on free places. Families are instead turning to grandparents and other relatives for informal childcare because nurseries and childminders are 'too expensive and inflexible'.

Parents still turn to family and friends for childcare despite new nursery places (Times)
Childcare plan 'failing to attract parents' (Guardian)
Affordable childcare plan failed, says report (Independent)
Affordable childcare pledge broken (Daily Telegraph)
Parents want Granny, not the state, to look after children (Daily Mail)
Childcare 'out of reach for many' (BBC News Online)

Guardian, Daily Telegraph

A study by the campaign team behind this year's National Year of Reading indicates that fewer than one in two parents read to their children each day, with one child in 10 getting a bedtime story less than once a month. The survey also suggests that fairytales and traditional children's bedtime classics are being shelved in favour of funny books.

Most parents do not read to their children every day, survey finds (Guardian)
Funny stories spell grim time for fairytales (Daily Telegraph)

Guardian, BBC News Online

An inquiry by the British Medical Association (BMA) has revealed that the average first-year medical student will have debts of £37,000 by the time they graduate.

Medical students' average debt heads for £37,000 (Guardian)
NI medical students in debt woes (BBC News Online)

Daily Mirror

The Daily Mirror reports that ministers have abandoned a promise to spend at least 50p on healthy ingredients for school meals.

Schools can spend under 50p on a meal (Daily Mirror)

Scotsman

The Scotsman leads with a story on Scotland's new 'Curriculum for Excellence', which, say teachers, is desperately underfunded and at risk of being lost in a haze of vagueness and ignorance.

Confusion to reign in Scottish classrooms over radical reforms (Scotsman)

Today's TES also includes articles on Imams in schools, a proposed 'ban' on teachers' strikes, supply teachers and league tables. This week's Times Higher Education (THE) includes articles on the Higher Education Authority, overseas students and librarians and student literacy.

The biennial conference for sixth formers and teachers involved in Community Action will take place at St Edward's School and St Hugh's College Oxford on the 26th - 28th of September. This year, speakers will include Satish Kumar, Emily Benn and Jem Winston among others. There will be a wide range of workshops on all aspects of community action in this country and elsewhere, including the international work of the Children's Voice charity, founded by JK Rowling. The total cost, including accommodation and meals, will be £150. Contact carl.swift@isc.co.uk for further details. 

Times, Guardian, Daily Mail, Daily Express, Sun, BBC News Online

It has been revealed that Prime Minister Gordon Brown has taking to making surprise personal calls to members of the public in response to their letters and e-mails. However, like all cold-callers, he is not allowed to ring anybody who has signed up to the Telephone Preference Service.

Hello, this is the Prime Minister (Times)
It's for you, dear ... some chap called Gordon Brown (Guardian)
'Err... there's a Mr Brown on the phone for you': Voters beware, Prime Minister is cold-calling (Daily Mail)
Hello, it's the Prime Minister calling, yes it's 6am... (Daily Express not online)
Brown's 'cold calls' to voters (Sun)
Brown 'telephones voters at home' (BBC News Online)