ISC Daily News Summary

ISC is pleased to announce the appointment of David Lyscom as Chief Executive. David will take up his duties from 8 September 2008. David joins ISC direct from his previous role as UK Ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Before that he was HM Ambassador to the Slovak Republic in Bratislava. Further details about David can be found on the ISC press release.

New private schools chief appointed (Guardian online only)

The Herald reports that independent school fees in Scotland have risen by an average of 4.8% in 2008-09, according to the newspaper's own analysis. Director of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS), Judith Sischy, is quoted.

Private schools' fees rise by 4.8% (Herald)

A report by Ofsted published today indicates that the number of childminders ranked as 'inadequate' has doubled in the past year. Although the report concludes that childcare settings including nurseries and childminders have improved overall, it also depicts a postcode lottery for parents in which thousands of childminders in poorer areas are failing to provide a good service.

Leading to excellence: a review of childcare and early education provision 2005-08 (Ofsted)
Drop in 'good-rated' childminders (BBC News Online)
Children losing out as study finds 40% of daycare is not good enough (Guardian)
Parents warned as number of failing childminders doubles (Daily Telegraph)
Number of 'inadequate' childminders doubles in a year, say inspectors (Independent)
Children aged 3-7 put at risk by staff shortcomings in out-of-school clubs (Times)
Ofsted report deserves scrutiny in this, the age of the childminder (Times)
50000 children 'at risk of harm or neglect' in nurseries (Daily Mail)
50,000 infants at risk in childcare (Daily Express)
6% of child care staff are failing (Daily Mirror)

Postgraduate students at Abertay University in Scotland are to be taught the art of computer hacking as part of the MSc Ethical Hacking and Computer Security course. The course aims to explore the methods criminals use to attack networks, enabling students to learn how to test systems for vulnerabilities and come up with ways to protect them.

Students taught computer hacking (BBC News Online)

The ifs School of Finance (previously known as the Institute of Financial Services) has recommended that schools should stop teaching children about managing money as a part of mathematics lessons. A feature in the Times suggests that Labour has failed to support the teaching of entrepreneurship in schools.

Maths may be wrong class to learn about personal finance (Times)
Sold out by Gordon & co (Times)
Undergraduates owe £220 on their credit cards (Guardian)

Feature on summer-born children in the Daily Telegraph.

Boo-hoo for the baby of the class (Daily Telegraph)
When should a July-born child start school? (FT weekend magazine letter)

Scotland's former First Minister, Jack McConnell, has called for the Scottish government to fund an increase in the proportion of school-leavers going to university and college. The Herald also includes a feature on football in schools.

McConnell backs call for more young people to enter higher education (Herald)
Striking roles at new schools (Herald)

Children as young as ten are to be screened on the NHS for Familial Hypercholesterolaemia - an inherited disorder that increases the risk of suffering a fatal heart attack.

Children aged 10 to be screened for cholesterol (Daily Telegraph)
DNA testing: Doctors search for 100000 at risk of early heart attack (Guardian)
Thousands of heart-risk children to be put on statins (Daily Mail)
Health tests to cut heart attack risks (Daily Mirror)

Comment piece in today's Daily Telegraph on 'pushy parents'.

Suddenly it's the rage to be pushy and competitive (Daily Telegraph)

'While working at a leading independent school, I saw what it means for a school to be able to navigate with vigour the lengthy Oxbridge admissions process.'

Oxbridge access is still skewed (Observer letters)
Academies are a primary concern (Guardian letters)
Calling for coed (Times letters)
University class-war (Daily Telegraph letters)

An animal behaviour expert at Battersea Cats and Dogs Home says that unruly toddlers should be encouraged to behave using the same training methods for disobedient dogs.

Kids behaving badly? Treat them like a dog (Daily Mail)
Treat children like dogs, says animal behaviour expert (Daily Telegraph)