ISC Daily News Summary

GTC registration

TES

Letter in today's TES from ISC Chief executive, David Lyscom, on the subject of GTC registration for teachers in independent schools.

Fund us to join (TES letters)

Practical science lessons

TES

This week's TES also includes a letter on science teaching from the Head of Biology at St Paul's School, Bill Burnett.

More choice and practical work will turn pupils on to science (TES letters)

Independent schools and EYFS

TES

Chairman of the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS), Diana Watkins, is quoted in a TES article on independent schools and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

Independents resist early years profile (TES)

Philosophy at Rugby School

TES

Rugby School's Philosopher in Residence, Emma Williams, is profiled in the TES. The school's Director of Critical Skills, Dr John Taylor, is also quoted.

Enlightened thinking ushers in age of reason (TES)

Former pupils to fund bursaries

TES

The TES reports that former scholarship boys at King Edward's School in Birmingham have offered to fund free places for a new generation of disadvantaged pupils.

Scholarships boys to fund bursaries (TES)

Widespread coverage of the Cambridge Primary Review, which today publishes its findings and proposals on the primary curriculum, following last year's 29 interim reports. According to today's media reports, the report concludes that 'children are being impoverished by a deficient and narrow education', and proposes a complete overhaul of the primary school system. It recommends the introduction of 12 new underlying aims for children's education together with eight subject 'domains'. The final report is expected to be published this summer.

Cambridge Primary Review special report on the primary curriculum (Cambridge Primary Review)
Schools 'failing to fire the imagination' (Times)
State school system cries out for creativity (Times)
Tests blamed for blighting children's lives (Guardian)
Where now after damning indictment of education? (Guardian)
Generation of pupils let down by focus on tests (Daily Telegraph)
School report hits at focus on test scores (Financial Times)
Schoolchildren's lives 'are being impoverished' (Independent)
Richard Garner: Pupils have a right to a varied education (Independent)
Primary schools are accused of turning out philistine pupils (Daily Mail)
Kids suffer from 'too much 3Rs' (Daily Mirror)
Primary education 'is deficient' (BBC News Online)
Primary Review calls for radical curriculum change (TES)

The government has today apologised for a teaching pack about the 7 July terror attacks, which asked pupils to imagine they were the bombers. The pack has now been withdrawn.

Teaching pack about 7/7 bombers withdrawn (Guardian)
Pupils told to think like a suicide bomber (Daily Telegraph)
Pupils study 7/7 attacks from bombers' viewpoint (Independent)
Imagine you are a 7/7 terrorist, pupils aged 11 are told in government-promoted exercise (Daily Mail)
Think like terrorists, pupils told (Sun)
Think like a 7/7 bomber, pupils told (Daily Mirror)
Pupils told: think as bombers (TES)

The Times reports that billions of pounds could be taken from council staff pension schemes to 'bail out' the government's PFI school projects.

Government raid on pension funds to rescue schools building scheme (Times)
Rebuilding programme seeks more EU money (TES)
Lofty ambitions for new builds are left dangling (TES)

Comment piece on schools and the economy by Shadow Children's Secretary, Michael Gove.

Schools are the front line in the economic war (Daily Telegraph)

A report by the think tank Civitas indicates that Ofsted inspectors are ignoring failures in Muslim schools because they do not want to cause offence. The report also reveals that Islamic fundamentalism that encourages children to 'despise British society' is being promoted on websites at some Muslim schools in the UK.

Music, Chess and other Sins (Civitas report)
Ofsted accused of soft line on Muslims (Times)
Islamic fundamentalism promoted on websites at some Muslim schools in the UK, think tank finds (Daily Telegraph)
We must stop Muslim schools teaching that integration is a sin (Daily Telegraph)
Double standards that mock a tolerant society (Daily Telegraph)
Some Muslim schools 'make children despise the West': Ban on cricket and Harry Potter (Daily Mail)
Muslim schools ban our culture (Daily Express)
Hate lessons (Sun not online)

Debate in the public sector section of the Times on sex education.

Is classroom sex education fit for purpose? (Times)

A General Teaching Council (GTC) hearing has heard how a teacher from a state school in Bristol used crack cocaine and fell asleep during lessons.

Maths teacher 'used cocaine and fell asleep in lessons' (Daily Telegraph)
Crack cocaine teacher who fell asleep during lessons allowed to keep his job (Daily Mail)
'Coke' teacher faces trial (Sun)
Drug use teacher 'can continue' (BBC News Online)

NUT demands 10% pay hike plus cash bonus (TES)
Exam boards warn that new regulator lacks teeth (TES)
More free school meals mooted as part of child health strategy (TES)
Strictly improved behaviour is a winner (TES)
Babies help boys reach new maturity (TES)
College seeks charter (TES)
New deal for special needs pupils in service families (TES)
Recession fuels rise in trainees as graduates seek safe careers (TES)
Minister urges headteachers to tackle special needs bullying and exclusions (TES)
Academy protesters appeal judgment (TES)
Apprentice battle (TES)
Meditation helps to calm hyperactive pupils in US (TES)

Need for intensive language classes (Times letters)

Psychologist Dr Aric Sigman has warned that people's health could be harmed by social networking sites because they reduce levels of face-to-face contact.

Online networking 'harms health' (BBC News Online)
Britons' health at risk from time spent in virtual worlds, says Dr Aric Sigman (Daily Telegraph)
Keep tweeting - life online is very sweet (Daily Telegraph)
Social networking is part of the solution, not the problem (Daily Telegraph)
So, does Twitter give you cancer? We've read the study... (Guardian)