ISC Daily News Summary

Independent
A letter on the issue of charitable status.
Letters: A charitable look at state schools (Independent)

All national newspapers
Further coverage on the solutions offered by Alan Milburn's report, which apply free-market principles by replacing low performing schools with academies, giving parents vouchers to buy their way into better-performing schools and the idea of paying schools according to exam results.
From college to job, poorer students face a squeeze (Guardian)
Making most prestigious jobs less exclusive (Financial Times)
Call for end to ‘closed shop’ elitism (Financial Times)
Bursary crucial in student’s climb to top (Financial Times)
Britain's closed shop: damning report on social mobility failings (Guardian)
Alan Milburn: middle classes being 'left behind' (Daily Telegraph)
Milburn: for social mobility it's education, education, education... (Daily Telegraph)
Top professions 'operate closed shop to exclude the poor' (Times)
Kids should get talking lessons (Sun)

Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph
Teachers in England are the least educated in the developed world, a report finds today. The qualifications needed for entry to primary and secondary training courses are lower than in six other countries including France, Germany and the U.S. All teachers in England need to have some sort of degree – in any subject. In addition to this, the minimum requirement is to have C-grade GCSEs in maths, English and science for primary teachers and C-grade GCSEs in just maths and English for secondary.
Exposed: Qualifications for teachers in England are lowest in the developed world (Mail)
Teachers in England 'poorly trained' (Daily Telegraph)

Daily Telegraph
State schools have been wrecked and now it is the turn of our best universities, says Simon Heffer.
How Labour keeps the lower classes in their place (Daily Telegraph)

Daily Telegraph
Sophisticated CCTV is being installed in school classrooms to crack down on bad behaviour and monitor teachers, it emerged last night. It follows a Government pledge that teachers should only be formally monitored for three hours in any school year. Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "This all sounds very Big Brotherish. We have major reservations about using CCTV to monitor staff. It would be hard to see how teachers would act naturally if they knew they might be being watched all the time on camera. Schools should not have to resort to technology to fight bullying and bad behaviour."
Teachers condemn 'Big Brother' spy cameras in schools (Daily Telegraph)

A selection of education letters today:

Letters: Authors unlikely to 'lurk' at schools (Independent)
Letters: Equalising opportunity in education (Guardian)
Letters: Social mobility (Times)
Poor schooling and social mobility (Daily Telegraph)

Here is the latest education news from Westminster this week:

The DCSF has announced the appointments of a new Chief Adviser for London Schools and the Principle National Challenge Adviser, a new academy, and a funding boost for out of hours services offered in schools.

A statement was made in the Commons announcing that £200million of capital funding will be made available in the next financial year to authorities with exceptional need to assist them in building additional permanent primary school places by September 2011.

The Children, Schools and Families Select Committee published a report on allegations against school staff.

The Conservative Party have issued a report blaming Ministers for a further education funding crisis. David Cameron has pledged to make life simpler for parents of disabled children.

In Parliament, there have been debates on apprenticeships, graduate job prospects and further education colleges.

Conservative shadow children’s minister, Tim Loughton has asked questions on boarding schools and children in care and ContactPoint.

Parliament is now on summer recess, and will return on 12^th October.

A village fete has been forced to replace bunting with pairs of pants, including the vicar's, after the budget for the event was cut.
Vicar's underwear used for bunting (Daily Telegraph)