ISC Daily News Summary

Independent Education Supplement
Education expert Hilary Wilce advises a reader on the issue of charitable status.
Education Quandary: We pay school fees and taxes for education. Why should we also pay to 'prove' our children's school is a charity? (Independent)

Scotsman
George Heriot's School in Edinburgh is marking its 350th anniversary in an unusual way – with an exhibition in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The school is compiling the display of photographs and mementoes from the school's past including information about one of the world's first hot air balloons, which was launched at the school. Alistair Hector, the school's headmaster, is quoted.
School telling its story to Festival-goers (Scotsman)

Daily Telegraph
An article in the Daily Telegraph on a novel outdoor summer course. Giles Entwistle, deputy head at Highfield School, Hampshire, is quoted, and reference is made to pupils at both Highfield and also Cheltenham College who have been taking part in the course this summer.
Bushcraft skills course for children (Daily Telegraph)

All national newspapers
Widespread coverage today of the news that one in four boys still struggle to write their own name by the age of five, according to new government figures that reveal a huge gender gap in young children’s abilities. Three in 10 five-year-old boys have trouble reciting the alphabet and one in five are unable to count to 10, according to statistics representing England and Wales, published for the first time yesterday.
Girls 13 Boys 0: Testing reveals gender gap in basic skills (Independent)
Huge gender gap in young children's abilities revealed in government figures (Guardian)
Boys fall behind girls before even starting primary school (Daily Telegraph)
Girls are ahead of boys by the age of five in English and Maths (Daily Mail)
Boys fall into gender gap before they start school (Evening Standard)
Scandal of boys, 5 branded ‘failures’ (Daily Express)

Independent, Guardian, Daily Telegraph
A selection of higher education news stories today, all on the issues of higher education funding.
Radical rethink: MP Phil Willis on the frustrations of his inquiry into higher education (Independent)
Newer universities in line to receive extra student places (Guardian)
Top universities reject Gordon Brown's extra places plan (Daily Telegraph)

Daily Express
Thousands of foreign students bound for British universities are unaccounted for after being given UK entry visas. Figures from only three universities show that almost 2,500 candidates failed to turn up for their courses.
Migrants go missing in student visa scam (Daily Express)

Times
Drawn from Anglican and Baptist churches, 60 girls and boys are spending a week in Berkshire at one of 100 Venture summer camps run by the evangelical Church Pastoral Aid Society — founded in 1836 by Lord Shaftesbury. They are discussing how to live as a Christian in a world increasingly hostile to faith. Here, they say, the key feature is that they are not made to feel foolish for believing in God.
Christian camp helps children keep the faith in a hostile world (Times)

Inside this week's Independent Education Supplement, there is a feature on primary schools becoming expert at tending vegetables, thanks to Alan Titchmarsh. There is also an interview with Dragon's Den star Deborah Meaden, a comment from Simon Webb on home schooling, and an article looking ahead to a report out this weekend from Liberal Democrat MP Phil Willis, which will criticise higher education.
Independent Education Supplement

Times, Guardian
Sink-school system (Times)
Letters: Options for university funding (Guardian)

Daily Telegraph
A third of childminders and nurseries are not good enough at keeping children safe, inspectors have warned. Figures published by Ofsted show that 842 childcare providers were rated "inadequate" at protecting their young charges in the past year, while a further 6,057 were found to be simply "satisfactory". Under Ofsted rules, satisfactory is classed as not good enough. It means that of the 21,212 English childminders and nurseries inspected in the past year, 6,899 (32.5 per cent) were found to be not good enough at protecting pre-school children.
Third of childminders and nurseries 'not good enough' at keeping children safe (Daily Telegraph)

BBC News Online
The number of exclusions from England's schools went down last year, latest figures show. There were 8,130 permanent exclusions from primary, secondary and special schools in 2007-08, 6.4% less than the year before. There were 383,830 fixed period exclusions, down 9.8%. Boys featured in three times as many cases as girls.
Schools exclude pupils less often (BBC News Online)

In Government announcements this week, the DCSF is to further strengthen its Gifted & Talented programme targeted at the most disadvantaged gifted learners aged 14 to 19, to help them develop the knowledge and skills during their school careers to win a place at a competitive university.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls and Apprenticeships Minister Iain Wright have called on school leavers to stay in learning during the recession, as over £6.9billion is invested in the education and training of 16-18 year olds across the country.

The 'Generations Together' campaign has been launched, in which twelve projects have been awarded grants as part of a £5.5 million cross-Government scheme to promote intergenerational volunteering and encourage meaningful interaction between young and old generations.

Children’s Minister Dawn Primarolo has published the responses to a consultation on young people and alcohol. Respondents were clear that Government had a role to play on the issue and parents were keen for more support and information.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives have called for answers over the management of a grant scheme for Welsh students. 

In Government announcements this week, the DCSF is to further strengthen its Gifted & Talented programme targeted at the most disadvantaged gifted learners aged 14 to 19, to help them develop the knowledge and skills during their school careers to win a place at a competitive university.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls and Apprenticeships Minister Iain Wright have called on school leavers to stay in learning during the recession, as over £6.9billion is invested in the education and training of 16-18 year olds across the country.

The 'Generations Together' campaign has been launched, in which twelve projects have been awarded grants as part of a £5.5 million cross-Government scheme to promote intergenerational volunteering and encourage meaningful interaction between young and old generations.

Children’s Minister Dawn Primarolo has published the responses to a consultation on young people and alcohol. Respondents were clear that Government had a role to play on the issue and parents were keen for more support and information.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives have called for answers over the management of a grant scheme for Welsh students.

Daily Telegraph
Louise Brown joined her local library in 1946. Since then she has borrowed 25,000 books. "I've always loved books," she said modestly when staff at Stranraer public library drew attention to her record. What's more, she has never returned one late.
An ample shelf life (Daily Telegraph)