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Daily News Summary
10 January 2020

'How independent schools are responding to the TPS dilemma'
Letters: 'Embracing international approaches to education could improve language learning in the UK'
'We must educate the next generation on how they can make a positive difference to climate change'
Independent school head calls for mobile phones to be banned in schools
The Telegraph's pick of the best value independent schools
Findings suggest air filters can boost pupils' exam performance
Report finds a quarter of children referred for specialist mental health care are denied treatment
Ofqual to launch AI exam marking competition

'How independent schools are responding to the TPS dilemma'

 

The Telegraph reports some independent schools may have to raise their fees or offer their teachers less competitive pension packages, following the rise in employer contributions under the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS). By Sam Meadows and Harry Brennan. The article quotes Nicola Miller, chief operating officer of Taunton School.

Speaking to Independent Education Today, Neil Roskilly, chief executive of the Independent Schools Association, said it's "absolutely right" for schools to withdraw from the TPS, "otherwise they would have no choice but to pass the increased contribution on to parents with excessive fee increases". The article also quotes Ben Evans, headmaster of Edge Grove School, and Julie Robinson, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council.

 

Letters: 'Embracing international approaches to education could improve language learning in the UK'

 

Henry Coverdale, assistant head of King Edward's School in Birmingham, writes in The Times in response to a Higher Education Policy Institute report which found just 32 per cent of young people in the UK can read or write in more than one language. He says 'it is only by embracing more international approaches to education that we can hope to make significant progress'. The letter can be found half-way down the page.

 
The Times

'We must educate the next generation on how they can make a positive difference to climate change'

 

Carol Chandler-Thompson, head of Blackheath High School GDST, writes in The Independent arguing schools should teach children about climate change in a "healthy and constructive way", to avoid fuelling the growing trend of "eco-anxiety".

 
The Independent

Independent school head calls for mobile phones to be banned in schools

 

Lisa Kerr, principal of Gordonstoun School, has said banning mobile phones in schools would "help pupils develop their full potential". Tes.

 
Tes

The Telegraph's pick of the best value independent schools

 

The Telegraph lists a number of "best value" independent schools, noting the bursary and scholarship provision available at many schools.

 
The Telegraph

Findings suggest air filters can boost pupils' exam performance

 

Research suggests installing air filters in classrooms could raise pupils' test scores by the same amount as reducing class sizes by a third. By Ben Webster, The Times.

 
The Times

Report finds a quarter of children referred for specialist mental health care are denied treatment

 

According to a report from the Education Policy Institute, 26 per cent of children referred for specialist mental health care were rejected in 2018/19. By Laura Donnelly, The Telegraph.

 
The Telegraph

Ofqual to launch AI exam marking competition

 

Ofqual has announced its new artificial intelligence (AI) competition, whereby developers are invited to see if they can design an AI system capable of marking exam papers to the same standard as a human examiner. By Will Hazell, iNews.

 
iNews

 

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) monitors the national and educational press in order to keep independent schools up-to-date with relevant education news. The DNS is a service primarily for schools in membership of ISC associations, although other interested parties can choose to sign-up. We endeavour to include relevant news and commentary and, wherever possible, notable public letters. Where capacity allows, we may include links to ISC blogs, press statements and information about school or association events. News stories are selected based on their relevance to the independent sector as a whole. Editorial control of the DNS remains solely with the ISC.

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