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Daily News Summary
1 October 2020

Coronavirus: Majority of schools 'cannot afford COVID-19 costs'
GCSEs and A-levels: Cancelling 2021 exams could be "inevitable", warns union leader
'GCSEs serve no good purpose in the 21st century'
ISC blog: 'Teaching students about the impact of colonialism upon global development'
DfE withdraws from 2024 TALIS survey to 'reduce workload' of schools
Social media influencers paid to 'promote universities they never attended'

Coronavirus: Majority of schools 'cannot afford COVID-19 costs'

 

Findings from a survey of school business managers reveal 57 per cent of schools do not have enough money in their 2020-21 budget to cover extra costs incurred during the pandemic. By John Roberts, Tes.

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), has called for "Nightingale classes", to enable schools to remain open without having to implement pupil rotas. By John Roberts, Tes.

The NEU has launched a new website, which enables parents to type in their child's school name and see levels of infection in the local area. By Dan Sales, The Mail.

Amanda Spielman, Ofsted's chief inspector, has said an increasing number of parents are opting to home school their children during the pandemic, adding "a lot of parents have absorbed a lot of misinformation that's making them more anxious than they need to be". By Sally Weale, The Guardian.

According to analysis of data from 191 countries, there is no correlation between the reopening of schools and the rate of infection. By Jennifer Rigby, The Telegraph.

iNews reports about 7 per cent of pupils at British boarding schools have delayed or deferred their return until a later date due to coronavirus disruption. By Will Hazell. The article mentions the Boarding Schools' Association and quotes Simon Hyde, general secretary of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.

An article in The Telegraph warns parents of the increasing popularity of social media scavenger hunts during lockdown, with teenagers reported to be peer-pressured into participating in high-stakes dares and challenges. By Sarah Rodrigues.

According to The Times, ministers in Scotland are considering implementing a "circuit-breaker" lockdown over the October school holidays, as the infection rate continues to climb. By Helen Puttick and Kieran Andrews.

 

GCSEs and A-levels: Cancelling 2021 exams could be "inevitable", warns union leader

 

Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, has suggested a move to a system of centre-assessed grades may become "inevitable" next year if coronavirus disruption continues. By Will Hazell, iNews.

Lord Baker of Dorking, the former education secretary who introduced GCSEs, has written to education secretary Gavin Williamson urging him to accept that the teacher assessment model used to award grades this summer "will have to be used again next year". By Amy Gibbons, Tes.

Richard Russell, headmaster of Colfe's School, writes in The Times arguing proposals to decide now whether to cancel next year's A-level exams are "premature at best". The letter can be found a quarter of the way down the page.

 

'GCSEs serve no good purpose in the 21st century'

 

Three members of the Rethinking Assessment group write in The Telegraph outlining the reasons why they are campaigning for reform to the traditional exam system. By Bill Lucas, Peter Hyman and Alistair McConville, director of learning and innovation at Bedales School.

 
The Telegraph

ISC blog: 'Teaching students about the impact of colonialism upon global development'

 

Cat Davison, director of service and social impact at Sevenoaks School and founder and chief executive of EduSpots, explores how postcolonial approaches to learning can be implemented in schools.

 
ISC

DfE withdraws from 2024 TALIS survey to 'reduce workload' of schools

 

The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed England will not be taking part in the 2024 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) to help "reduce the considerable workload burden of data collection" on schools. By John Dickens, Schools Week.

 
Schools Week

Social media influencers paid to 'promote universities they never attended'

 

According to The Times, some universities have enlisted social media influencers to promote certain degree courses, despite having never taken them. By Andrew Ellson.

 
The Times

 

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