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'A culture war over white privilege is unlikely to help disadvantaged children'
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Social mobility
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Speaking to The Independent, some headteachers have warned that an emerging "culture war" over the term white privilege is unlikely to serve the disadvantaged pupils at the heart of the debate. By Zoe Tidman.
According to The Guardian, Labour MPs who voted against the Education Select Committee's report looking into underachievement among white working class pupils have become the subject of social media attacks. By Nazia Parveen and Sally Weale.
Analysis by The Telegraph has found that local councils across the country have published resources, advice and training materials for schools on the concept of white privilege. By Camilla Turner and Ewan Somerville.
An analysis piece in iNews takes a closer look at ethnic advantage and disadvantage in Britain's schools. By Cahal Milmo.
Peter Edwards, an Oxford academic and member of the Royal Society, has described the Education Select Committee's report as a "welcome exposé of a disturbing situation", claiming that some people working in higher education attribute the underachievement of white working class students to "individual deficiencies". By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.
David Goodhart, head of the demography, immigration, and integration unit at the Policy Exchange, writes in The Telegraph reflecting on the report's findings. He argues the term white privilege "means nothing to poor, white pupils in Britain's 'left behind' towns".
The leading article in The Times argues the pattern of underperformance among white working class pupils "urgently needs redressing before it becomes entrenched in the education system".
An editorial piece in The Guardian has described the Committee's report as "a stunt designed to whip up animosity without addressing real problems of inequality and disadvantage".
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Exams 2021: Heads angered over late-night request for grades evidence
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Examinations
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Headteachers in England have expressed anger after an exam board mistakenly sent out a late-night email giving schools less than 48 hours to provide samples of pupils' work to support teacher-assessed grades. By Sally Weale, The Guardian.
Education secretary Gavin Williamson has said the Government is considering a "similar set of measures" for next year's exams as those proposed for this summer's series, before formal tests were cancelled. By Samantha Booth, Schools Week.
BBC News reports pupils across Wales are starting to receive their provisional A-level, GCSE and AS grades, amid concerns that some may be "in limbo" for weeks before results are confirmed. By Bethan Lewis.
According to The Times, high school exams in Scotland may be scrapped while regular testing for primary school children remains in place, as part of an overhaul of Scotland's education system. By Mark McLaughlin.
Shirley-Anne Somerville, Scotland's education secretary, has said the plan for 2022 exams will be known by the start of the next academic year. By Henry Hepburn, Tes.
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Coronavirus: Cut-back education package 'will damage children for life'
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General education
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Sir Kevan Collins, the former education recovery commissioner, has warned that children could suffer "lifelong effects" from the Government's failure to agree to a £15 billion school catch-up package. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.
Dr Shaba Nabi, a GP, has said that children are suffering "unimaginable" mental health issues as a result of lockdown, adding that children 'often need to be demonstrably suicidal' in order to meet the criteria for NHS support. By Rosie Taylor and Laura Donnelly, The Telegraph.
According to figures from the Department for Education (DfE), the number of pupils absent from school because of COVID-19 has nearly trebled in just one week. By Chiara Giordano, The Independent.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, has said the Government must urgently provide information on how schools will be expected to manage COVID from this September. By John Roberts, Tes.
Harry Hudson writes in The Telegraph criticising the mass COVID testing system in schools, arguing it "places a target on those who transmit the virus the least".
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Majority of teachers support pupils taking direct action against climate change, survey suggests
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Teaching and learning
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According to research led by the University of Bristol, teachers unanimously support the idea of an action-focused climate change curriculum in schools, and 54 per cent believe this should extend to taking part in civil disobedience at secondary level. The Telegraph.
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DfE criticised over support for One Britain One Nation campaign
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General education
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The DfE has been criticised on social media for encouraging schools to celebrate One Britain One Nation day, intended to 'galvanise the efforts of people from all backgrounds to rejoice in their pride in Great Britain'. By Nadeem Badshah, The Guardian.
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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.
Sign-up to the email service is available on our website.
Members can contact the ISC if they know in advance of news, letters or opinions that are likely to feature in the media, or are aware of existing coverage which they would like to see featured in the DNS.
Headlines and first-line summaries are written by the ISC with the link directing to the source material. You should read and comply with the terms and conditions of the websites to which we link.
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