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Daily News Summary
27 April 2022

Exams: 'Our exam system preserves privilege'
AQA introduces new texts to bring diverse stories to students
Researchers claim student loan plan will adversely impact poor and minority ethnic pupils
Minister issues warning over future of free speech in universities
Charity voices concern over cost of breakfast clubs to families
'More support is needed for vision impaired pupils'
Popular children’s book withdrawn over racism claims
How do schools teach a refugee child?

Exams: 'Our exam system preserves privilege'

 

Writing in The Guardian, columnist George Monbiot argues that exams taken by pupils in England "inflict pain and distress on our children, narrow their minds and force them to conform".

BBC News looks at schools in Scotland, where the first exam diet in three years has begun. The full schedule of National 5, Higher and Advanced Highers began yesterday and will run until Wednesday 1 June.

 

AQA introduces new texts to bring diverse stories to students

 

Exam board AQA has introduced four new GCSE drama texts by authors from ethnic minority backgrounds as part of a drive to improve pupils’ access to diverse writers. By Catherine Lough, The Independent.

 
The Independent

Researchers claim student loan plan will adversely impact poor and minority ethnic pupils

 

Analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies has raised concern over the impact of the Government's plan to restrict student loans in England, with findings suggesting almost one in four recent undergraduates who received free school meals at the age of 16 would not be able to get student loans under the proposals. By Richard Adams, The Guardian.

Nicholas Barr, a professor at the London School of Economics, has described the student loans system as a “mess”, claiming consecutive governments have made changes to it “purely for short-term political gain”. By Arthi Nachiappan, The Times.

 

Minister issues warning over future of free speech in universities

 

Higher education minister Michelle Donelan has suggested UK universities could end up mirroring those in authoritarian states if they are allowed to "drift toward a more narrow definition of free speech". By Will Hazell, iNews.

 
iNews

Charity voices concern over cost of breakfast clubs to families

 

Magic Breakfast, which provides healthy breakfasts to schoolchildren in disadvantaged areas of the UK, has warned of the cost of breakfast clubs and is calling on the Government to provide £75m to prevent children from going to school hungry. By Serina Sandhu, iNews.

 
iNews

'More support is needed for vision impaired pupils'

 

A survey of teachers carried out on behalf of the charity Guide Dogs has revealed two in three primary and secondary school teachers lack confidence when it comes to teaching children with a vision impairment. BBC Newsround.

 
BBC

Popular children’s book withdrawn over racism claims

 

A book from the Biff, Chip and Kipper series, which has been used in primary schools for 30 years, has been withdrawn following complaints that its portrayal of Muslim people was racist. By Anita Singh, The Telegraph.

 
The Telegraph

How do schools teach a refugee child?

 

The Guardian looks at the steps taken in schools to help educate refugee children and enable them to go on to be successful. By Anna Fazackerley.

 
The Guardian

 

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