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Coronavirus: DfE publishes evidence behind the decision to reintroduce face masks in the classroom
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General education
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The Department for Education (DfE) has published a summary of the evidence behind its decision to temporarily reintroduce face masks in secondary school classrooms. The data, based on a DfE study, found that that COVID absence rates across schools using face coverings fell quicker compared to those who were not using masks. By Samantha Booth, Schools Week.
Russell Viner, professor of child and adolescent health at University College London and member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, has said that COVID vaccines are likely to be extended to all all five to 11-year-olds, adding that the “medical balance of risks” of giving younger children a jab would be “even more marginal than for teenagers”. By Will Hazell, iNews.
Professor Viner has also suggested that all vaccine centres in England should be offering jabs for 12 to 15-year-olds as standard to boost the slow uptake in the age group. By Will Hazell, iNews.
Addressing MPs yesterday, the education secretary said that teacher absence rates are likely to get worse this term due to COVID. Nadhim Zahawi said: “At the end of last year the figure was about 8 per cent of staff off, and that is probably likely to rise with increasing cases in school and of course young people as we return to school.” By Will Hazell, iNews.
Schools Week takes a closer look at six key points made by the education secretary yesterday when he addressed ministers in Parliament. By Freddie Whittaker.
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Letters: "The implication is that some disciplines are second-class citizens in the school curriculum"
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Teaching and learning
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In a letter to The Times, Dr Millan Sachania, head at Streatham and Clapham High School, raises concerns over suggestions by Ofqual that specialist subjects should be suspended to focus on "core" lessons as a way of coping with staff shortages. He argues “our youngsters cannot emerge from the pandemic in good spirits without engaging with music, literature and the creative and performing arts”.
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Handwriting could become a lost skill if exams are digitised, author warns
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Examinations
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Colm Toibin, known for writing novels such as Brooklyn and The Testament of Mary, has warned that handwriting could be "lost within a generation" after the exam board AQA announced it will trial digital GCSE exams at dozens of schools. By Daniel Capurro, The Times.
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Universities should stop using 'first in family' as an indicator of widening access, report says
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Higher education
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A report from Higher Education Policy Institute think-tank has suggested that universities should stop using information about whether a student is the first in their family to go to university as a measure for how well they are widening access, claiming that too much weight has been placed on the status, which is self-declared and unverifiable. By Will Hazell, iNews.
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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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