As two teaching unions, the National Education Union (NEU) and the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT), prepare to announce the results of their ballots today, others have have warned that they could be forced to reballot their members over strike action if MPs do not agree to a \"sensible solution\" to teacher recruitment and retention problems. Last week it was revealed that although around 90 per cent of NASUWT members had voted in favour of industrial action, the turnout of 42 per cent was below the required 50 per cent threshold. By Michael Savage, The Observer.

According to The Independent, schools are planning to bring back online lessons and pandemic-style classes for vulnerable pupils as they prepare for industrial action. The Government reportedly hopes schools can work together to share resources, as it draws up contingency plans for possible strikes across England. By Kate Devlin and Adam Forrest.

If unions announce today that strike action by teachers will go ahead, MPs are expected to 'plead' with schools to stay open for GCSE and A-level pupils, according to The Telegraph. By Ben Riley-Smith.

Gillian Keegan, the secretary of state for education, writes in The Telegraph about the possible impact of school closures on young people's learning, warning that "anything that stops children getting the education they deserve is a tragedy". Ms Keegan says she is doing whatever she can to avoid strike action.

Writing in The Telegraph, Dame Rachel de Souza, the children's commissioner for England, argues that teacher strikes are the "wrong course of action". Keen that a resolution will be found to avoid industrial action being taken, she says: "It’s damaging to children’s outcomes. It will disrupt their learning just as they are getting back on track."

Teachers in Scotland are beginning 16 days of strikes today, with walkouts affecting two local authorities a day, starting with Glasgow and East Lothian. BBC News.

In a written question for the Department for Education tabled on 20 December, Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, asked the secretary of state for education "whether her Department has (a) undertaken, (b) commissioned and (c) holds any other research on the potential effects of the introduction of 20 per cent VAT on the independent schools sector".

On 13 January, Nick Gibb, the schools minister, responded: "The Department does not monitor or regulate independent school fees, spending or financial arrangements. The current government has not proposed the introduction of VAT on school fees and no exploratory work has been undertaken in relation to this issue." Hansard.

Richard Russell, headmaster of Colfe’s School, writes to The Telegraph in response to reports that the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is preparing to reform personal statements. Mr Russell warns that "the demise of the UCAS personal statement in its current form will diminish us all", adding that "coherent self-promotion, which is not arrogance, is an important life skill that all good schools should seek to develop in their pupils". The letter can be found halfway down the page.

Bill Cash, a former shadow attorney general, writes in The Telegraph in support of amendments to the Online Safety Bill, which would see senior managers and directors at tech companies threatened with prison sentences for breaching their statutory duties. Mr Cash says: "Academic and parliamentary research demonstrates that suicide and self-harm are directly connected to these platforms. Now is the time for the Government and this country to work with us and to take a stand in the national interest."

A cross-party inquiry into poor attendance in schools has been launched by ministers which could see parents fined for their child's absence. Figures published last week showed one in seven children missed school before the start of the Christmas holidays, with some heads warning that the problem of 'persistent absence' could take five years to solve. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

Rishi Sunak is poised to appoint the UK’s first “free speech tsar” whose remit will ensure academics and visiting university speakers are not “cancelled” or censored for controversial opinions. Arif Ahmed, a Cambridge philosophy professor who has spoken out against “cancel culture” on campuses, is believed to be the leading contender for the position. By Oliver Wright, The Times.

Stephen Lockyer, a primary school teacher, writes in Schools Week on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, offering tips to teachers considering using tools such as ChatGPT.

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