Bridget Phillipson has defended her attempts to recruit 6,500 new teachers, telling MPs the latest version of the government’s policy is "entirely consistent" with Labour’s manifesto commitment. The latest figures show the number of teachers working in schools in England has fallen by 1,900 year-on-year. Appearing before ministers on the Commons Education Select Committee yesterday, the education secretary also discussed her recent work on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), teacher recruitment and curriculum reform. Tes outlines five key takeaways from the parliamentary accountability session, which include a "stronger role" for local authorities in managing and delivering SEND provision in their area. By Cerys Turner.

In a letter to The Times, Jesse Elzinga, head of Sevenoaks School, welcomes the government’s proposed social media ban for under-16s. Describing the "immediate and positive" effect of his own school's approach, which has seen smartphones replaced with "brick" phones for Years 7 and 8, he adds: "We are now extending this into Year 9, so scrolling can be replaced with meaningful activities in real life." Mr Elzinga's letter is the second to appear.

Alistair Strathern, Labour MP for Hitchin, is urging ministers to make relationships and sex education mandatory for 16- to 18-year-olds in a bid to prevent violence against women and girls. Through a private members' bill, Mr Strathern hopes to extend the time pupils are taught how to navigate complex issues in relationships and recognise coercive control and other forms of abuse. BBC News quotes Lucy Emmerson, chief executive at the Sex Education Forum, who backs the proposal, saying: "Having reliable information about healthy relationships provided by trusted adults is proven to help prevent harm." By Shivani Chaudhari.

With youth unemployment at an 11-year high of 16.2 per cent, and a government-commissioned review warning it could rise to 25 per cent by the early 2030s, The Times looks at whether ministers can reverse the troubling trend. Calling for more "coordinated, urgent action",  Jonathan Townsend, UK chief executive of the King’s Trust charity, tells the paper: "Employers, government and charities must work together to create clearer routes into work and make sure support reaches young people at the right time." By Rupert Neate.

iNews explores the impact of increasingly hot summers on UK classrooms, with teachers warning that they are left unable to teach during periods of extreme heat. The paper talks to Daniel, a deputy head at an inner-city state secondary school, who says his colleagues dread the summer months: "During the hottest days, teachers can barely teach, let alone students learn." Ministers' guidance for teachers and school leaders, published last year, warns them to look out for the symptoms of "heat stress" in pupils, which include discomfort, irritability and signs of dehydration. Sioned Holland, a Passivhaus designer at architecture firm Architype, tells the paper an increasing number of schools are now being built with extreme weather in mind. By Florence Wilkinson.

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