ISC Daily News Summary

Labour activists have called on their Party to include a commitment in its next general election manifesto to integrate all private schools into the state sector. By Richard Adams, The Guardian. The article acknowledges the impracticalities of the proposal, which "would face significant legal obstacles". Mike Buchanan, executive director of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, is quoted.

In response to complaints that there are too many "dead white men" in the GCSE English syllabus, the exam board announced that from September, schools will be able to choose from a broader range of texts, including those written by authors from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

The education charity Teach First has recruited a record number of trainee teachers this year, with the number of applicants accepted onto the scheme up by 38 per cent since last year. By Rosemary Bennett, The Times.

According to freedom of information data, just over seven per cent of places at grammar schools receiving expansion funding were offered to pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. By Eleanor Busby, The Independent.

The Government has announced the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, previously only administered to girls to prevent cervical cancer, will be given to boys aged 12 and 13 in school to protect against other diseases. By Adam Forrest, The Independent.

In a letter to the education secretary, Damian Hinds, more than fifty MPs urged the Government to make primary schools aware that they have an "obligation to teach about same-sex relationships". BBC News.

The Department for Education (DfE) has created a new category of higher technical qualifications in an effort to improve the status and awareness of such courses. By Richard Adams, The Guardian.

A survey, conducted by charity Action for Children, identified a shared perception that modern childhoods are getting worse, with young people facing "unprecedented social pressures". By Patrick Butler, The Guardian.