ISC Daily News Summary

Chris Wheeler, head of Monkton Combe School and vice-chair of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, writes in Tes arguing those proposing to abolish independent schools have 'failed to consider the impact on support staff'.

Magnus Bashaarat, head of Bedales School, writes in The Telegraph praising St Edward's School for introducing an alternative to GCSEs. He describes the Bedales Assessed Course, where "knowledge, skills and understanding are tested, not just memory". The letter can be found three quarters of the way down the page.

According to a new Deltapoll survey, education is third on the list of election priorities for parents. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

Rosemary Bennett writes in The Times comparing the education policies of the Labour Party, the Conservatives, and the Liberal Democrats. She argues the Labour Party offer "a back-to-the-1970s national education service", while the Conservatives are pledging "more of the same".

Tes reports the terms and conditions of pension entitlements under the Teachers' Pension Scheme discriminate against men. Male spouses of female teachers are entitled to income based on years of service from 1988, whereas entitlements for the spouses of male teachers date back to 1972. By Catherine Lough.

Lauri Love, an activist who allegedly hacked into various computer networks across the US, has called for hacking and other cyber security skills to be taught in schools. He said teaching these skills could help put students on "a pathway towards integration rather than towards antisocial grooming or misbehaviour". By James Cook, The Telegraph.

Students in Scotland will have access to professional counselling services from next September, following concerns about the lack of mental health support available. By Marc Horne, The Times.

The Conservative Party has pledged to introduce a "national vaccination reminder system" in order to address falling vaccination rates. By Hugo Gye, iNews.