ISC Daily News Summary

Mark Steed, principal and chief executive officer of Kellett School, the British International School in Hong Kong, expresses his support for the re-introduction of modes of assessment such as Oxford University's general paper, which "intellectually liberate young people from the constraints of a high-stakes education system". Tes.

Richard Cairns, head of Brighton College, writes in The Times expressing his support for plans to widen access to top universities for disadvantaged students. The letter can be found at the top of the page.

According to analysis by FFT Education Datalab, disadvantaged pupils are less likely than their peers to be entered for GCSEs in modern foreign languages (MFL), regardless of prior attainment. By Amy Gibbons, Tes.

PIE News reports on a Tier 4 visa rule that prevents boarding schools from admitting new international students while they await re-inspection for compliance issues. By Will Nott. The article quotes Peter Woodroffe, deputy chief executive officer at the Independent Schools Association, and Mike Oliver, principal of Brooke House College.

A report from Childwise has highlighted the extent of mobile phone usage among young people, with 57 per cent of five to 16-year-olds sleeping with their phone beside their bed. By Sean Coughlan, BBC News.

The Government's recent school funding announcement has been met with criticism from education unions who have warned the entitlements will not be enough to meet the needs of all pupils. By Eleanor Busby, The Independent.

An investigation by the British Board of Film Classification has found 16-and 17-year-olds are more likely to use social media platforms to view pornography than adult sites. By Charles Hymas, The Telegraph.

Richard Garner, who died on January 28 2020, was recognised as the longest education correspondent ever, and had roles including education editor at The Independent. By Lucy Hodges, The Independent.