ISC Daily News Summary

Sam Twiselton, a member of the expert group advising the Department for Education on its initial teacher training review, has said there is a risk of new teachers "flooding the market", though this could be a "good thing" if they are deployed to support education recovery efforts. By Amy Gibbons, Tes.

Dr Fiona Godlee, editor-in-chief of the British Medical Journal, has called for an inquiry into COVID-19 infections among teachers, saying the emphasis on aerosol spread of the virus "has come too late for those who were infected through lack of adequate PPE". By Amy Gibbons, Tes.

The Government is under pressure to drop plans for reception baseline assessments this year, after primary school leaders warned the results would be "rendered useless" by the disruption caused by the pandemic. By Sally Weale, The Guardian.

Tes explores how supported internships are enabling students with special educational needs and difficulties to work on the NHS frontline. By Kate Parker.

Michelle Donelan, the universities minister, has said the reopening of campuses had to be delayed because the "mass movement" of students across the country could have spread COVID-19 and forced young people to self-isolate. By Will Hazell, iNews.

An article in The Telegraph explores the impact of the pandemic on those in higher education. By Victoria Lambert.

A new exam report has concluded that the generosity of 2020 grading for GCSEs and A-levels was "logical, rational and justifiable", but should not be carried forward into the future. By Catherine Lough, Tes.

The EDSK think tank has published a report suggesting A-levels should be replaced with a new baccalaureate, enabling students to "mix-and-match" academic courses with more technical ones. By Will Hazell, iNews.

Georgina Calvert-Lee, head of UK practice at the McAllister Olivarius law firm, has warned universities "must act now to improve their culture and the way they handle complaints", after the Everyone's Invited website published the names of more than 80 institutions where students have shared anonymous testimonies of sexual harassment and abuse. By Will Hazell, iNews.

Suzi Godson writes in The Times reflecting on recent reports of abuse in schools and colleges. She argues: "The focus on the education system is well intentioned, but it ignores the much wider problem of sexual violence against young people."

Michelle Donelan, the universities minister, has accused some higher education institutions of "dumbing down" standards by choosing to drop requirements for good written English in their assessments. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

In the ISC's latest 'Spotlight On' blog, Dr Ali Galloni, head of science and technology at Sevenoaks School, explains how the school moved its annual STEM Week online during lockdown.

The Times features an article on Nadim Shamma-Sourgen, a five-year-old boy who will become Britain's youngest commercially published author when a book of his poems called 'Take Off Your Brave' goes on sale next week. By Sian Griffiths.