ISC Daily News Summary

According to The Guardian, education unions are calling on ministers to make a swift decision on whether to vaccinate teenagers for COVID-19. By Jessica Elgot and Richard Adams.

Sir Kevan Collins, the former education recovery commissioner, has said the full impact of the pandemic on children's wellbeing is not yet known. By Zoe Tidman, The Independent.

An investigation by The Pharmaceutical Journal has revealed that the number of children taking antidepressants has risen to an all-time high during the pandemic, with a 40 per cent increase in drugs being prescribed to those under the age of 17. By Laura Donnelly, The Telegraph. A separate article in The Telegraph offers advice for parents whose children may be suffering from 'locked-in trauma'. By Tanith Carey.

Teachers have been accused of taking an "overcautious" approach to self-isolation, after it emerged that 172,000 pupils were self-isolating at home last week - up from 40,000 the previous week. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

Shirley-Anne Somerville, Scotland's education secretary, has said she is "very keen" to increase the uptake of COVID tests among pupils and school staff. By Emma Seith, Tes.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson has told MPs that changes to next year's exams are being considered to "ensure that there's fairness and there's the right level of support" for pupils. By Sean Coughlan, BBC News.

The Telegraph provides a breakdown of changes to next year's exams, subject by subject. By Camilla Turner.

David Gillborn, emeritus professor of critical race studies at the University of Birmingham, writes in The Guardian claiming the Education Select Committee's report is "the latest step in an ongoing campaign to use the underachievement of poor white people as a weapon to demonise antiracism and keep the same people angry at the wrong target".

Lee Shackleton writes in The Telegraph in response to the Education Select Committee's findings, arguing: "Helping disadvantaged children, whether white British or other ethnicity, must begin with an understanding of their parents and the particular problems they face."

Speaking to iNews, two mothers claim the Committee's report 'detracts from the real issue of how poverty is failing everyone'. By Aasma Day.

According to The Times, a report expected tomorrow will reveal that one in every 25 primary age children lives in a local area containing only underperforming primary schools. By Nicola Woolcock.

Will Tanner, director of Onward, writes in The Times arguing "opportunity bound by geography" is the problem lying behind the Government's levelling up agenda.

The Guardian reports some universities are making between 10 per cent and 20 per cent fewer offers this year to avoid overcrowding, meaning some students are missing out on places for popular courses. By Rachel Hall and Richard Adams.

The Office for Students will investigate universities with 'inclusive' assessment policies that overlook spelling and grammar mistakes, according to The Telegraph. By Ewan Somerville.

According to a report by the National Literacy Trust, only around a third of children and young people say they find pleasure from writing, compared to two in five last year. Tes.