ISC Daily News Summary

According to the Department for Education’s latest attendance survey, schools have recorded their lowest attendance since the Omicron surge earlier this year, with double the number of pupils off school because of COVID-school closures. However, the number of pupils off school due to COVID-related reasons has fallen since 17 March. By James Carr, Schools Week.

Robert Halfon, chair of the Commons Education Select Committee, writes for Tes on the recent publication of the Government’s Schools White Paper. He argues that while the policy document addresses “some of the biggest issues facing teachers and young people today”, any plans for COVID catch-up must consider “significant regional disparities” in learning loss.

James Kirkup, director of the Social Market Foundation, writes for The Times arguing that lockdowns and school closures were the beginning of “a national disaster for children and young people”.

Writing for Tes, Dr Kerris Cooper, senior researcher in Early Years at the Education Policy Institute, argues that early years catch-up efforts “must go further” to address the impact of the pandemic on children’s socioemotional development.

A survey of 16 to 18-year-olds in the US and UK conducted by the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, has found that 58 per cent of students surveyed envisioned a combination of remote and in-person work for their future careers, with nearly one in five stating that the ability to work remotely is a factor in their decision about what to study or what jobs they might pursue. Independent Education Today.

Sight Scotland, a leading sight-loss charity, has called for more specialist teachers as the number of pupils with visual impairment in Scotland has almost doubled in a decade. By Emma Seith, Tes.

Conrad Hughes, campus and secondary principal at the International School of Geneva, the oldest international school in the world, writes for Independent Schools Management Plus on why diversity in education could be key for world peace.