ISC Daily News Summary

A nationwide teacher strike will go ahead tomorrow, after talks between union leaders and the education secretary failed to make progress in an ongoing pay dispute. iNews reports Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, the joint general secretaries of the National Education Union (NEU), have accused Gillian Keegan of "squandering an opportunity to avoid strike action on Wednesday". By Poppy Wood.

Polling by Teacher Tapp suggests more than half of secondary schools will be closed to at least some pupils during Wednesday's teacher strike. By Callum Mason, Tes.

BBC News reports MPs have approved plans to enforce minimum service levels for some sectors during strikes. The bill, which passed by 315 votes to 246, will face further scrutiny in the House of Lords before it becomes law. By Becky Morton.

Unions representing support staff in schools are calling for a 12.7 per cent pay rise from April, a £15-an-hour minimum wage and "recognition" for those assisting pupils with additional needs. By Tom Belger, Schools Week.

Speaking to The Guardian, several teachers explain why they are striking, citing pay erosion, working conditions and staff shortages. By Clea Skopeliti and Jedidajah Otte.

An article in The Telegraph takes a closer look at the data for teachers' pay and working conditions in schools. By Ben Butcher and Alex Clark.

In a letter to The Times, Richard Russell, headmaster of Colfe's School, responds to claims that ChatGPT could signal the end of homework essays. He says: "With essays, it may be possible for the software to produce something that is superficially convincing but that bypasses the requirement to synthesise content for oneself and develop an argument of which one has ownership, which is the educational point of the exercise." The letter can be found halfway down the page.

In an interview with Schools Week, Chris King, chief executive of the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS), reflects on his career, Labour's independent school tax policy, teacher recruitment challenges and cross-sector partnerships. By Jessica Hill. The article references figures from the Independent Schools Council (ISC) on fee assistance provision within the independent sector.

The Telegraph reports on research findings which suggest children missed a third of a year's schooling during the COVID pandemic and still have not caught up. According to researchers at Sciences Po in Paris, who examined 42 studies across 15 countries, learning delays linked to school closures have persisted for at least two and a half years. By Sarah Knapton.

According to a study for the children's commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, a quarter of 16 to 21-year-olds first saw pornography on the internet while still at primary school. The findings suggest 50 per cent had been exposed to it by the age of 13. By Shiona McCallum, BBC News.

The Princess of Wales has said it is "more important than ever" to support the development of young children as she launches her early years campaign, Shaping Us. By PA Media, The Guardian.

The Telegraph reports Mermaids, the controversial transgender charity, delivered more than double the number of training sessions to bodies including NHS trusts and schools in 2022. By Susie Coen and Hayley Dixon.