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April 2004 |
Timing is all important – and an awareness service such as this needs to be topical above all else. Wrong. Accurate first, relevant second and timely third. We could probably argue for some time about the appropriate order for the needful elements for Members' Update and the ranking of them but information which is nearly a year old is getting just too far out for me to consider including. Dawn and I have only just discovered Library & Information Science Abstracts (LISA). The issue that's in the DfES library in London is the January one (three months lost already) and the majority of the abstracts seem to be in the region of six months prior to publication. All this leads me to believe that what LISA has done is create yet more work for us! Not that I'm really complaining – I just like having something to moan about.
Speaking of timing, I've been noticing that references on articles are indicating when a specific Internet-based source was accessed. Be assured that all of the www references in Members' Update have been accessed within the last six weeks (most in the last month) – not that this guarantees the page will still be there when you want to look at it!
What is a Triple Helix? It appears in four abstracts but even reading very carefully I'm not any wiser than I was before I started. Well, maybe I am – least I now know what it is that I don't know – prior to opening the book I was ignorant of the existence of the term Triple Helix. It must be something to do with information science as I found it LISA but ...
Recurrent themes in the news this month? Freedom of information, copyright and data protection all feature strongly; how best to fund higher education is still rumbling on despite the government winning the crucial vote; the government comes in for some strong criticism (that is, of course, not a new phenomenon but there do seem to be more diverse areas hitting the headlines); and more people than ever seem to want to make the lives of others miserable by sending unwanted email (I've never fathomed out why it's called spam), trying to get you to part with personal data so they can steal some of your money, sending viruses and worms to disrupt your work and now there's browser-based attacks.
Let's get more cheerful.
Hannah Taylor, aged six, was pestering Mummy Dawn. "But I want to help, Mummy!" "OK, just take this issue of Adults Learning (April 2004) and see if you can find anything interesting in it." The result? Two articles to be proud of.
Richard Taylor said that there are too many people that think that learning is just about getting jobs and money. He said more people should learn for fun.
Kate Watters said that we need to find a better way of measuring learning. [Hannah went on to explain, but had run out of paper, that if she only got a certificate for getting all her spellings right then she wouldn't have anything for learning just some of them – and that's not fair!]
Succint, eh?
Peter Gillman and I (one or both of us) have planned workshops looking at current legislation affecting information management. These can be tailored to the needs of your organisation so that you can have a day on copyright or the Data Protection Act or half and half or ...
you name it and we'll turn up. Phone or email the office for further information.
A report from the government Archives Task Force was published by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council on 24 March. The report, Listening to the Past, Speaking to the Future, highlights "the importance and remarkable diversity of British archives" and recommends ways in which access to these resources can be developed.
The report is at www.mla.gov.uk/action/archives/00archives.asp
managinginformation.com 25 March
The first ever digital archive of "born digital" government documents, which was launched by the National Archives last year, has been short-listed for the Pilgrim Trust Digital Preservation Award. The Digital Archive was created to ensure that records of modern government are preserved securely for future generations. The archive currently holds records from high profile public enquiries, departmental websites, and the records of parliamentary committees and royal commissions. The awards will be presented at the British Library in June.
Wired-gov 8 April
Search engines can be wonderful research tools, but the most popular ones have huge weaknesses – they are increasingly focused on generating revenue, they skew results in favour of advertisers, and they often retrieve huge amounts of irrelevant results. In an attempt to fine‑tune the search experience, Adele Howe, a computer science professor at Colorado State University, and CSU graduate student Gabriel Somlo have developed something they call QueryTracker; a software agent that sits between the user and a search engine and looks for area's of recurring interest. QueryTracker "learns" which topics are of interest to the user and automatically retrieves any new or updated web pages that address the subject each day. The key to QueryTracker's success is its ability to refine a search based on what it learns about the user's interests and priorities over time, develop a new query incorporating that information, and filter the results before sending them on. Meanwhile, Jeannette Jenssen, a mathematics professor at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, has taken personalised search one step further by developing a "focused crawler" that indexes only pages pertinent to pre‑specified topics and then tailors the rankings to the interests of the user. The crawler analyses user behaviour to develop a "warmer/colder" sense of what's important. "When the crawler gets to [a pertinent page], it says, `I'm getting warmer.' It analyses user behaviour and web paths to automatically learn these trajectories," says Jenssen.
Computerworld 5 April
ShelfLife, No. 152 (April 15 2004) ISSN 1538‑4284
Anne Chapman, head of classics at Bruton School for Girls in the afore-mentioned Sunny Hill, writes, in Records Management Journal (Volume 14 Number 1 2004) about "accuracy, completeness and authenticity of a record assuring its reliability as an acceptable informational and evidential document". The ancient Sumerians literally cooked their books – once the clay tablet had been through the kiln it could not be altered (although it could, of course, be destroyed). An absolutely fascinating read from which I'll bring you a couple of nuggets.
For Plato, "truth is a state of the real" and any "mimesis" or copying is two steps removed from reality as the copy is the re-presentation of the form of truth which is the truest.
Aristotle contended that judgments on statements lead to error, possibly unwittingly, if judgement is faulty which has wide implications for records, since users often have to judge whether the content is reliable.
Ms Chapman looks at whether, if you can't prove something to be true, you can accept that the provenance and authorship are trustworthy. She then goes on to look at various theories regarding truth particularly where this may be seen as a synonym for reliability, accuracy etc.
The article is based on Ms Chapman's final dissertation for the MSc (gained with distinction and a prize) at Northumbria University in Records Management by Distance Learning in July 2003. The full text can be located in the city campus library Newcastle. [I couldn't find it online but that's not to say that it's not there.]
Librarians have long‑dreamed of universal service, says Barbara Quint, editor of Searcher Magazine. "Now technology has brought us the opportunity to make that dream a reality. But our governance reins us in, holds us back" Such governance confines information professionals to specific geographic or client bases, she says. We can only provide information to (or about) this state, this city, this suburb or only this company, this division, this branch office; only this university, this department, this faculty project.
Information Today April 2004
Update comment: Unfortunately, the solutions depend on large-scale coordinated projects because nothing is for nothing in this world. So, ADSET Members' Update is for ADSET members who pay Dawn and I to produce this (as well as provide the other member benefits). If you didn't pay we wouldn't work – it's as simple as that. Someone, some body, has to support the provision of information which is a priced commodity.
The British Library has done extensive research on the needs of the knowledge society and made recommendations for how librarians can adapt to provide users with the new kinds of service and support they will need. "At the British Library, we have introduced a market‑facing approach to ensure that we align our services with the needs of our five key audience groups: researcher; business; library and information sector; learner; general public. We have also restructured internally to support our market‑led strategy, and appointed a head of marketing for each audience group," writes British Library chief executive Lynne Brindley. The British Library has actively canvassed its patrons for suggestions, conducting focus groups and surveys with businesses and individual visitors. In response, it's developed a service geared toward the secure electronic delivery of documents to users' desktops, providing access to more than 100 million items under a copyright‑compliant arrangement. In terms of managing digital resources, the British Library has focused on guaranteeing the integrity of the national published archive, says Brindley, "not least of which has been our work with publishers and other UK legal deposit libraries to secure the extension of legal deposit legislation to cover e‑publications to ensure the long‑term preservation of our digital heritage." In addition, the British Library is planning to build a digital storage system that "will take any form of electronic material, and be highly scalable". In an effort to incorporate lessons learned from other institutions facing similar challenges, the British Library is active in a consortium that examines best practices in long‑term preservation and is working with the Library of Congress and the Dutch National Library to share that knowledge.
Research Information January/February 2004
ShelfLife No. 151 (8 April) www.rlg.org
It is a truth universally acknowledged that those in need of information must seek it on the Internet (sorry Jane). It is, after all, common knowledge that five hours on the Internet can often save a five minute trip to the library. And, of course, we actually don't need information professionals because everyone is their own librarian. However, the Internet, or rather the ability that individuals have to search for, retrieve and use the information that has been placed accessibly into this vast information store, cannot do everything. Is there an algorithm for calculating political bias in articles from a particular publication, or across a range? The Internet of itself cannot, and indeed does not, respect the laws of copyright, Data Protection etc. And, the information needed may be quicker and easier to find through the time-honoured "ask a friend" or talk to your friendly librarian.
Priscilla Schlicke, paschlicke@aol.com
A bit of a disconnect here. When Elsevier researchers asked librarians and scientists to name the top three most reliable online services, librarians named ScienceDirect, ISI's Web of Science, and Medline – whereas scientists said Google, Yahoo!, and PubMed. John Regazzi, Elsevier's managing director of market development, says that researchers need more than just search: they need data integration of both internal and external sources. They also need the ability to search scientific and business information at the same time and to use data‑mining tools to help identify trends and issues. Ben Shneiderman, professor at the University of Maryland and author of Leonardo's Laptop, suggests that organisations consider leasing the Google search engine for proprietary systems with "Google Inside," allowing the restriction of searches to what the publisher or library chooses to provide.
Library Journal 1 April
ShelfLife, No. 152 (April 15 2004) ISSN 1538‑4284
In an article for Community Care (15-21 April), Jack Valero explains why he feels that the government needs to develop a national protocol on sharing information between public and private sector bodies. Highlighting recent well-publicised cases such as the Soham murders, Mr Valero argues that the Criminal Records Bureau, hailed as a "one-stop-shop" which would protect the vulnerable from the predatory has proved "sadly lacking". He believes that the government should introduce a protocol which stipulates:
He concludes: "If the CRB is to remain the hub of checks on the suitability of people, it needs to be strengthened and reformed."
Jack Valero is a former chair of the London Heads of Inspection.
Community Care 15-21 April
A Californian senator could scupper Google's campaign for global domination [cough... sorry.. I'll start again].
A Californian senator could scupper Google's bid to offer free email services to users. Democratic senator Liz Figueroa has written to Google to argue that scanning customer's emails in order to send them tailored advertisements "puts the priorities of advertisers above the interests and desires of individuals". Ms Figueroa is trying to halt the launch of Gmail, claiming that it breaches privacy legislation.
Richard Wray, The Guardian 14 April
Google has been accused of attempting to invade the privacy of its users through its new email service. Gmail is the latest in a line of services from the firm and promises to be "far superior to similar services currently offered". However, Google has come under fire for detail in the small print which says that it will use technology to "scan" emails, in order to place targeted advertisements alongside them. The company insists that this is simply a matter of "commercial imperative". The service will be free to the end user, in the same way that the Google search engine is free, so the money to fund the venture must come from somewhere. The company maintains that it will continue to listen to the views of its users, and will respond accordingly to their complaints. Nonetheless, critics claims that this is the "final proof that Google has gone over to the dark side", and may prove to be its Achilles' heel. Chris Hoofnagle of the Electronic Privacy Information Centre, commented: "It's absurd that using a communications medium should subject one to privacy-invasive advertising. Why not put an operator on the phone to listen to your conversation and pitch things to you while you're talking? You'd say that's ridiculous. Well, this is ridiculous."
Lawrence Donegan, The Observer 4 April
For more information about Gmail, visit: http://gmail.google.com
Update comment: Eavesdropping by humans is not the same as scanning without human intervention.
Privacy International has asked the Information Commissioner to investigate the legality behind Gmail. Simon Davies, director of PI, believes that Gmail constitutes "a vast violation of European law", as users will not be able to exercise any control over their information. Any information passing through the Gmail account will be "tagged and sorted and indexed", and can never be deleted. Indeed, PI is particularly concerned about reports which suggest that, even if an account is closed, Google will continue to store the information that was held in it.
Andrew Orlowski, The Register
TheITportal Midweek Roundup 7 April
Commenting on Gmail the leading article in The Guardian (10 April) said: "The odds are that the service will be a success attracting huge numbers of subscribers. People have been remarkably unfazed about intrusions into privacy, whether from CCTV cameras or the use of cookies. Used discretely, the new service could prove a big boon – as long as users realise that one US company will know more about their thoughts and habits than anyone else in the world. Normally this would be a straight case of caveat emptor – except in this case there is no buyer to beware. The real moral is there is no such thing as free email."
Browser-based attacks are increasing and may pose the next significant security threat, according to a report from the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). A survey of nearly 900 organisations found that 36.8% were hit with one or more browser-based attacks in the past six months, up from 25% last year. A browser-based attack occurs when someone visits a web page that appears harmless, but contains hidden code intended to sabotage a computer or compromise privacy.
Robert Jaques, Computing
TheITportal Midweek Roundup 14 April
According to a survey from the DTI, one in five of the UK's largest companies has suffered some kind of security breach of their information systems. The Information Security Breaches Survey 2004 found that:
More information can be found on the website dedicated
to the findings of the 2004 survey at
www.security-survey.gov.uk/
Managing Information April 2004
Update comment: And national government wants all local government to use online transactions? And the public are supposed to get all local services online? Get lost! Dawn.
Google has launched a pilot project which it hopes will make academic papers and research more accessible on the Internet. The firm will work in collaboration with 17 leading universities from around the world to help them make the material stored in their "superarchives" accessible to other researchers or interested parties. The participating universities will label all the material they currently hold in their own electronic repositories with metadata tags. This will enable Google to "find" academic papers, technical reports, drafts of articles, and other work by an institution's academic staff – usually before they are published in expensive journals. Google believes that this will be "a major step towards freer publication and the circulation of ideas".
Donald MacLeod, The Guardian 13 April
The Office of Fair Trading has launched a new service (www.oft.gov.uk/Consumer) offering tips for safe trading when using Internet auctions or similar sites. This followed a review which found that the level of information and advice provided to consumers about their shopping rights should be improved. The website includes: tips for safe trading as a buyer; checks to make before bidding; knowing your rights; and top tips to avoid fraud. When buying goods from Internet auction or similar sites consumers are generally not buying from the site itself. Consumers' rights vary depending on whether they are buying from a private seller or a trader who is acting in the course of a business. Consumers may have fewer rights than when buying from businesses operating their own websites: items would still have to be as described but they might not be required by law to be of satisfactory quality. As the popularity of online auctions grows, the OFT has seen an increase in the number of complaints about transactions. Amongst the most common complaints are:
Many problems could be avoided if users were given better information by the sites about how to carry out transactions safely. To reduce the risks consumers are advised to:
Information Law Newsletter Issue Number 40 (13 April)
KeepingLegal.com © Paul Pedley
Birmingham University is offering a course to teach people how to use online auctioneers eBay. The three-day course, The Technological Simpleton's Guide to Buying and Selling on eBay, will be run as part of the university's Summer school. As well as covering the logistics of buying and selling items, the course, which costs £125, will also provide modules on different selling strategies. Cherry Nixon, the course tutor and an antiques collector, said: "I use eBay every day – it's such a phenomenon and has been the perfect way of getting rid of tat."
Steve Bloomfield, The Independent 25 April
Laptop users have been warned that they should make sure their machines are secure before "plugging in" to wireless networks. Security firm Orthus carried out a series of checks at hotspots in a variety of locations, and found that a substantial number of users do not take the necessary steps to ensure that their machines are protected from hackers. Richard Hollis, head of Orthus, advises users, and particularly business users who are more likely to be storing sensitive data, to disable file-sharing on their laptops and install a firewall to prevent their being hijacked.
Chris Nuttall, IT Correspondent, Financial Times 6 April
A security expert claims that he was able to eavesdrop on MPs private conversations by exploiting a flaw in the Bluetooth facility on their mobile phones. Working in conjunction with The Times, the expert showed that he was able to identify forty-six "potentially vulnerable" phones in the Central Lobby of Westminster which could be used as listening devices. The expert was not only able to hear a conversation on the handset itself, he was also able to make the handset listen to any conversation in the vicinity. Moreover, using the technology, he would have been able to read, edit and erase all text messages, access the phone book and divert all incoming calls to another phone and make the phone repeatedly call or send text messages to premium-rate numbers.
Steve Boggan, Times Online 24 April
Research from ISP Earthlink suggests that PCs could be carrying nearly 30 pieces of spyware, which is secretly forwarding information about a user's online activities to others without their knowledge. Scans conducted by EarthLink and privacy software company Webroot Software found more than 29.5 million instances of spyware on subscribers' PCs. A source at Earthlink said that, while most spyware is benign, it still represents a threat to users,
Robert Jaques: Computing
TheITportal News Roundup
19 April
According to a survey from Websense, millions of employees in the UK could be downloading illegal content while they are at work. The survey showed that around 8 million people in the UK admit to downloading music, 97% of it illegally. The company believes that three quarters of this activity takes place during working hours. A spokesperson for Websense reminded employers that they are liable for any infringement of copyright their employees may commit while they are at work, and advised implementing a "robust Internet usage policy" and installing blocking software.
Financial Times 14 April
This publication provides an introduction to open source software and what impact this type of software may have on the nonprofit sector. It includes:
Written primarily in non-technical language, the Primer is accessible to a wide audience, including nonprofit managers with little hands-on technical expertise.
It (PDF 28pp) is free of charge at www.nosi.net/primer/NOSIPrimer.pdf
LASA Computanews Issue 130 (March 2004)
As part of a rather poorly-publicised scheme, charities and not-for-profit organisations can receive up to three Microsoft software packages completely free of charge. Organisations can apply every three years to the Microsoft Giving initiative, provided they do not have a national identity.
More information, including contact details, at http://tinyurl.com/2rk3e
LASA Computanews Issue 130 (March 2004)
Bill Gates has announced that the test copies of Longhorn, the next major update of Windows, will be delivered as planned by the end of 2004, despite a European Commission (EC) ruling against his company and its alleged "market abuses". Mr Gates said that it was "valid speculation" that the commercial versions Longhorn would be available some time in 2006.
Dominic Tonner, Infoconomy Bulletin 2 April
Update comment: Business as usual then?
A frustrated businessman has threatened to sue Microsoft after a security patch issued by the software giant for Windows 2000 made his PCs "unusable for weeks". When the man complained to Microsoft, the company referred him to the end user licence agreement (EULA), which absolves Microsoft of any responsibility for just about anything that could go wrong with their products. The man said that the EULA was "unconstitutional" and warned that a number of US states were seeking to have it declared illegal. He said that Microsoft and other software companies who knowingly sell products which don't work will no longer be able to hide behind licensing agreements when they attempt to "commit consumer fraud" in this way.
Source: The Inquirer
TheITportal News Roundup 29 March
People tend to develop strong ties to a specific computer, even if it means waiting to use their favourite machine, say researchers. A team at Pennsylvania State University in the US found that people were drawn to a PC because of their tendency to assign human attributes to machines. It also reflected people's love of consistency, they said. The researchers say their findings could have profound implications for computer manufacturers and advertisers.
Source: BBC
TheITportal News Roundup 26 April
Update comment: Emotionally attached to a computer? I'll believe that when I hear the first country and western song lamenting the passing of Old Dell(a). Dawn.
I think it's more that one gets used to a particular keyboard and monitor than the CPU itself. I know it took me ages to get used to this "all-singing, all-dancing" Internet keyboard instead of the clattering old one I used to have. Hazel.
One piece of advice from Computers in Libraries (Volume 24 Number 3 March 2004) is to never write your email address on any web page that could be spidered by a spammer. If you must use lists, groups etc then use a separate email address for these which you only open when you need to.
Barbara Allen looks at the pros and cons of traditional and virtual conferencing. There are obvious benefits of the virtual environment – less expensive for everyone being the main one. However, Ms Allen prefers the value to be gained through "actually meeting people and getting to know them through sharing a range of experiences – presentations, discussions, lunch, the coffee queue and the range of leisure activities organised by the conference committee". The virtual conference may "feel one-dimensional and text-based", contact with other participants can be minimal or non-existent, and, Ms Allen's main gripe, there is a distinct lack of freebies!
Information Management Report November 2003
Update comment: Given that I'm currently writing this with a Corus Hotels pen and will, when transcribing, be using a DWP mousemat whilst drinking my coffee from a Skills and Education Network mug, I can definitely appreciate the freebies angle. Also, whilst the more academic and/or intellectual content of a conference may, and probably does, translate to the virtual environment I'd hate to try it for ADSET. The ADSET annual conference is a networking opportunity, an information exchange – it's almost as though the programme is incidental in achieving the aim!
Billions of pounds are wasted every year on new IT systems, according to a report published by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the British Computer Society. Despite many examples of good practice, there is still a lack of professionalism in software engineering that could even be dangerous in safety-critical systems. Britain is failing to produce software engineers and managers with the IT and project management skills to commission and execute complex IT projects. Basil Butler, chair of the working group that produced the report, said: "The UK public sector alone has spent an estimated £12.4 billion on software in the last year and the overall UK spend on IT is projected to be a monumental £22.6 billion. We looked at a range of studies showing that only around 16% of IT projects can be considered truly successful." Both the Academy and the BCS are concerned that UK universities are not producing people with adequate skills to cope with the "inexorable rise in capability of computing and communications technologies". The report recommends that all senior IT practitioners designing and delivering high-consequence systems should be either Chartered IT Professionals (a new qualification being launched by the BCS) or Chartered Engineers. Professor Wendy Hall, President of the BCS commented: "The BCS firmly believes that increasing professionalism is key to improving success rates on projects – it is fitting that this report should be issued at the same time as the BCS is launching its Chartered IT Practitioner scheme."
The Challenges of Complex IT Projects (PDF 45pp) is at http://tinyurl.com/22ucb
British Computer Society press release 22 April
Update comment: I'm sure we reported on this last year! Hazel. We did, actually. Different survey – almost identical results reported in Update November 2003. Dawn.
The cost of vetting applications by the Criminal Records Bureau has risen by £150 million, the House of Commons public accounts committee has been told. Capita, the company with responsibility for running the CRB on behalf of the Home Office, originally submitted a bid of just under £250 million to run the ten-year contract. Other bids came in £100 million more than Capita. However, Capita now claims that it will cost closer to £400 million. According to Capita, the company had underestimated the number of paper-based postal applications it would receive. It believed that 85% of applications would be submitted via a call centre, and just 15% would be paper-based.
Community Care 22-28 April
Update comment: Capita misjudges – again? When I filled in my form so I could help at a local youth club I was not told that I had the option of doing it through a call centre. I guess that few other people were either. Who's kidding whom here?
The government has been forced to admit that the £400 million computer system that was supposed to streamline the work of the Child Support Agency is still not working as it should. An estimated 95,000 lone parents are affected by the system's inability to perform its intended role of "simplifying and enforcing maintenance payments". Figures show that the failure to transfer existing cases onto the new computer – a task which should have been completed by March 2004 – means 75,000 people are being deprived of a new £10 a week child maintenance premium while a further 20,000 are missing out on an average of £4 a week.
Toby Helm, Chief Political Correspondent,
Daily
Telegraph 15 April
The Criminal Records Bureau has admitted to bungling almost 200 criminal records checks. According to figures released by the Home Office 193 people were incorrectly labelled criminals when their details were checked by the CRB. A spokesperson blamed the errors on similarities between the personal details of an offender and someone with no criminal record. She also pointed out that the errors, while undoubtedly irritating to the applicants, were a tiny proportion of the 2.66 million applications processed by the CRB over the same time period.
Hélène Mulholland and agencies, The Guardian 16 April
Update comment: We know about the 193 people because they were told that they were criminals when they knew they weren't and, quite rightly, they complained. How many criminals have been given the all clear when they shouldn't have been? Have they complained?
Directgov has been given the thumbs-up by users, delivering on its promise to improve the way that government information is made available and accessible electronically. As part of the next stage in its roll-out, the Office of the e-Envoy has today (28 April) also announced that Directgov will be extended to digital television users through Sky, and Telewest with NTL to follow shortly, making it available to nearly 10 million households. Customer research carried out last month revealed the following key findings:
Cabinet Office press release 023/04 (28 April)
The quality and delivery of the Connexions Service is reported to be under threat after a £25 million cut to its budget to help fund services outlined in the children's green paper. The cut has been made in the VAT compensation provided for Connexions partnerships. It is believed that up to 28 of the 47 partnerships could be affected.
Community Care 15-21 April
A report from the National Audit Office claims that Connexions is curbing the number of 16- to 18-year olds who drop out of education and work. The report says that Connexions is on target to meet its major objective of reducing the proportion of 16- to 18-year olds NEETs by 10% by November 2004. However, the report also identifies several issues which should be addressed to further improve the service. These include:
The full report, Connexions Service – Advice and guidance for all young people (PDF 50pp) is at http://tinyurl.com/yr2ud
James Sturcke, TES FE Focus 9 April
England's proposed regional assemblies should take over responsibility for the Connexions service, claims a report from the Local Government Information Unit and the Campaign for the English Regions. The report, Regions that Work, argues that the current structure is "confusing and chaotic" and fails to take into account regional differences. The report also recommends that assembly functions should include:
Community Care 1-7 April
The full report (PDF 14pp) is at www.documents.lgiu.gov.uk/Regions.pdf
Connexions Greater Merseyside is an effective partnership which is making good progress according to a report published by OfSTED today (14 April). Overall, young people's learning and achievement and the quality of Connexions' practice are good. The partnership works well with many of the most vulnerable learners: the majority of whom make good progress and achieve well. The number of 16-18 year olds continuing in full-time education and training or entering employment has increased. Good relationships exist with strategic bodies and agencies in education and support services to extend and develop activities to support young people.
The report is published at www.ofsted.gov.uk
OfSTED press release NR 2004-36 14 April
The Connexions Humber partnership is a good partnership and has made substantial progress since its last monitoring inspection in 2002, according to a report published today (31 March) by OfSTED. Inspectors found that the partnership has a strong sense of purpose and sets a clear strategic direction for its work, which is understood by staff and key partners. A strong focus is given to providing intensive support for "at risk" and disengaged young people, and well-qualified staff work effectively to raise the achievements of young people. Standards of achievement are rated as good overall, with 68% of sessions judged to be good or better, 30% satisfactory and only 2% unsatisfactory. Data is used to identify areas and groups of people with the greatest needs and work is developed to meet the specific needs of these groups. However, inspectors reported that more work is needed to identify and meet the needs of refugees, travellers, those with mental health problems and those in the area for whom English is a second language. The partnership was praised for its well-developed approach to encouraging young people's involvement in the various stages of its operations. Good links with other agencies and general appreciation of the efforts made to involve partners such as the youth service and voluntary sector in its work have led to a high level of co-operation and multi-agency team work.
The report is published at www.ofsted.gov.uk.
OfSTED press release NR 2004 - 29 (31 March)
From 1 April a new careers advice and guidance service spanning the entire building services engineering sector will be in place. The SummitSkills Careers Advice Line, 0800 0688 336, heralds the first ever single source for guidance on training and careers across all the industries within the building services engineering sector.
Further details in SummitSkills Latest News item at
www.summitskillstrainers.org.uk
SSDA Involve, Issue 51 (15 April)
Today (31 March), OfSTED published the inspection report for the Connexions Cumbria partnership. Connexions Cumbria is a good partnership and is effective in most of the work that it undertakes. With the support of its partners it is making a real difference to the lives of many young people in the county, particularly the most vulnerable and disaffected. The leadership and management in the partnership are good and progress is being made in meeting and exceeding most of its targets. By marketing itself well a strong and positive corporate image has been established across Cumbria. But despite this there are still some young people in rural settings who are not sufficiently aware of the support provided by Connexions Cumbria or not able to access such support when they need it most. The partnership has been highly effective in reducing the number of young people who are not in education, employment and training. The standards of young people's achievement are good or better in 60% of sessions and unsatisfactory in only 3%. In many sessions young people show initiative and contribute effectively to their own learning. However, inspectors found that on too many occasions practice was satisfactory rather than good, because the young people were not sufficiently challenged to do better. Achievement for as many as one in five young people was hindered by a minority of Personal Advisors (PAs) under-estimating what they are capable of doing.
The report is published at www.ofsted.gov.uk
OfSTED press release NR 2004 - 30 (31 March)
e-skills UK has developed a new careers website with information on careers in IT, telecoms and contact centres. The site is intended for people at all career stages – from 16-year‑olds who have just started to seriously think about which career to pursue, to career changers hoping to find a new career path. For individuals contemplating a career in IT, there is a "Routes into IT" section which outlines the different ways people can get into IT at each career stage. The new site will also provide an invaluable source of information for careers advisers. Useful features include a bank of case studies, a library of careers literature to print out or view online and a links to other sources of information section.
The site can be accessed at www.e-skills.com/careers
SSDA Involve, Issue 51 (15 April)
Eurojargon: dictionary of EU acronyms, abbreviations and terminology (7th edition) contains 5,000 entries which include addresses, URLS and references to official texts.
URL: www.eurojargon.info/
CILIP Daily News 29 April
Pauline Nashashibi
Identifying broader ways of recognising achievement in adult learning is the theme of this publication from the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA). Aimed at teachers, managers and providers of adult education, it shows how to identify, maximise and evaluate the full impact of learning on individuals and communities. Case studies in the guide provide examples of different outcomes, from volunteering and freelance work, to finding a paid job or moving on to a new course. Case studies featured include:
LSDA Briefing March 2004
Free from The Learning and Skills Development Agency,
Regent Arcade House, 19-25 Argyll Street, London W1F 7LS
tel: 0207 297 9144
email: Enquiries@LSDA.org.uk
From 6 April 2004, new claims for Job Seeker's Allowance will not include additional money for children. New claims will be calculated for adults only. A claimant with dependent children will be required to claim child tax credits in order to obtain support for their children. Current claims will not change immediately. However, there will be a "migration" period, beginning in October 2004, for existing claims to move to tax credit claims.
Welfare Rights Bulletin Issue 178 (February 2004)
Critics have slated the tax credit system as "nothing short of disastrous" after it was revealed that two million of the 4.9 million pensioners eligible for pensions credits are failing to claim them. The Public Accounts Committee said that the Inland Revenue had made an "unacceptable" number of mistakes in the way it handled the pension credit, family tax credit and working tax credit schemes. The committee also stated that the Inland Revenue was guilty of setting an "unrealistic and incautious" timetable for introducing the system.
Sarah Hall, political correspondent, The Guardian 22 April
Cedefop has just published a report on how education, career information, and guidance services are conceptualised, organised and delivered in twenty-nine European countries. It summarises the key findings and captures the differences between and in the individual countries. The report also proposes a checklist of benchmarks, indicating what best – or at least, interesting – policy and practice may be like. The report argues that the different country reports indicate a shift, in Europe, towards an alternative model of guidance provision. Despite progress, the data suggest several key weaknesses and gaps to be addressed if European countries are to provide quality lifelong guidance services. The report draws attention to six areas which require the most urgent attention. It is important for all providers and stakeholders to jointly take stock of the strengths and weaknesses of their provision, and together plan, implement and sustain the reforms required. Lifelong guidance is only rhetorical if provision for adults in employment – not to mention senior citizens – remains limited, if not non‑existent. It is also clear that the shift to lifelong guidance requires sets of new and advanced skills from the different providers. In addition, the challenge of providing lifelong guidance services has far‑reaching resource implications which few, if any, can afford without rethinking their models of provision. Similarly, guidance workers need not all be working at the same level of competence. Tiered services permitting some to focus on relatively straightforward, information‑related tasks and others with more advanced helping skills on face‑to face individual or group interviews might be an option.
European countries also need to diversify both guidance services and guidance providers. Finally, the claim for lifelong guidance provision, and for increased and improved resources can only be justified if services are monitored to ensure quality. Most guidance services across the different countries and sectors have registered some progress in addressing these key challenges, but many for diverse reasons, are lagging. None of the countries reviewed can claim to hold the key for addressing the issues identified in the report. Collectively, however, these twenty-nine European countries provide a rich tapestry, signposting pathways for policy‑makers and practitioners in their bid to serve citizens in the emerging knowledge society.
Guidance policies in the knowledge society: trends, challenges and responses across Europe A Cedefop sysnthesis report by Ronald Sultana is published by the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2004 (Cedefop Panorama series, 85)
The electronic version can be downloaded (pdf) from
www.trainingvillage.gr/etv/upload/Projects_Networks/
Guidance/Policy_review_survey/Synthesis_reports/Cedefop_overview_report.pdf
http://tinyurl.com/39lc8
To obtain a hard copy of this free publication (in English only) email a request with postal details to esm@cedefop.eu.int
ETV‑NEWS April 2004 – Number 47
Update comment: I've left in both the long version and the tinyurl version of the address because I couldn't get either of them to allow me in! I've sent off for the report but, of course, it hasn't arrived yet.
Today (28 April) Jane Davidson, the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning welcomed the findings of the Careers Wales Review, an independent study into the operation of the first three years of Careers Wales. The Review found that the all-age careers advice and guidance service, the first of its kind in the United Kingdom, and one of only three integrated services in the world, stands "towards the forefront of current best practice". Since establishment in April 2001, the Review states that Careers Wales has shown demonstrable success. Careers Wales' traditional services to its clients in education have been delivered to high standards, as evidenced by successive Estyn reports and favourable feedback from secondary schools and colleges from across Wales. Adult services and the Youth Gateway have seen significant expansion. Careers Wales has pioneered a more cohesive, client-sensitive range of services with genuinely innovative developments by pioneering an all-Wales Quality Award for schools and an inter-active website (Careers Wales Online) that is planned to go live in September 2004.
The Careers Wales Review may be accessed on the National Assembly website at www.learning.wales.gov.uk
The Review was undertaken by GCL Management Consultants
who were appointed by the Assembly.
The Review took place between October
2003 and February 2004.
Welsh Assembly press release 28 April
In an article for The Guardian (30 March), Peter Kingston tells us about a basic skills programme run by FE colleges for college staff. Funded by the Adult Basic Skills Strategy Unit, Literacy and Numeracy Programmes for College Staff was an experimental scheme, in which 20 colleges were invited to recruit a minimum of 15 learners from their own employees. While all the colleges involved thought that they would find it quite straightforward to recruit the learners and deliver the programme, many found that it was not as easy as they had anticipated. Of the 20 colleges that volunteered, three withdrew before the course began. Two blamed recent or forthcoming inspection, but the third said that it had "simply found it impossible to get the project off the ground". A further two colleges were able to provide first stage data, but failed to supply second-stage data. Of the remaining 15 colleges, all claimed to find recruitment difficult. The most successful approach was deemed to be one which labelled the programme "vocational skills training", with either a "muted" or non-specific reference to literacy or numeracy study. However, colleges also reported severe logistical problems. They found that potential students' immediate managers were unable to release them to participate in the programme. Line managers were generally found to be supportive of what the programme was trying to achieve. Nonetheless, they could not reorganise work rotas to accommodate absences. Consequently, 11 colleges were unable to meet their target. The author of a report on the outcomes of the scheme said that these colleges will "at least have a much better understanding of what they are asking employers to do when they preach the need for them to educate their staff".
Delivering Skills for Life: Literacy and Numeracy Programmes for College Staffis available from Prolog on email: dfes@prolog.uk.com (Quote PRACM)
An Internet-based company is offering an essay-writing service to students. For just £200, A-level Coursework UK will supply a tailor-made, 2,000-word essay written to grade A standard. It also offers grade B standard essays for half the price. A sales executive from the company said that business was booming, but denied that A-level Coursework UK were encouraging cheating. He said: "Like anything that can legitimately be of benefit, such as books and information from the Internet, these things can also be used illegally. The system can be abused but I think the vast majority of young people that use us are honest."
Julie Henry, Education correspondent,
Sunday
Telegraph 28 March
Update comment: Last month it was false degrees now we have false essays! Whatever next? Dawn.
I'm not sure about what might come next – fully prepared course work? Hazel.
The most comprehensive mapping of deprivation across England was today (28 April) launched by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The revised indices offer an in-depth approach to pinpointing small pockets of deprivation. The information will help target policies and funding, reinforcing the government's drive to improve the quality of life in disadvantaged communities. The Indices of Deprivation 2004 (ID 2004) include a number of new features to assess the relative levels of deprivation. For the first time data on crime and the living environment are included. Another new feature is that ID 2004 maps deprivation in greater detail down to areas with a population of only a couple of thousand people. Data is now based on consistent Super Output Areas (SOAs) rather than wards. There are over 32,000 SOAs in comparison to 8,500 wards, and they are more consistent in size. ID 2004 replaces that of ID 2000. ...
In addition, there are six different measures and, therefore, six different sets of relative ranking which capture the complex patterns of deprivation found at local authority district level and county council level. No single measure is favoured over another, as there is no single best way of describing or comparing districts. The six measures are:
The table below [in the press release – not reproduced here] summarises the local authority districts that are amongst the most deprived on each of the six district measures. There are no immediate spending decisions to be taken on the basis of the new Index. Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) has been fully allocated to the existing 88 recipients of NRF up to March 2006. ID 2004 has been published on CD-ROM which is being sent to all Local Authorities and in addition to the ODPM website. A full report on the ID 2004, giving details of the indicators, domains and analysis of the results can be downloaded at www.odpm.gov.uk/indices
ODPM press release 109 28 April
"Use what talents you possess. The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best."
William Blake
Poor people are more likely to run a greater risk of heart failure than their wealthier counterparts, claims research from Glasgow University. The research found that socially deprived people are 44% more likely to develop heart disease, but are also 23% less likely to see their GP regularly after they were diagnosed. The researchers claim that "lack of access to a GP, lack of education about their condition and a tendency to seek help direct from a hospital" were to blame.
Press Association, The Guardian 23 April
The government's target of reducing child poverty by a quarter by 2004 is likely to be met, according to a report from the Work and Pensions select committee. However, the report warns that more still needs to be done to assist disabled parents, lone parents and parents from ethnic minority families to move into work. Other key points include:
Community Care 15-21 April
Child Poverty in the UK (PDF 144pp) is at http://tinyurl.com/2889a
Jan Flaherty, John Veit-Wilson and Paul Dornan
ISBN:
1-90169-862-9
Poverty: the factsprovides facts and figures on poverty in the UK today. It examines the nature of poverty in contemporary Britain and the extent to which it has changed in recent decades. It also considers recent government initiatives and reports on their "limited" success, provides comparisons with Europe, reveals the extent of income and regional inequalities, and looks at different sections of society, for example, women and ethnic minorities.
Price: £10.95 from Child Poverty Action Group, 94
White Lion Street, London N1 9PF
tel: 020 7837 7979
email:staff@cpag.org.uk
CPAG Campaigns Newsletter Issue 32 (April 2004)
Sir John Egan, president of the Confederation for British Industry, has warned the government that a lack of the skills needed to create a pleasant and livable environment has resulted in "ugly retail parks", isolated schools and hospitals which are "hermetically sealed from the outside world". In a late draft of his government-commissioned report, Sir John suggested that this isolation has led to businesses believing that they do not "need to give leadership to the communities they serve". He calls for the creation of a "fame academy" to teach the generic skills needed to build thriving communities. A national centre for sustainable community skills would, he argued, offer training in skills such as leadership, project management, brokering, team working and communication and financial management. Moreover, Sir John said that these skills should not be reserved for a select few. Rather they should be offered as a matter of course to "developers, investors, staff at all levels of government and key groups that are not involved full-time in development but without whose involvement and co-operation success is unlikely".
Nicholas Timmins, Public Policy Editor, Financial Times 19 April
Deputy prime minister John Prescott has announced government backing for a new national skills centre to drive forward sustainable communities. The National Centre for Sustainable Communities Skills will aim to develop world class generic skills, identify skills gaps, review education and training available for core occupations, and encourage more entrants into these professions. The centre will be supported by a new taskforce made up of a range of professional institutions, national organisations and skills bodies representing the core occupations identified by the Egan Skills Review.
HRLook Daily News 19 April
Transport minister Tony McNulty has disappointed disability campaigners by revealing that the government still favours the 2025 date for lifting the train carriage exemption to the Disability Discrimination Act. Speaking to the joint parliamentary committee of the draft disability bill, Mr McNulty said that any train carriages which don't comply with access requirements will continue to be exempt until this date. Disability campaigners have called for the exemption to be lifted by 2017.
Community Care 8-14 April
"The first human who hurled an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilisation."
Sigmund Freud
The government should stop its constant meddling in schools or risk harming children's education, a leading private school headteacher has warned. Paul Moss, chair of the Independent Schools Association, argues that the increase in workload and the "imposition of endless changes and new regulations" has led to a situation in which managing a school has become more important than educating children.
Neal Smith, The TES 16 April
Under radical proposals to be outlined by former cabinet minister Stephen Byers, parents should be given the power to sack headteachers and governors at failing schools. Mr Byers believes that some education authority powers could be passed to parents, allowing them to give a vote of no-confidence in senior teachers. Mr Byers has also called for wide-ranging reform of school admissions, arguing that restrictions on pupil numbers, surplus places and school opening times should be relaxed to increase parental choice. Mr Byers further proposes to give residents who are dissatisfied with their rubbish collection the power to choose an alternative contractor. He warned: "The forces of opposition to choice in our public services are gathering. They must be resisted. Choice must not be denied but its scope and scale needs to be expanded if we are to secure social justice. At present choice is available to those who can afford it. It needs to be made available to all as part of a modern agenda of redistribution which includes choice and opportunity."
Ben Russell, The Independent 6 April
The headteacher of a leading Scottish school has banned his teachers from setting homework because he thinks meddling parents are harming children's education. John Elder claimed that pupils are not learning because their parents are either doing their homework for them, or spoon-feeding them information. He said: "Certainly in my experience, parents can be more of a problem than a solution. Especially in subjects like maths and science, parents can be a little out of touch and can do more harm than good."
Chris Bunting, The Independent 29 April
According to an item in the Western Mail (Jenny Rees, 13 April), head teachers in Wales are considering having airport-style check-in booths installed in secondary schools. A spokesperson for the NASUWT said this move would help to check the unprecedented rise in the number of pupils who bring offensive weapons into schools. He added that behaviour in schools is now so poor that many head teachers are also thinking of employing security guards to patrol corridors and make them safe for children and staff.
A Surrey school has solved its recruitment difficulties by employing sixth-formers to work as lunchtime supervisors. The pupils are paid £5 an hour by the local council to work from 1pm to 2pm. In addition, the council also employs pupils to cover a breakfast club, homework club and technician duties. The practice has been called into question by Unison. A spokesperson said that the union "would not want to see the practice become widespread".
Stephen Lucas, The TES 23 April
The government has announced that school support staff, including lunchtime supervisors and caretakers, are to receive specialist training in a drive to boost the skills of all who work with children. A spokesperson for the DfES confirmed that a "massive" expansion in the role of the Teacher Training Agency will mean that the agency will take on their new remit for support staff training. Minister for School Standards David Miliband said: "The potential gains from up-skilling the school support staff sector are huge. School support staff play a vital role in complementing the work of teachers and they have a crucial role to play in raising standards and enabling every child to reach their potential. Developing the whole school workforce is essential if teachers are to focus their skills where they make most difference – teaching. I look forward to seeing bursars, caretakers, learning mentors, teaching assistants and all school support staff benefit – and above all the impact this will have on their schools" learning and standards."
Sarah Cassidy, Education Correspondent, The Independent 28 March
The Prime Minister is considering plans to open academy status to more secondary schools. Mr Blair believes that the academies, which are directly funded by government and independent of local councils, are "the key to improving education in England". Under current arrangements, schools must be based in disadvantaged areas, and must be able to raise at least £2 million or 10% of the total building cost through private sponsorship. Mr Blair would like to remove the requirement to raise this money, believing that this will enable more schools to adopt academy status. However, critics argue that this benevolent gesture is proof that the scheme has "failed to attract sufficient interest from businesses".
Michael Shaw, The TES 2 April
Update comment: More goalposts are moving!
"I don't mind if the goal posts are moved so long as I'm the one who moved them."
Fulfil your goalsfrom The Mind Gym (not sure whether this is an original source – it wasn't otherwise acknowledged)
A new report from the British Chambers of Commerce Skills Taskforce argues that, despite protestations to the contrary, the government has not been responsive enough to the needs of business. The report claims that while the government has trumpeted its overhaul of vocational training, in reality it has "at best, been talking up its position while falling well short on delivery and, at worst, has opted for a sticking plaster approach while remaining faithful to the status quo". The report states: "The failures in the system start at 14 and have a progressive domino effect from there on. ...
The government's insistence on a 50% target for higher education is completely misguided: school leavers are being shoe-horned on to academic courses to which they are unsuited, and the drop-out rates (which can be up to 45% at some universities) cost the country £250 million per year." The BCC calls for an end to the either/or situation, in which young people participate in either academic or vocational education post-16. The BCC argues that all students, including those who are pursuing an academic route, need to receive vocational training if they are to have "a rewarding and productive career".
John Crace, The Guardian 20 April
An advertising feature (from the SSDA) in Management Today April 2004 looks at the acute lack of skills among employees in British business. We are told that: "for British business these are the best of times and the worst of times. The numbers don't lie: fourth-biggest economy in the world, lowest unemployment for a generation (and record levels of employment), low inflation and stable interest rates. What is there to worry about? Plenty. And here, too, the numbers don't lie. Working Futures, the largest-ever prediction of the future of the UK's labour market, shows a skills time-bomb on the horizon. Commissioned by the Sector Skills Development Agency last year, the three-volume report shows that, by 2012, Britain will need 1.4 million more professional and technical works. But 400,000 lower-skilled secretarial and administrative jobs will be lost – many replaced by smarter IT. Can British business find these new, skilled workers?"
Update comment: Well, "maybe" seems to be the answer but only if we all accept that we need to train smarter not just work smarter and that we must support entrepreneurs (wonderful cartoon of human "bees" collecting pollen to make honey, honey, honey and honey whilst over the page fewer bees are making royal jelly, furniture polish, sweets, medicine, tea, biscuits and, of course, honey). Excellent reading with well thought-out arguments (if somewhat repetitious), useful quotes and superb illustration.
Scotland's construction industry is suffering from a shortage of 50,000 tradesmen and women because job seekers have for years ignored work that calls for traditional skills, it was claimed yesterday (23 April). The recently-formed Scottish Construction Forum, blamed a "feast and famine" attitude to investment in the sector. It hopes to address the issue by setting up a centre of excellence to encourage more workers to pursue trades.
John Ross, The Scotsman 24 April
NHS online recruitment goes national after successful trial Health minister John Hutton today (20 April) launched the national roll out of an online recruitment service for the NHS, which allows the public to search and apply for NHS jobs on one website. The launch follows a successful trial of the website (www.nhs.uk/jobs) which attracted hundreds of thousands of visits to see NHS jobs in just three months. The service is being provided on behalf of the Department of Health by Methods Consulting Ltd, working with Jobsite (Worldwide) UK Ltd. The contract for the new service runs for five years, and was awarded following an open procurement. The service will complement the existing NHS Careers initiative (www.nhscareers.nhs.uk) which provides advice and guidance to people wishing to start or return to a career.
Department of Health press release 2004/0142 20 April
Charles Leadbeater
ISBN: 1-84180-122-4
Personalisation can be likened to privatisation of state-owned utilities in the 1980s – a big idea with the potential to transform the public sector. The Prime Minister has promised personalised public services in a series of recent speeches. This pamphlet argues that offering personalised education and health services will increase people's expectations and create a demand-led pressure for reform. Charles Leadbeater believes that if government is serious about personalisation, public sector bodies should regard this promise as a big challenge to the way they currently operate. He explains how personalisation goes beyond a simple consumer model to actually involving users in their design and delivery of the next generation of services. Charles Leadbeater is an author, consultant and government adviser. This report was produced as part of a Demos project on personalisation with the Innovation Unit of the DfES.
Demos website 13 April
The report is available, price £5 from Demos,
The Mezzanine, Elizabeth House, 39 York Road London SE1 7NQ
tel: 020 7401 5330
email:
hello@demos.co.uk
Also available, free of charge, (PDF 100pp) at http://tinyurl.com/3g7wv
I, Hazel, have just finished glancing at Public Policy and Administration Volume 18 No 4 (Winter 2003) which is a special issue carrying work which originated as papers presented to the Volumes of Influence symposium organised as part of the Public Administration Committee conference held at the University of York in September 2003. The idea was to revisit and (re)evaluate some of the landmark or classic books in the field of British government public policy and administration. The collection, which the editor suspects is just the first step in the exploration of the UK's public administration "hall of fame", includes:
Update comment: This is, obviously, not typical of the content of this journal which Dawn and I found in the DfES' library in London. To discover whether more generalist issues catch my attention as much I went back to Autumn 2003 – and if I don't put both back on the shelf, NOW, I won't be able to bring you anything further today. I shall be subscribing so that I can read at leisure.
The government will have to spend billions more on benefits if it is to combat the entrenched poverty inherited from the Conservatives, a senior Bank of England policymaker warns. In an article for the Economic Journal (March 2004), Professor Steven Nickell said that government spending on in-work benefits had "failed to turn the tide on deprivation". Placing the blame squarely on failures in the education system, he writes: "It is not just about money. Almost anything bad you can think of, poor people have more of it. More illness, more accidents, more crime, fewer opportunities for their children and the most fantastically expensive credit."
Charlotte Denny, The Guardian 29 March
"Good judgment comes from experience; experience comes from bad judgment."
Mark Twain
"`Political correctness gone mad' is simply the distress call of the thwarted bigot."
Author unknown
Launching the biggest campaign in its history, homelessness charity Shelter is highlighting the problems caused by overcrowding, and unfit and emergency housing. The campaign launch begins with the publication of Toying with their future, a major exposé which reveals that more than a million children are growing up in unsatisfactory accommodation. The report argues that these children are more likely to suffer from serious health problems, poor education and have their future blighted than their counterparts in more affluent areas. Amongst the report's key facts are that one in 12 children in Britain is more likely to develop diseases such as bronchitis, TB or asthma because of bad housing and children who are homeless lose out on a quarter of their schooling. Shelter is calling on the government and the devolved administrations to commit to ending bad housing for the next generation of children.
Press Association, The Guardian 15 April
The full report (PDF 22pp) is at http://tinyurl.com/2jfs9
Action in each local area is needed to help families on low incomes avoid debt and the poverty it can trap them in, said Minister for Regeneration, Jeff Rooker today (8 April). Publishing Action on Debt, a report and fact-pack by the Social Exclusion Unit, he highlighted how decision-makers can take practical steps to assist the government in its drive to cut the crippling personal, economic and social costs of debt. The publication follows an announcement in the March budget that the government will work in partnership both with the financial services sector and with voluntary and community bodies to achieve a step change in the availability of free debt advice for those who need it. The pack calls on organisations to take early action to cut debt across seven sectors: communities; housing; health; business; children and families; the justice system and employment.
Action on Debtis available from
www.socialexclusionunit.gov.uk
or telephone 0870 1226 236
DTI press release 090 8 April
The country's first academy for vocational training for 14- to 19-year-olds has been planned for the capital. Jacqui Henderson, the regional director at the London LSC, said that the academy would form part of a plan to meet the capital's skills shortages.
Ms Henderson said that, while the scheme is still very much at the planning stage, she is confident that sponsors will be soon found.
The TES 16 April
Veronica McGivney, NIACE
The paper summarises recent data on the retention and non-completion patterns of adult students, especially those over the age of 25 who have had a gap since completing full-time education. While data on further and higher education suggest that older learners are less likely than younger ones to complete longer, qualification-bearing programmes, central statistics do not distinguish between students in their early-to-mid 20s, many of whom still have much in common with those in their late teens, and those in their 30s, 40s and 50s whose lifestyles, learning goals and aspirations are often qualitatively different. The section on retention data is followed by a summary of the reasons for not completing courses commonly cited by adults learning in conventional education settings, and reflection on whether these are significantly different from those cited by younger students and students in open or distance learning programmes. The paper ends with a summary of the kind of factors that might increase adult retention rates in both kinds of learning programme. For the purposes of this paper, "adults" are defined as those over the age of 25 who have had a gap since completing full-time education.
Open Learning Volume 19 Number 1 (February 2004)
Students who download exam coursework from the Internet and pass it off as their own are "self-teaching", not cheating, according to the head of the exam boards' council, writes Julie Henry (The Sunday Telegraph 4 April). Dr Ellie Johnson Searle, director of the Joint Council for Qualifications, said that students who download essays from the Internet will usually take the time to change the language and grammar used so that it is a closer match to their own style. In this manner, she said, they are essentially learning the subject. Her comments roused immediate criticism from teachers and academics, who accused her of "condoning exam abuses".
Against a background of some recent high-profile problems in the delivery of higher education online, such as the failure of UKeU to attract sufficient students by the end of last year to remain viable, Liverpool University has announced a 10-year international deal with Sylvan Learning Systems, a US higher education company, to deliver online degrees. Liverpool's vice-chancellor, Professor Drummond Bone, is confident this will be different, not least because Liverpool already has 1,600 students taking online masters and MBA degrees.
Donald MacLeod, The Guardian 13 April
The article is available in full at http://tinyurl.com/3cxy9
A pioneering scheme which provides schoolchildren with learning opportunities in local supermarkets has decided to pilot an adults version of its provision. Explore Learning was created in response to the growing number of parents who want their children to receive more education than a school can offer, and are prepared to pay for private lessons. The company provides computer-based learning for children aged 6 to 14, and can be found in a number of Sainsbury's stores across the UK. It costs £70 to £80 a month to join, but parents in England can claim up to 70% of the cost back, as Explore Learning is registered as a form of child-care. Following the success of these learning centres for children, the company has extended its courses to adult learners. The Explore Learning centre in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire offers flexible programmes in areas such as Information Technology, business and management, and Skills for Life (literacy and numeracy for adults). If the sessions prove popular, it is anticipated that this provision will be extended to other centres.
Information about Explore Learning is at www.explorelearning.org.uk
Ian Johnston, The Scotsman 10 April
The government's attack on the UK's appalling drop-out rate stepped up another gear today (19 April) when Education and Skills Secretary, Charles Clarke, called on eligible Year 11 students to pick up the new EMA form and apply for their weekly payment of up to £30. The "earn as you learn" allowances are seen as a financial incentive which will help replace the "culture of dropping-out at 16" with a "culture of getting on".
DfES press release 2004/0052 (applies to England) 19 April
In an article for The Guardian (27 April), Peter Kingston argues that the introduction of EMAs shows yet again that the government favours schools over colleges. Mr Kingston says that, while it is expected that the majority of people who will claim EMAs will attend FE colleges rather than sixth-forms, schools have been given the application forms first. The government believes that schools will advise pupils about their future directions and so will need the forms. The DfES confirmed that application packs would be available in colleges for any student who has forgotten or lost the one they received at school. The Association of Colleges argues that schools do not have a good track record for providing children with appropriate advice and guidance. In addition, sources at the AoC argues that the decision will do very little to honour the government's pledge to close the 10% funding gap between schools and colleges.
Jane Davidson, Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning confirmed today (27 April) that Education Maintenance Allowances will be introduced in Wales. In a written statement to the Assembly the Minister announced: "Following successful pilot schemes in both England and Scotland, it has been decided that Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs), which provide means-tested financial support of between £10 and £30 for young people aged 16-19 in full-time education, will become available throughout both those countries from September 2004. Whilst we have introduced the Assembly Learning Grant in Wales, which has clearly benefited those aged 18 and over, I do not underestimate the potential which an EMA scheme would have for encouraging young people in Wales to remain in post-compulsory education. Following recent discussions with Treasury, it has been agreed that additional funding will be made available to enable a scheme with identical qualifying criteria and levels of awards to be introduced in Wales."
Welsh Assembly press release 27 April
Jane Davidson, Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, said that Wales has a hugely challenging education agenda because it does mean doing things differently in Wales – building on our success but prepared to tackle failure. Addressing the NASUWT annual conference in Llandudno the Minister talked about the steps the Welsh Assembly government has taken in partnership with schools, local authorities and other key organisations to develop a distinctive agenda for Wales. "Our approach to raising standards has key themes which you will recognise whether you work in Wales or England but our approach is different."
Welsh Assembly press release 14 April
Children need to go to the theatre as much as they need to run about in the fresh air, claims author Phillip Pullman. Writing for The Guardian (30 March), Mr Pullman argues that it is essential to the development of children that they are given access to theatre, the arts, music and poetry. He believes that depriving them of these things is as bad as depriving them of food and drink. He says: "If you deprive children of shelter and kindness and food and drink and exercise, they die visibly; whereas if you deprive them of art and music and story and theatre, they perish on the inside, and it doesn't show." He calls on "the grown-ups who should be responsible for providing these good and necessary things" to ensure that children have the opportunity to "hear real music played by real musicians on real instruments".
UK education and training is worth more than £10 billion a year in the global marketplace – putting its export value on a par with the financial services sector, a study has concluded. According to research conducted on behalf of the British Council, higher education accounts for more than £4 billion of this, while further education's share adds up to £620 million. The study showed that fee income from overseas students in the UK is worth more than £1.2 billion a year, while the amount the students spend on other goods and services brings in more than £1.8 billion. The UK also makes significant gains from, for example, franchise agreements, programme validation, distance learning, research grants and contracts from overseas agents. However, the report warned that those with responsibility for delivering education and training must strive to ensure that the UK reputation for high-quality is not diminished by "rogue operators".
Tony Tysome, The THES 23 April
By 2010, Europeans will live in the most competitive and dynamic knowledge‑based economy in the world, with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. This is the EU's strategic goal, agreed at Lisbon in March 2000. Learning for employment, CEDEFOP's second report on vocational education and training policy in Europe argues that achieving the goal is a real possibility, but doing so requires giving greater urgency to the reforms of education and training under way in Member States.
The executive summary of the report is at http://tinyurl.com/37wjo
The full report is available in hard‑copy in English, price 30Euro and can be ordered online from http://tinyurl.com/2ozw9
For more information, click on http://tinyurl.com/ywyf4
The success of the Structural Funds programmes in Wales was further confirmed today with the award of more than £65 million from the European Commission. The money is from the Performance Reserve and has been allocated because all the targets for the Objectives One, Two and Three European Structural Funds programmes have been met. Economic Development Minister Andrew Davies described the EC's decision as a huge vote of confidence. The EC introduced the Performance Reserve for the 2000-2006 programming period to give greater emphasis to the performance management of the Structural Funds programmes. 4% of the value of each Objective Programme in each Member State was put into the Performance Reserve. Wales has received its share because of its success in managing the programmes and meeting the targets set by the EC.
Welsh Assembly press release 1 April
Research from Edinburgh and Strathclyde universities reveals that as many as four out of ten graduates from Scottish universities are working in bars, shops or similar low-paid employment. The research found that there was a lack of graduate-level work available in Scotland, and, as a result, the number of young Scots who are deemed well-qualified but "under-employed" has reached "chronic" levels. Current figures show that almost 21,000 new graduates were out of work between September and November last year, up from just 8,000 ten years ago. However, the research also found that there is a growing number who seem happy to remain in menial employment. These are content to "defer stepping onto the career ladder", preferring to live at home "enjoying parental hospitality" and continuing with their social lives. This trend was confirmed by careers advisers and recruitment consultants in Scotland. Lynda Ali, director of the careers service at Edinburgh University, said that graduates were "no longer as willing to jump immediately into graduate careers". She said: "Many students have to work when they are still at university in order to cover their student debts, and they don't have the time to do investigative work to find jobs."
Eddie Barnes, Political Editor, Scotland on Sunday 28 March
The claims that the expansion of higher education will create a "graduate glut" have been refuted by a report on the UK's skills gap. The report, published by the Council for Industry and Higher Education, argues that Britain continues to suffer from a shortage of graduates, particularly in science, engineering, IT and mathematics. It claims that the demand for graduate skills is unlikely to be diminished in the foreseeable future, since Britain still lags behind the US, Germany and France in its proportion of workers with higher and intermediate level skills and qualifications. However, the report also points out that expanding higher education alone will not close the skills gap. It recommends that a "coherent framework for all qualifications and credits and robust assessment systems for work-based learning should be developed to make it easier for more employees to gain higher-level qualifications".
Tony Tysome, The THES 30 April
According to a survey conducted by High Fliers Research, just one third of all students at the UK's top 30 universities who are due to graduate this summer believe that they will find graduate-level jobs. More than half of those questioned said that they would probably not even bother looking for work, and would continue with their studies or go travelling instead.
William Tinning, The Scottish Herald 23 April
A PhD candidate has been told that he has a "strong claim" against the university which supervised his studies, after an external examiner branded his work as "some of the dullest and [most] unimaginative" that he had ever seen. The candidate is suing his university for breach of contract and negligence, because supervisors repeatedly told the student that his work was "progressing satisfactorily". Barristers acting for the student state that the candidate has effectively "wasted" three years of his life and lost around £75,000 in potential earnings. They are seeking £100,000 from the university to compensate him for this and also for damages relating to "inconvenience or discomfort".
Phil Baty, The THES 9 April
A-level students may want to re-think what course they study at university as getting a first could depend on their gender, race and educational background. Psychologist Patrick Leman's study of the results of more than 10,000 students at Cambridge University over a two-year period found that both social and personal expectations played a significant part in determining final results. Findings include:
Dr Leman said that the results show how deeply entrenched our expectations are. He said: "[These expectations] influence who applies for what subject at university. ...
They also influence the student themselves because, generally, we take on board others' expectations about who we are and internalise aspects of them."
Jennifer Hawkins, The TES 16 April
Funding chiefs have warned universities that they could end up in "deep financial trouble" if they overestimate their reputation when deciding how much they will charge in top-up fees. Sir Howard Newby, head of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, said that some institutions may fall victim to "wishful thinking" and "delusions of grandeur" when top-up fees are introduced. He said: "There is a danger of believing their own propaganda about where they are in the marketplace."
Donald MacLeod, The Guardian 23 April
According to consultancy firm KPMG, universities are likely to compete for students by offering incentives rather than through variable fees when top-up fees are introduced. Simon Hackwell, head of the higher education advisory team at KPMG, said that universities were carrying our market research to determine which "perk" would be the most popular. Vice-chancellors said that they anticipate that the majority of universities will charge the maximum £3,000. They believe that it will be necessary to offer support packages such as bursaries, laptop computers, free meals and sports club memberships in order to attract the best students.
Paul Hill, The THES 23 April
The rector of Imperial College London, Sir Richard Sykes, has refused to apologise for his controversial comments on new universities, despite calls for his resignation from the board of the funding council HEFCE, writes Polly Curtis (The Guardian 1 April). In an interview for the Financial Times, Sir Richard accused the government of pursuing a "bums on seats" policy for higher education which will undermine the UK's world class status. He suggested that money spent at élite universities was a better investment than money spent at "third-class" institutions.
However, in a subsequent letter to the FT, Sir Richard said that his comments were reported "in a selectively and incomplete way". He said that he was simply trying to illustrate that "all universities shouldn't all be treated the same. A few stand on the international stage and need to be funded differently".
Polly Curtis, The Guardian 1 April
British universities are owed more than double the amount they were in 1998, as students struggle to pay their tuition fees, according to a report from a commercial debt collection agency. The new research from STA Graydon reveals that the amount of money owed to universities has risen from £1.7 billion in 1998 to £2.8 billion in 2002. This is an increase of 65% since tuition fees were first introduced.
Polly Curtis, The Guardian 26 March
The higher education bill began its passage through the House of Lords on 19 April. It will face scrutiny from a House of Lords that includes 34 university chancellors, most of whom are believed to support the plans for introducing top-up fees. However, it appears that many peers do not support the creation of the Office for Fair Access, and believe that it represents "a draconian restriction of academic freedom". The Lords will spend a minimum of two weeks debating the second reading of the Bill before it progresses to the committee stage, the report stage and a final, third reading.
Polly Curtis, The Guardian 19 April
Universities, schools and students have given the Schwartz inquiry into university admissions a cautious welcome. However, there is some disagreement on the introduction of US-style aptitude tests. Responses include:
Diana Warwick, chief executive of Universities UK
Chris Weavers, vice-president of the National Union of Teachers
A spokesperson for the Independent Schools Council
"SATs will not necessarily provide any additional information, but it will put pressure on students. If SATs are going to be the baseline for admitting to universities, why do we have A-levels?"
Mike Nicholson, head of undergraduate admissions at the University of Essex
Alan Johnson, Higher education minister
Polly Curtis, The Guardian 6 April
The Schwartz review of university admissions has published its draft recommendations for consultation. The recommendations are designed to widen participation in higher education by making the admissions procedure fairer. The recommendations maintain that a fair admissions system should:
In particular, the report emphasises that universities should not be obligated to make lower-grade offers to pupils from state schools as a matter of course. Rather, it says that such offers should be made on a case-by-case basis. The report argues that students should be treated as individuals, not as representatives of particular groups. The consultation closes on 28 May 2004.
Alison Goddard and Alison Utley, The THES 9 April
The full report, Fair admissions to higher education: draft recommendations for consultation (PDF 66pp) is at http://tinyurl.com/2fnyx
More information at www.admissions-review.org.uk/
Some 50,000 students will sit US-style university admissions tests from Autumn 2005 in the biggest pilot study of its kind. Supported by the Sutton Trust charity, the aptitude tests will enable universities to "identify talented students who perform badly at A-level" often because they attended a school that failed to develop their potential. Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, said that the number of students who fall into this category could be as high as one in 20. He commented: "In an earlier trial, in below-average performing schools, 30 students (5% of the sample) scored well enough on the SAT to be considered by a top US university. Yet only one of them achieved the three A grades at A-level required by our mos