April 2005
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April 2005

Editorial

I've given up categorising anything as plagiarism and started calling most of the articles on this by a more robust name – cheating. Occasionally using the work of someone else without attribution is careless and, whilst technically theft, may be condoned but this deliberate cheating is getting worse and debases the value of the qualification for everyone. Somewhat reminiscent of a young child who, when told not to do something, continues. When shouted at "What did I say?" the child says "Sorry" in a tone of voice that means the only thing s/he is sorry about is being found out.

Journal of Economic Perspectives Fall 2004
The issue date provides more than a small clue as to its origin – it's American! However, the journal of the American Economic Association is very readable and forms part of my relaxation "treat" when in the library. I've been trying to read this issue during my previous two visits to the DFES library at Sanctuary Buildings. Imagine my dismay when I reached that particular section of the journals and found that there's now another 247 pages to read in the Winter 2005 issue! This though, concentrates on the economy of Russia so I think I'll leave it.

Journal of Educational Research

Sorry, you lose out on this one – six-months' worth in three issues all at once is too much for anyone to digest, plus:

• it's American;
• the text is very dense;
• it's printed on gloss-finish paper which is hard to read under fluorescent light; and
• the content is highly academic in some articles!

There's a lot written about data security – how not to get a virus into your computer, how to stop people copying information etc. Whilst installing firewalls and all the other bits of kit don't forget the physical padlocks. How secure is your office? Could someone simply walk in and then out again with your computer? Or could a member of staff simply throw a laptop onto a rubbish heap without removing sensitive data first? S/he may not have been able to access the data but you can bet your bottom dollar that someone would be able to retrieve enough to be an embarrassment.

It is noticeable that the Sector Skills Councils are getting to grips with the remit "to provide information on careers in their sector". Skillset's careers section on the website (www.skillset.org) has been established for some time – and very good it is too, particularly since the most recent changes to presentation – but others are starting to catch up with this pathfinder. The information is, of necessity, at a fairly high level of aggregation which is not always the most useful for discerning local trends in pay and conditions – but it is a long way better than nothing or even than the individual representative bodies can achieve.

There has, in accordance with tradition, been nothing of note from the UK government over the last month – and Dawn and I are rather tired of reading about predictions based on polls!

To relieve the tedium I started to look at Guidance Policies in the Knowledge Society: trends, challenges and responses across Europe. The 140 pages spell out clearly, what the guidance community has "always" known – if your country's policy on lifelong guidance leading to lifelong learning sets targets of "all unemployed below the age of ..." or "all those who cannot read or write effectively" then your country does not offer an effective lifelong guidance service.

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Works4Me

Works4Me is a youth-focused website that aims to raise awareness of issues such as pay, choice and wider opportunities amongst 11- to 15-year-olds. Using interactive features, games, quizzes, animation and music, it provides "a virtual careers centre" where users can browse information about a wide variety of issues. Designed to be used as a means to widening choice.

EOC Email Update 6 April

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UK workers are serial drifters

Four out of five UK workers have no idea where their careers are going and almost half spend less time planning their careers than their social lives, according to a report from HR consultancy Chiumento. As a result, they are "risking redundancy, being overlooked for promotion and missing out on pay rises". Key findings from the report, Career Control, include:

• Nearly half of those who switch jobs without adequate planning are dissatisfied, and almost a third (32%) find themselves in less satisfying jobs than before.
• 36% think they've been made redundant as a result of career apathy.
• 30% believe they've missed out on promotions because they haven't put enough time and effort into career planning and 27% think they've missed out on a pay rise.
• Nearly 60% only think about a change when bored or frustrated while 39% think about their career only when forced to through redundancy or because they need more money.
• If redundancy were to strike, 38% feel unprepared to be on the job market again and 44% would not know what to do next.
• 42% would feel terrified or anxious at the prospect of redundancy, with 41% of those having experienced redundancy also feeling negative at the prospect.
• However, workers are unwilling to take all the responsibility: nearly a third think it's their boss's role to provide a clear career path, believing more training, opportunities in other departments or a sympathetic ear would help them get on.

Sarah Chiumento, Chief Executive of Chiumento, commented: "This is a wake-up call to employees to get their careers on track or risk losing out. Workers need to be more proactive or they will jeopardise their chances to get on or move into something new. However, the buck doesn't stop with them. Employers also have an obligation to provide career paths for their staff by making work challenging and providing regular opportunities for training and development. Keeping staff engaged and motivated will keep boredom and underperformance at bay."

HRLook Daily News 28 April

Free copies of Career Control are available by calling Gregor Ridley on tel: 020 7622 8252

It is also online (PDF 8pp) at www.chiumento.co.uk/content/files/CareerControl.pdf

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"Roots" to a successful career in food and drink

Improve, the Sector Skills Council for the food and drink industries, has launched an on-line career planning tool dedicated to providing advice, information and guidance for school- and college-leavers. "Roots" is part of Improve's new website and is being managed by Improve on behalf of employers.

More information www.improveltd.co.uk/

SSDA Involve Issue 81 (19 April)

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Lantra launches new careers websites

Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for environmental and land-based industries, has launched two new websites to encourage people to consider working in the sector.

• www.ajobin.com – targeted at young people
• www.afuturein.com – for more mature workers

SSDA Involve Issue 78 (22 March)

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On the right path

City & Guilds has launched a new £1 million television and print advertising campaign that aims to guide young people through their career options and demonstrate that vocational education can be a route to success. It is directed primarily at the "middle group" of achievers who are often ill-served by current careers advice in schools. Highlighting research conducted by City & Guilds two years ago, Nigel Moore, Head of Group Marketing at City & Guilds, explains: "Those at the top end of the academic achievement spectrum were well served at school, with the appropriate advice for going on to university, and those at the bottom end were provided for by the Connexions service. But there was this large middle group that was being ignored. Our campaign is designed to reach these young people and their parents, and to provide information for local careers services."

John Crace, The Guardian 12 April

Update comment: I'm not convinced that "those at the top end" are well served. They may be given information about going to university but without appropriate guidance they can easily end up on the wrong course at the wrong institution.

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Sporting life

The International Olympic Committee has launched a programme to help athletes rejoin the labour market when their sporting careers come to an end. The Athletes Career Programme is delivered by employment services company Adecco.

For more information, contact Adecco UK, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire WD6 1HY
tel: 020 8307 6000
URL: www.adecco.co.uk

IRS Employment Review Number 819 (11 March)

"An election is coming. Universal peace is declared and the foxes have a sincere interest in prolonging the lives of the poultry."

T S Eliot

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Careers Scotland: Progress And Potential

Professor Tony Watts, Senior Fellow and Life President of NICEC, has carried out a review of Careers Scotland, benchmarked against the OECD Career Guidance Policy Review. Professor Watts's review also aimed to examine the progress of Careers Scotland since its launch in 2002. He concluded that, while there remain areas of weakness, "the practices being adopted by Careers Scotland are comparable to leading good practice across the world". He warns, however, that Careers Scotland relies too heavily on "the quality and extent of the provision offered by other careers guidance providers". He advises that consideration be given to establishing "a cross-sectoral body to … address issues related to service quality, professional competence and conceptual coherence across the career guidance sector as a whole".

Newscheck April 2005

Careers Scotland: Progress And Potential

Executive Summary (PDF 2pp) http://tinyurl.com/8wbch

Full report (PDF 44pp): http://tinyurl.com/ahddr

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Creating online resources for vulnerable people

In an article for Library and Information Update (Volume 4 (4) April 2005), Peter Williams and David Nicholas highlight the particular problems associated with providing information to vulnerable or marginalised people. The authors examined the experiences of a number of charities which were developing an online presence. The authors focused specifically on "the extent to which the websites … improved access to information for disadvantaged young people", and identified a number of barriers to the take-up of information, including:

• reluctance to recognise a need to act;
• problems with anonymity and confidentiality;
• the provision of sensitive information;
• dealing with people in denial or celebrating their condition; and
• mishandling information queries.

The authors concluded that there are significant challenges to developing an online support service. They said: "The research has highlighted that information in itself is clearly not the panacea it has been declared in the digital age. As the charities have shown, developing a website entails far more than simply posting information sheets online."

Full article: http://tinyurl.com/bn8lh

Update comment: Yet again research discovers what the guidance community has "always" known – information is not informing.

"Man – despite his artistic pretensions, his sophistication, and his many accomplishments – owes his existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains."

Anon

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Future directions for vocational guidance in Europe

Cedefop has just published a report on how education, career information, and guidance services are conceptualised, organised and delivered in 29 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 suggests 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 jointly to 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. [Editor's emphasis] 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 29 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
Ronald Sultana
A Cedefop synthesis report. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2004
(Cedefop Panorama series, 85).

The electronic version (PDF 140pp) is at http://tinyurl.com/cg677

Hard copies, in English only, send name and address to esm@cedefop.eu.int

ETV-NEWS April 2004 Number 47

Update comment: Very readable – and puts forward good ideas. Now can we start implementing them?

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IQ and other tests

There are often arguments about online "tests" but this, which has a UK address but was advertised in the New York Times, looked genuine if a bit pricey so I asked Dawn to go and look. The site not only has "basic" IQ tests but "career and personality tests" as well. Her response was: "It all seems fine to me. The tests are straightforward – although you need to register first. They give you a basic briefing on your answers and offer a more detailed analysis for a fee. The only thing I would say works against them is that they mix the serious with the frivolous, which could undermine how robust they appear."

URL: http://uk.tickle.com/test/iq/result.html

Update comment: It will need someone a good deal more qualified in guidance practice to look at the career test to see whether it's any good – and whether it really is UK-based.

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AGCAS

The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services has received funding from the DfES for a project to enhance the information, advice and guidance available to Foundation Degree students. AGCAS has conducted a survey of current students, is producing new careers material specifically for this group and is offering training for advisers.

For more information visit www.agcas.org.uk or email Chris Jackson on: chris.jackson@agcas.org.uk

Newscheck April 2005

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Quick Reads literacy "crusade" launched at conference

Quick Reads, the World Book Day 2006 campaign to target reluctant adult readers, has been designed to tackle the problem of adult literacy and reach emergent readers. A series of titles by high-profile authors will be published for adults who read below the level expected of 9- to 13-year-olds. The £2.99 books will be 15,000 to 20,000 words long, and use "appropriately simple vocabulary". Authors who have confirmed their support include Ruth Rendell, Maeve Binchy, Joanna Trollope, Val McDermid and Marian Keyes.

The Bookseller 14 April

Update comment: About flippin' time too! Beyond the age of five you do not want to be taught to read "Janet and John went to the park with Mummy".

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One in five children leaving primary school cannot read

The Education Select Committee has warned that around 20% of children do not achieve the success in reading and writing expected of their age by the time they leave primary school. This finding has been seized by opposition parties as further evidence that Labour's present literacy strategy is still letting down an "alarming" proportion of children. The committee has called for a review of the national literacy strategy.

Richard Garner, Education Editor, The Independent 7 April

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The great illiteracy myth

In an opinion piece for Basic Skills (Spring-Summer 2005), Alan Wells, Director of the Basic Skills Agency, asks where he might find "the 1 in 4 illiterate children leaving primary school". He would also like to know where "the 26 million adults that supposedly have problems with literacy and numeracy" might be found. Mr Wells reminds readers that UK primary schools do not send a quarter of their roll out unable to read. The truth is that a quarter of children are unable to reach a seemingly arbitrary level of ability, as set by the government, at the end of Key Stage 2. This no more means that a quarter of the nation's children are illiterate than being able to swim less than 200 metres makes a child a non-swimmer. Mr Wells is appalled that the media continues to create moral panics over the state of the nation's intelligence using such distorted information. He is also dismayed that the government seems happy for the media to do so, since this makes hitting targets and highlighting suggested improvements much easier for them. Mr Wells is concerned that this "constant perpetration of a myth" will damage the global reputation of the UK, given that few organisations will feel inclined to invest in a country where four out of five adults struggle with literacy and/or numeracy.

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NRDC launches Reflect magazine

The National Research and Development Centre for adult literacy (NRDC) has launched a new magazine, called Reflect, which will "present and consider new ideas, issues and challenges in the fields of literacy, language and numeracy, and will provide a forum for dialogue between research, policy and practice".

For more information see www.nrdc.org.uk

Read Write Plus Update Issue 13 (Autumn-Winter 2004/05)

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Developing Effective Practice

Developing Effective Practice is a new innovative programme from the Basic Skills Agency which aims to analyse and disseminate effective practice in literacy and numeracy. It has "a particular focus on the sticking points that slow progress in raising standards of basic skills. It's not just about identifying effective practice, but making sure that it is built on and shared widely with LEAs, schools and other organisations."

Basic Skills Spring-Summer 2005

More information: www.basic-skills.co.uk/dep

"Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your heart or burn down your house, you can never tell."

Joan Crawford

"In films murders are always very clean. I show how difficult it is and what a messy thing it is to kill a man."

Alfred Hitchcock

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Web accessibility: new guidance from BSI and DRC

The Disability Rights Commission has commissioned the British Standards Institution to develop guidance on website accessibility. The guidance will be produced in the form of a Publicly Available Specification (PAS). A PAS is not a full British Standard as the end result is guidance, not a standard. However, if the guidance becomes widely accepted, the PAS may become a standard over time. The PAS is due to be published in the Autumn and will be updated every two years.

OUT-LAW.com 15 April

There is a great deal more detail in the full article at http://tinyurl.com/e4dfz

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Firms' link-up makes money talk

Diebold, America's largest cash point maker, has joined forces with assistive technology firm, Scansoft, to produce talking cash dispensers for use by visually-impaired people. The ATMs use Scansoft's text-to-speech technology to improve the accessibility of its cash dispensers. Security concerns about having audio output from the machines have been overcome by fitting them with a standard headphone jack. Users plug in their own set of headphones in order to hear the output. While the ATMs are currently being tested by representatives from the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), initial feedback is broadly positive.

Geoff Adams-Spink, BBC Online 5 April

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Anti-tremor mouse stops PC shakes

A special adaptor that helps people with hand tremors control a computer mouse more easily has been developed. The Assistive Mouse Adapter (AMA) is the brainchild of IBM researcher Jim Levine who developed the prototype after seeing his uncle, who has Parkinson's disease, struggle with mouse control. The AMA uses "steady cam" technology, similar to that found in camcorders, to filter out shaking hand movements. It can be adjusted depending on how severe the tremor is, and is also able to recognise multiple clicking on a mouse button caused by shaky digits. IBM said it would partner up with a small UK-based electronics firm, Montrose Secam, to produce the devices at a cost of around £70.

BBC News Online 15 March

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Survey into email misuse

Organisations in the UK face a "spiralling threat" from inappropriate employee use of employer email systems, according to a YouGov survey unveiled recently. The survey found a "relaxed" attitude to email at work, with employees taking advantage of free email and internet services to expose employers to potentially detrimental situations. The principal threats were the circulation of offensive material, downloading of pirated software and the loss of confidential information."

NFP Techno Issue 74 (Mid April 2005)

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Avoiding email gaffes which rock the share price and ruin reputation

The recent resignation of Boeing's CEO Harry Stoneciper highlighted yet again the need for companies to have a robust email usage policy. It also underscored the importance of making sure that everyone has read the policy and complies with it. Stoneciper, for those who missed the brouhaha, was having an affair with an employee and email exchanges between the two of them was their downfall. Boeing's shares plummeted by 25% after the revelation of the affair and his subsequent departure. However, Stoneciper is in good company. A survey by Clearswift found that over 45% of employees regularly circulate unacceptable non-business email (www.clearswift.com). Other high-profile companies who have been forced to dismiss employees for email misuse include Xerox, Prudential, Dell, Department for Work Life and Pensions, and Bank of Ireland.

Executive IT Fitness Briefing

from Mesmo Consultancy – April

Update comment: The briefing goes on to provide, for managers, principally of large companies, a short quiz about the company's email policy and how to ensure that staff are adhering to it. But, courtesy demands that we should not abuse our employers time and facilities by improper use of email or the internet.

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Text me and I'll reply with a virus

Virus writers have created a third mobile phone virus capable of replicating via MMS messages. The Mabir worm, which targets Symbian Series 60 phones, is not spreading, but its ability to propagate via Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) gives cause for concern. The worm searches for Bluetooth connections and spreads itself to that phone. It then answers any incoming SMS or MMS messages with an infected reply.

John Leyden, The Register

via ITProPortal Midweek Roundup 6 April

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eWell-Being Awards

The eWell-Being Awards, sponsored by BT, Vodafone, and Brother with The Guardian as national media partner, are the UK's first and only awards to focus on ICT projects which deliver "tangible environmental and social benefits". This year's winners include:

• for digital inclusion – Glasgow Homelessness Network
• for enhancing ICT access and services for disabled people – Cross Border Arts, Funky Flamingo
• for e-government – Birmingham Libraries, Stories from the Web
• for environmental efficiency – The UK Phenology Network
• for mobility – Plymouth City Council
• for wireless – South Witham Broadband

The full list is at www.sustainit.org/ewell-being-awards/2004winners.php

Info@UK Issue 49 (April 2005)

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Controversy over internet news sites

A copyright row between AFP (Agence France-Presse) and Google has highlighted the issue of internet-aggregated news sites. AFP provides news stories for customers across the world, for a fee. It has accused Google of breaking copyright law by using AFP content in the Google News service. While Google has responded by agreeing to remove all AFP content from its news service, many organisations are unhappy that their content will no longer be listed in Google News. They argue that the Google News service, and similar aggregation firms, are a good source of free advertising.

Info@UK Issue 49 (April 2005)

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Court releases file-share details

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has been granted access to the names of 33 people it suspects of sharing up to 72,000 music files on the internet. The High Court ruled that ISPs must hand over the personal details of alleged file-sharers to the BPI, and has given them just two weeks to comply. The BPI is seeking compensation and legal costs from those accused of distributing the music.

BBC News Online 20 April

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Virus targets music downloads

A new virus that targets internet piracy has been detected. According to security firm Sophos, the Nopir-B worm is disguised as DVD copying code; but when downloaded it deletes all MP3 music files, whether legally or illegally obtained. The worm, believed to be of French origin, has been found on peer-to-peer networks, which are frequently used for internet piracy, through the illegal sharing of copyrighted material such as music, films and software. According to Sophos, the worm takes a vigilante approach to internet piracy. It is disguised as a DVD-cracking code; but when downloaded onto a computer running Windows, it tries to delete all MP3 music files and other programs from the infected computer. "The Nopir-B worm targets people it believes may be involved in piracy, but fails to discriminate between the true criminals and those who may have MP3 files they have created themselves," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Whichever side of the fence you come down on in regards to internet piracy, there's no debate about the criminal nature of this worm – designed to inflict malicious damage on people's Windows computers," he added. There have been only a few reports of the worm, but Sophos advises users to keep their anti-virus software up to date.

® Pinsent Masons 2000-2005

OUT-LAW.COM 26 April

"It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory."

W Edwards Deming

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Creative licence

In an article for The Guardian (11 April), Kate Bulkley reports on an online initiative by broadcasters that will allow the public to experiment with UK television archive material. Ms Bulkley tells us that the BBC, Channel 4, the British Film Institute (BFI) and the Open University have joined together to create the Creative Archive Licence, which will make thousands of hours of BBC content available to the public on the internet for non-commercial use. The license is based on the Creative Commons flexible copyright scheme.

URL: http://creativearchive.bbc.co.uk

Update comment: Dawn says: "This is a seriously WOW website. Go and play your hearts out!"

Play? This is serious research – for your entertainment. Hazel

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Net-illiterate "failing children"

"Internet-illiterate" parents could "leave their children on the wrong side of the digital divide", researchers claim. A study from the London School of Economics suggests that many parents lack the skills to help their children use the internet. While 85% of parents surveyed wanted stronger laws regarding internet pornography, one in five admitted that they did not know how to help their children go online safely. The study found that it is predominantly middle class, internet-literate parents who raise internet-literate children.

BBC News Online 28 April

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Digital divisions tackled head-on

A seven-point plan to tackle Britain's "digital divide" has been unveiled by the government.

1. Digital Challenge prize for local authorities giving universal online access to services.
2. Creation of a scheme to rent laptops and PCs to students under national scheme.
3. Combat online dangers through work with hi-tech industry and police, and establish national net safety centre.
4. Expand UK Online centres that help adult learners get to grips with the web.
5. Encourage creation of content for broadband services through government and public bodies.
6. Make sure central government embraces ways of using net to deliver services.
7. OfCOM to see how to encourage broadband take-up in poorer homes.

Announcing the plan, Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt said that the initiative was introduced in order to "make sure our nation as a whole is at ease with the online world".

BBC Online 4 April

"You are the only problem you will ever have and you are the only solution. Change is inevitable, personal growth is always a personal decision."

Bob Proctor, Author and Speaker

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Gender segregation in apprenticeships

Linda Miller, Emma Pollard, Fiona Neathey, Darcy Hill and Helen Ritchie

Institute for Employment Studies

ISBN: 1-84206-140-2

Publisher: The Equal Opportunities Commission

In June 2003, the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) launched an investigation into gender segregation in five occupational areas where there are skills shortages: construction, engineering, information and communication technologies (ICT) and plumbing (all male-dominated), and childcare (female-dominated). This research focuses on apprenticeships. Previously called Modern Apprenticeships (MAs), these are currently the main vocational training route into work for young people in Britain. The aim of the research was to investigate what the Learning and Skills Council and its local arms (LLSCs) have done within the investigation sectors to address gender segregation in MAs. Key findings include:

• Patterns of gender segregation in MA registrations across Britain mirror those seen in employment. The five investigation sectors are both amongst the most strongly segregated and those in which substantial skills shortfalls are reported.
• Thirty LLSCs were able to provide data on the numbers of females and males starting and completing MAs in the five investigation sectors. However, many were unable to do so for all five, in particular for plumbing and ICT, in part because the various systems to collate and report statistics were not fully compatible.
• No LLSC reported that it collected pay data for apprenticeships.
• Two further barriers affecting MAs were also identified. These were the lack of apprenticeship places, which is likely to impact more on under-represented groups than on applicants from majority groups; and the fact that training providers typically only become involved with apprentices after they have been recruited by employers. This restricts their ability to influence the diversity of apprentices recruited.
• Since 2003, apprentices have mostly needed to be in employment in order to commence an apprenticeship. Almost all partners saw this as a barrier to increasing the diversity of the apprentice population. A shortage of starter jobs limited the number of apprenticeship places available, and any such shortage of places was likely to impact more heavily on under-represented groups.

Copies of the report are available free of charge from the EOC. To order, contact the helpline on tel: 0845 601 5901

It is also online (PDF 101pp) at http://tinyurl.com/9mut6

EOC Email Update 6 April

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EOC's summary report on gender barriers in the workplace

The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has completed its two-year investigation into why men and women train and work in jobs that are "traditional" for their gender. It is noticeable that the sectors currently experiencing severe skill shortages are also those that have the most highly segregated workforce.

• Only one per cent of women work in construction.
• Just twenty two women started plumbing apprenticeships in 2004.
• Two per cent of the childcare workforce is male.

The EOC has recommended that the government takes action to provide an education system that supports change. In particular career education "should become statutory with inspections on gender equality". All young people should get a personal careers interview and two work placements, one of which should be in a non-traditional environment. A copy of the final report, Free to Choose: tackling gender barriers to better jobs, is at www.eoc.org.uk

IDS Pay Report 925 (April 2005)

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Reason for gender pay gap identified

The Annual Survey of Earning and Hours from the Office of National Statistics shows that job segregation and the undervaluing of the work women do accounts for two thirds of the gender pay gap. Full-time women workers in the City of London do on average 97.6% of the average hours of full-time men in the City for 58% of the pay of their male colleagues. This means that there is a gender pay gap of 39.4% which is accounted for solely by job segregation and the systematic undervaluing of work that women do. In the United Kingdom as a whole full-time women on average work 91.9% of the hours of their male colleagues for 75.5% of the men's pay. Thus when the difference in the number of hours worked by men and women is taken into account the gender pay gap is 16.4%. In 73 out of 203 areas in Britain the gender pay gap adjusted for hours is above the UK average of 16.4%. Examples of workplaces with chronic job segregation and under-valuing of the work that women do would include:

• a food factory where the majority of shop floor workers are women and the majority of the management are men;
• a supermarket where the majority of the checkout and shelf-filling staff are women;
• a financial services company in the City of London where the majority of the back office staff, cleaners and caterers are women and the majority of the management, brokers and dealers are men; and
• UK Parliament where the majority of the MPs are men and the majority of the office staff, cleaning and catering staff are women.

HRLook Daily News 4 April

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Jobs for the girls report should be spur to action, says TUC

Welcoming the House of Commons Trade and Industry Committee report, Jobs for the girls: the effect of occupational segregation on the gender pay gap, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "This report should be a spur to action for the government and employers. Its findings back up the work of trade unions and the Women at Work Commission. The report may go unnoticed during this election period but the work of trade unions and campaigners will continue with vigour until the world of work is opened up to women."

TUC press release 7 April

Full report (PDF 37pp): http://tinyurl.com/4qd5v

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University gender pay gap widens

The gender pay gap among university staff is wider than it was five years ago, according to the Association of University Teachers (AUT) in its submission to the Women and Work Commission. The AUT argues that, despite significant increases in the number of female academics over the past few years, they remain under-represented in senior grades and over-represented in lower grades.

AUT Submission To The Women And Work Commission 2005 (PDF 27pp) http://tinyurl.com/8fqla

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Women to own bulk of wealth within 20 years

A study from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) claims that, within 20 years, women will own 60% of the nation's wealth. The study, which was commissioned by Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society, suggests that "a fundamental shift in the balance of financial power between the genders is taking place". Women currently hold 48% of Britain's wealth and continue to outstrip men educationally. Moreover, two-thirds of women aged 20 to 24 live away from their parents, compared with 44% of men. This gives them greater experience in managing a household budget. A spokesperson for Liverpool Victoria said: "Our research shows … young women are much more independent than men their age. Young, single women are more likely to buy their own home earlier, pay into an occupational pension and have savings. More and more woman are rising up the career ladder, as well as starting their own businesses, and that is causing this change in the balance of financial power."

Maxine Frith, Social Affairs Correspondent, The Independent 22 April

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Call for quotas as men stop teaching

New figures released by the Scottish Executive reveal a dramatic fall in the number of male teachers over the past decade. The statistics show that since 1996, the number of men in primary and secondary schools has fallen from 30% to 25%. The gender imbalance is particularly wide in the primary sector.

Andrew Denholm, Education Correspondent, The Scottish Herald 27 April

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Million-pound babies: average Briton spends £1.5 million from birth until death

Research conducted for the Prudential insurance company has finally put a price on the cost of living – and it's more than £1.5 million! The researchers have worked out that the average cost of an adult life is £1,537,380. While paying for "the basics" such as food, shelter and clothing account for the largest proportion of this amount, the next largest is what we pay in taxation, both in personal income tax and council tax. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are clear gender differences. Men spend 21% more than women throughout their lives, paying out 40% more for a night out, 2½ more on electronic gadgets and 66% more on their cars.

Terry Kirby, Chief Reporter, The Independent 26 April

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Minorities express ID card anxieties

Some religious groups in the UK do not trust official handling of personal data, are concerned about victimisation by the police and are worried that the ID card scheme will be insecure, according to a report published by the Faith Community Consultation Consortium (FCCC). Key concerns include:

• access to enrolment centres, particularly for elderly members of communities;
• physical contact with biometric sensors, particularly fingerprint systems;
• hygiene issues in multiple use of equipment at enrolment and verification;
• language and gender-related issues; and
• possible limitations of identification posed by physical appearance and traditional dress of various faith traditions.

Government Computing Volume 19 Number 4 (April 2005)

A response to the introduction of Identity Cards – Summary of the consultation with faith communities in Britain (PDF 32pp) is at http://tinyurl.com/7g9ck

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Plans unveiled for Scottish "Entitlement Card"

The Scottish Executive has unveiled plans that will pave the way for electronic entitlement cards for all Scottish citizens, beginning with a smartcard providing free travel on public transport for all Scottish elderly people by April 2006. The Executive hopes they will also provide access to local authority services such as leisure facilities and libraries. Ultimately, the smartcards are expected to play a similar role to that envisaged by the Home Office for a UK-wide electronic entitlement card, although the executive is "confident that the Scottish plans will not spark the same kind of 'ID card' controversy as it has in Westminster".

E-Government Bulletin Issue 184 (15 April)

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New Information Society factsheets

Research, policy and intellectual property are among the subjects of new factsheets on Europe's Information Society. The factsheets are issued by the European Union, and are free of charge.

A full list of subjects is at http://tinyurl.com/7qvam

Managing Information March 2005

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Integrated Public Sector Vocabulary now available

The Integrated Public Sector Vocabulary is now available for implementation. This will bring together the three main controlled vocabularies available to public sector bodies in one merged vocabulary or taxonomy.

More information on the eSB website: www.localegov-standards.gov.uk/News

Info@UK Newsletter 49 (April 2005)

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Taxonomy and Folksonomy

Research conducted by the Delphi Group shows a growing awareness of the importance of taxonomy and classification from a business and organisational perspective. However, the survey also showed that, in a majority of cases, responsibility for developing taxonomy strategy lies with the IT department. In response to this neglect of "the human component of knowledge exchange", Thomas Vander Wal developed a new perspective, which he called a "Folksonomy". A folksonomy is a collection of meta-data which has been developed by users in a collaborative, "top-down" fashion. Usability expert Peter Merholz explains by comparing folksonomies to "paths in a grassy landscape that appear over time as pedestrians select the most appropriate walking route".

Information World Review Number 212 (April 2005)

More on folksonomies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/folksonomy

Update comment: Too many people trying to use different "paths" across the grassy area could result in no grass left! And, too many people deciding to call a spade a b****y shovel, or a digging implement etc will create an unworkable system.

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Knowledge management (or lack of it)

In the last decade of the 20th Century, many organisations were lulled into a sense of false security by their technology. They learned to rely on their "autopilots", and looked at the "expensive" people they had. The response was to shed staff through a huge range of strategies, downsizing, restructuring, de-layering, and outsourcing. In place of the "expensive, old" workforce, they employed fewer, cheaper staff, who could run all the smoothly operating computer systems, doing only the tasks that were not automated. The new staff, employed as a cheaper resource, inevitably are less experienced in the business. For this reason they often fail to understand where the company is, even what it does, often with dramatic results. Eventually, a process of rationalisation may become so firmly embedded that the few experienced workers, the holders of the last vestiges of the heritage of corporate knowledge, are driven out, and with them the skills and experience that would have helped to create the future.

Found on a discussion group

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ISBN Standard Revision

The International ISBN Agency has published a manual which explains the new 13-digit ISBNs which come into effect in January 2007. The manual offers an overview of the changes, a timetable for implementation and provides answers to frequently asked questions.

Guidelines for the Implementation of 13-Digit ISBNs (PDF 11pp) http://tinyurl.com/a5gt4

ISBN International website March 2005

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Ignoring diversity could undermine business performance

Organisations that fail to get to grips with managing diversity are putting themselves at risk, with legislation placing no limit on how much an employment tribunal may rule that an organisation should pay if they are found guilty of discriminating against someone. But the damage caused through a failure to reap the business benefits of effective diversity management could cost organisations even more dearly than tribunal payouts, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Diversity plays an essential role in tackling skills shortages, helping organisations retain knowledge and experience, widening the recruitment base, and attracting more customers and enhancing profits. However, diversity can also cause tensions between people and have a negative impact on the business by triggering poor performance and lack of motivation, unless it is carefully managed. The CIPD's new guide, Managing Diversity: People make the difference at work – but everyone is different, has been designed to help organisations understand the challenges and opportunities diversity can bring.

CIPD press release 5 April

The guide is available free of charge from the CIPD website (PDF 54pp) http://tinyurl.com/6y7uj

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Learning through work experience for the knowledge economy: Issues for educational research and policy

Toni Griffiths and David Guile

published by Cedefop

An issue constantly recurring in European educational policy discussions over the past 20 years is the need to create closer links between school and working life. All European countries have attempted to come up with curriculum innovation projects to bridge the gap between these two worlds.

Based on a review of work experience initiatives in Europe, the book examines the achievements and limitations of successive European policy reforms in relation to work experience and addresses future challenges. It describes a new analytical tool for conceptualising different models of work experience in terms of learning.

The book is available in hard-copy in English, at the price of 25 Euro and can be ordered online from

http://www2.trainingvillage.gr/etv/publication/orderform/form.asp?pub_id=353

ETV-NEWS April 2004 Number 47

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Our degrees "are not Big Macs" says principal

A leading academic has launched an attack on plans to create a common higher education system across Europe. Professor Andrew Hamnett, Principal of Strathclyde University, warned that the Bologna Process could lead to the "McDonaldsisation" of higher education across the continent. He said: "The idea behind the Bologna Process is to create a common set of university standards across Europe. For example, you need to know whether a degree from a German university is the equivalent of a degree in Scotland. Everyone is happy enough with that. However, the tensions start when the discussion turns to how uniform higher education should be. It's really a debate about the difference between international-isation and globalisation. With globalisation, you end up with a McDonald's franchise so that wherever you buy a Big Mac in the world, it tastes the same. There are those who want to move towards a completely free market in the field of higher education, which could lead to the "McDonaldsisation" of education. However, there many people who don't want to lose the language and cultural diversity that currently exists in higher education."

Kevin Schofield, Education Correspondent, The Scotsman 1 April

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Business is most popular degree

Figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) reveal that one in eight undergraduates chooses to do business studies, making it the UK's most popular degree subject. Least popular is veterinary science, with less than 1% of students opting for this course.

Top five subjects

• Business 12.5%
• Biological studies 9.2%
• Social studies 9.2%
• Creative arts and design 8.8%
• Medicine-related subjects 8.6%

Bottom five subjects

• Veterinary sciences 0.3%
• Agriculture 0.7%
• Maths 1.9%
• Architecture 2.3%
• Mass communications and documentation 2.7%

BBC Online 5 April

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Part-time study could be cut

Universities face cutting hundreds of part-time courses because students will be unable to afford them. Universities UK argues that vice-chancellors have expressed growing fears that part-time degrees will "wither on the vine" as universities turn to full-time education to fund the increasingly straitened sector. This will have significant financial impact on universities, given that the part-time sector currently makes up 42% of higher education students. From 2006, part-timers will no longer be eligible for grants or bursaries and will have to pay increased tuition fees.

Times Online 27 April

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Counting the cost

A recent report about the cost of postgraduate research degree programmes has sent "a little-reported shiver through the higher education community". The report, produced by JM Consulting for the HEFCE, finds that many institutions have underestimated the cost of postgraduate study, and includes a warning that its findings "will probably be an unwelcome surprise to many in the sector". According to the report, the cost each year of a full-time postgraduate research student is £29,106 for those studying high-cost laboratory subjects; £23,815 for those on part-lab programmes; and £17,461 for library-based subjects.

Amy McLellan, The Independent 13 April

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Vocational Ladders or Crazy Paving?

This report from the Learning and Skills Development Agency addresses the issues relevant to Modern Apprenticeships as progression routes to higher education and, in particular, to foundation degrees. Key recommendations include:

• HESA and the LSC should ensure that the ability of national data systems to capture information on achievements at Level 3 and to measure flows from Level 3 to Level 4 is improved in both the HE and FE sectors.
• Advice and guidance services should ensure that information, advice and guidance on education and training opportunities give equal prominence to work-based routes and other (i.e. traditional academic) routes.
• The Apprenticeships Task Force should ensure that changes to the apprenticeship framework and the consequences of these changes for learners' progression are closely monitored and evaluated.
• Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) should work with employers and with education and training providers to raise awareness of practices relating to work-based progression to higher-level knowledge and skills.
• UCAS should work with the relevant organisations to raise the level of knowledge about vocational and work-based qualifications among HE admissions tutors.

SSDA Intelligence Issue 33 (April 2005)

Full report (PDF 97pp): http://tinyurl.com/9c6x5

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Study reveals faith in colleges

Four out of five people believe that colleges are as vital to the national economy as universities. The survey, which was conducted on behalf of the Association of Colleges, found that 84% of respondents rated FE colleges and universities as equally important to the competitiveness of businesses in the UK. Almost two thirds (65%) said that there would be "a negative effect on the local economy" if colleges are forced to streamline their adult provision.

Joe Clancy, TES FE Focus 8 April

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Firming the Foundations: An Empirical and Theoretical Appraisal of the Foundation Degree in England

Mantz Yorke, Liverpool John Moores University

The two-year full-time equivalent foundation degree was introduced into English higher education in 2000 in order to enhance the contribution of the sector to the national economy. A key component of the foundation degree curriculum is a substantial proportion of work-based learning, which differentiates it to a considerable extent from other qualifications. The foundation degree is also intended to boost the access of under-represented groups to higher education. Initial experience suggests that, broadly, the foundation degree is succeeding although some students have experienced problems. This article discusses some findings from a survey of students from the first two cohorts of foundation degrees and relates these to an approach to employability that is informed by a variety of theoretical perspectives. It concludes with some observations on the future development of the foundation degree.

Journal of Widening Participation And Lifelong Learning, Volume 7 Number 1 (April 2005)

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Why degrees cost more in Britain

Britain is the most expensive country in Europe for higher education and the third highest in the West, according to a study by the Educational Policy Institute. Research for the Global Higher Education Rankings 2005 found that UK students are disadvantaged by "Britain's high cost of living, lower average incomes and weak student grant programmes". Of the 16 developed countries surveyed, Britain ranked 14th, marginally more costly than the US, but less expensive than New Zealand and Japan.

Alex Blair, Times Online 15 April

Global Higher Education Rankings - Affordability and Accessibility in Comparative Perspective 2005 (PDF 77pp) is at www.educationalpolicy.org/pdf/Global2005.pdf

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New typeface to help with dyslexia

A new typeface designed to help children with dyslexia learn to read has been developed. Designed by Natascha Frensch, the Read Regular scheme avoids using letters that can be inverted or mirrored to look alike, while ensuring that it still looks like ordinary text. Ms Frensch explains: "The standard typeface works on a couple of shapes, like N and O, to create all the other 24 letters in the alphabet. While I was researching fonts I wondered why they should be so similar when the problem is distinguishing them from each other. I thought why not make each unique? By taking away all the extra details, and designing each letter from scratch individually, I find it easier to read."

Polly Curtis, Education Correspondent, The Guardian 18 April

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Workplace racism denies training to many qualified black workers

Racism in Britain's workplaces is damaging the career prospects of many black workers because at every level of working life they get fewer training opportunities, despite often being better qualified than their white counterparts. A new TUC report, Workplace training – a race for opportunity, reveals that even though job-related training is more likely to be offered to qualified workers, qualified black and minority ethnic workers (BME) receive fewer opportunities. Key findings include:

• Some 31% of BME workers have never been offered training by their current employer. This compares with 29% of white employees not being offered training.
• 28% of BMEs are graduates, compared to just 20% of white workers. And while having a degree significantly increases access to job-related training, only 17% of white graduates have never been offered training, compared to 20% of black workers.
• Public sector employees are much more likely to be offered training by their employer. Only 15% of BME public sector employees say they have never been offered training, compared to 37% working in the private sector.
• Those belonging to a trade union have a huge advantage in being offered training. Just 16% of unionised BME employees have never been offered training compared to 36% who are not union members.
• In certain industrial sectors there is a clear divide in equality of access to training. For example, in manufacturing nearly half (48%) of BME employees say that they have never been offered training compared to only 37% of white employees.
• Certain ethnic groups, in particular Pakistani and Bangladeshi employees, face significantly greater barriers to training opportunities. Nearly two-fifths (39%) of Pakistani employees and nearly half (47%) of Bangladeshi employees have never been offered training. In the case of Bangladeshi men, this rises to more than half (51%).

Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, said: "Racism at work is still preventing too many black workers from fulfilling their potential. We need new legislation that will force all employers to give equal access to training for all workers. The TUC is campaigning to extend Britain's race relations law to make all workplaces respond positively to the training needs of black workers."

TUC press release 11 April

Workplace training - a race for opportunity (PDF 12pp) www.tuc.org.uk/extras/training_race_opportunity.pdf

"It's not a website – it's a technology platform that's accessed via the web."

IT Manager – for an un-named company

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Bought essays fail to hit the mark

Students who think they can beat plagiarism detection software by paying an internet ghostwriting service to produce bespoke essays may want to think again, writes Phil Baty (The THES 8 April). Research conducted by Loughborough University has found that the essays were primarily "of poor quality, sometimes riddled with mistakes and unlikely to earn more than a third or lower second-class grade". Charles Oppenheim, Loughborough's Professor of Information Science, who led the research, commented: "As well as breaking the rules on cheating, students who use these services are taking a big risk because they are clearly not getting value for money."

Update comment: And, they don't actually have the knowledge so when going for a job ... !

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Woman earns £100,000 helping students cheat

A woman who earns £100,000 a year helping students cheat their way to everything from degrees to PhDs has said she doesn't care if people think she is "a degenerate". While Dorit Chomer admits that her work "belittles the whole education system", she is unrepentant. Ms Chomer said that around 80% of her trade comes from overseas students studying at UK institutions. In an interview for Radio 4, she argued: "I'm using my brain so they can sit in the bar and use whatever faculty they want to use. They don't want to study anyway, so basically if I wasn't there doing their work for them they'd probably be kicked off the course anyway and mummy and daddy wouldn't be very happy." Ms Chomer sells essays, papers and dissertations for fees ranging from £50 to £2,000 from a spare room at her £1 million home. It is believed that she "controls an empire which has become one of Britain's most prolific sources of plagiarised material used by students from every walk of life".

London Evening Standard 23 April

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US war on plagiarism takes first UK scalp

Following a spate of claims of plagiarism by academics in the US, a senior Leeds University lecturer has been forced to admit he copied another scholar's work, when a Harvard University undergraduate uncovered evidence that this was, indeed, the case. Leeds University confirmed it had disciplined – but not dismissed – the man, a senior lecturer in European Studies. British academics believe that this will be the first of many incidences of international plagiarism.

Phil Baty and Jon Marcus, The THES 15 April

"True wisdom consists not in seeing what is immediately before our eyes, but in foreseeing what is to come."

Terence, Roman dramatist (185-129 BC)

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More pupils than ever cheat at school exams

Record numbers of pupils are cheating in exams and hundreds are being helped by their teachers, according to information released by examination boards. The figures show that 3,600 teenagers were caught breaking the rules last year, a 9% rise on the previous year. The most common offence was taking a mobile phone into the examination room (1,013 students penalised), although coursework collusion (695) and disruption (523) were also significant occurrences. The exam boards blame the rise on increased pressure on schools to perform well. However, they also admitted that "increased vigilance" had led to more cheats being caught.

Richard Garner, Education Editor, The Independent 16 April

Update comment: Perhaps more interesting, though, are the 32 candidates who submitted "offensive" responses, in which they wrote exactly what they thought of the paper!

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Student cheats "buy eBay success"

Online auction house eBay has been doing a roaring trade in dissertations, essays and PowerPoint presentations, according to researchers from the University of Glamorgan. The researchers found that, in addition to the plethora of commercial websites offering off-the-peg and ghost-written material, online auction houses are now cashing in on the growing trend as well. Moreover, the material on sale often comes with advice about how to avoid being caught by plagiarism detection services.

Rebecca Smithers, Education Editor, The Guardian 8 April

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Education pack - Ideas, resources, methods and activities for informal intercultural education with young people and adults

Authors: Pat Brander, Carmen Cardenas, Juan de Vicente Abad, Rui Gomes, Mark Taylor

ISBN: 9-28715-629-8

Price: 23 Euros

Nowadays, European societies continue to suffer from a growth of racist hostility and intolerance towards minorities. The necessity for continuing intercultural youth work remains unquestionable. The usefulness of this pack stems from the variety and creativity of the methodologies proposed. The role-plays, simulation exercises, case studies and cooperative group work that this reference document proposes will be an inspiration to many youth workers, trainers, teachers and other people actively involved in intercultural education.

Council of Europe Publishing email update 11 April

"Some things have to be believed to be seen."

Ralph Hodgson, US poet (1871-1962)

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Boys "start early" on homophobic bullying

Researchers from Cardiff University have found that boys as young as nine use homophobic bullying to establish their masculinity. They reveal that primary-school age boys are likely to use the words "gay" and "girl" as insults in a bid to "enforce their own sense of manhood". As a result of the findings, Stonewall Cymru has launched a campaign against homophobic bullying in schools.

Aled Blake, The Western Mail 11 April

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Education boss wants school bullies placed in foster homes

A senior education expert is calling for a radical crackdown on school bullying which would separate persistent offenders from their parents and place them in foster care. Councillor Rev Ewan Aitken, the education spokesperson for Scotland's local authorities, says the "extreme measure" would be one way of "controlling a problem that shows no sign of being solved".

Paul Hutcheon, Scottish Political Editor, The Sunday Herald 24 April

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Snapshot of youth tells story of lost childhood

School pupils are growing up faster than ever, according to a new survey that shows they are drinking more alcohol and smoking at a younger age than their predecessors, However, they are more confident about their prospects. Findings from the annual Schools Health Education Unit (SHEU) survey reveal that nearly a quarter of ten-year-old boys drink alcohol and two-thirds of children have smoked by the age of 14. Other findings include:

• Paper and milk rounds are prime jobs for the boys, with babysitting common for the girls. Paid housework is also an important source of income for younger pupils.
• More older boys than older girls save their money, although 42% of all those surveyed said they saved something.
• Males are more satisfied with their life than females, which is in line with other evidence which shows that girls worry about more things than boys.
• Around 25% of youngsters experience some form of bullying. Playtime and lunchtime cause anxiety for up to 15% of 10- and 11-year-olds.
• Up to 29% have been scared or upset by an adult stranger.

Dr Karen McGavock, an expert in childhood at Stirling University's Education Department, commented: "The boundaries between adulthood and childhood are definitely becoming eroded. There is now a pressure to grow up quickly because that is what society encourages. In earlier times children were regarded as mini-adults and sent up chimneys and to work in factories. We're now experiencing almost a reversion to that situation."

Kevin Schofield, Education Correspondent, The Scotsman 22 April

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Anger over maternity unit plan for school

Parents of children at a Dundee high school have expressed their anger over plans to open a maternity unit at the school. A specialist unit for pregnant teenagers and schoolgirl mums will open at Menzieshill High School in August, in order to cope with "soaring rates of teenage pregnancies". Parents fear that the move will "normalise" teenage pregnancy in the eyes of other pupils. Dundee currently has Western Europe's highest rate of teenage pregnancies.

Gordon Currie, Scotland on Sunday 17 April

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Books for life

In an article for The Guardian (19 April), Sir Cyril Taylor, chair of the Specialist Schools Trust, argues that reading "must become a priority in children's lives if they are to do well academically". Sir Cyril draws attention to recent research which found that "the single most important predictor of academic success … was the amount of time pupils spent reading". He argues that the cost to the country of poor reading skills is "considerable", not least because of the strong correlation between poor literacy skills and crime. Sir Cyril calls for a substantial investment in the number of books available in school libraries, noting that a good ratio would be 20 books per child. He warns, however, that while this seems like a small amount, it is not as easy to achieve as it seems. He says: "Even with the minimum ration, this would mean a typical secondary school of 1,000 pupils would need at least 10,000 books. How many of our schools have this number? Even one of the best state secondary schools in the country, Chelmsford County High School for Girls, has only 8,000 books for its 850 girls. Perhaps Tesco, instead of helping schools to acquire more computers, should focus instead on providing schools with more books."

Full article: http://tinyurl.com/av9we

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Parents told to learn lesson from Jamie Oliver on school books

Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo has called for a campaign to spend more on school books, following the example set by Jamie Oliver's high-profile campaign for better school meals. Mr Morpurgo argues that books have become marginalised as a result of both funding shortages and an overwhelming focus on the purchase of computers and technology. He believes that, while the benefits of reading are hard to measure, it is nonetheless essential that books and storytelling remain "at the heart of school life".

Rebecca Smithers and John Crace, The Guardian 12 April

"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."

P J O'Rourke

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Capital confusion over admissions

An estimated 70,000 pupils across the country have been told that they have not been given a place at a secondary school of their choice. The youngsters are either without a school place, or have been allocated one they don't want. London is one of the worst-affected areas, despite the introduction of a sophisticated database which was supposed to match children to a suitable school. There are around 10,000 pupils who have been refused places at their chosen schools, and almost 3,500 who have no place at all. In contrast, Birmingham said that 89% of primary children had been goven a place at the secondary school of their choice.

Dorothy Lepkowska, The TES 22 April

Update comment: Would anyone like to ask me which company designed the "sophisticated database"? Go on, you'll never guess. Dawn

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Scots pupils eclipsed in exams by incomers

Scottish pupils are being out-performed at school by incoming youngsters from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, according to statistics released by the Scottish Executive. The figures show that Scottish fourth-year pupils achieved worse exam results than their counterparts from the other United Kingdom nations. Professor Eric Wilkinson, Dean of the Department of Education at Glasgow University, blamed an influx of middle class families moving to Scotland from elsewhere in Britain.

Kevin Schofield, Education Correspondent, The Scotsman 6 April

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SQA attainment and school-leaver qualifications in Scotland 2003/04

This Statistics Publication Notice presents information on the attainment of National Qualifications by pupils attending publicly funded secondary schools and by school-leavers. Selected information on attainment in special schools is also included. It updates the Statistics Publication Notice School Attainment and Qualifications of School Leaver Qualifications in Scotland: 2002/03 published on 30 March 2004. This Notice also presents attainment data by a number of different pupil characteristics. The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) is used as the basis for reporting attainment.

Scottish Executive press release 5 April

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Proportion of private school pupils rises

Figures released by the Scottish Executive show that the proportion of parents sending their children to private school has risen slightly over the past decade. The statistics show that more than 4% of parents had their children educated in the independent sector in 2004, compared with just over 3.5% in 1995.

Andrew Denholm, Education Correspondent, The Scottish Herald 20 April

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Teenagers paid to help GCSE revision

Sixth-form students are being paid up to £10 an hour to act as e-mentors to GCSE pupils, helping them with their revision via an online forum. In a £100,000 trial, funded by the Specialist Schools Trust, the mentors coordinate real-time discussions among Year 11 pupils in "closed" chatrooms. Paul Hynes, who is coordinating the scheme for the Trust, commented: "Instead of students earning £5 an hour working in a supermarket, they can earn more than that while helping other pupils and reinforcing their own studies."

Warwick Mansell, The TES 15 April

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Scrap English Literature A-level, teachers demand

English literature should be scrapped as a separate exam at A-level, according to a report by the National Association of Teachers of English. The report, The Future of A-level English, argues that the subject fails to give students the skills they need to write academic essays. It says the "rigid division" of English into "language" and "literature" studies is "no longer appropriate" at A-level. It calls for the subject to be merged with the English language A-level, and for the course to include study of the modern media.

Richard Garner, Education Editor, The Independent 19 April

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Eng Lit "dumbed down"

Former Children's Laureate Anne Fine has criticised the AQA's English Literature examination programme, claiming that the absence of 19th-century classics shows "a real sign of dumbing down". Ms Fine expressed her concerns after it was revealed that British teenagers on AQA programmes can achieve a GCSE and A-level in English without having read classic novelists such as Charles Dickens, Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte.

Warwick Mansell, The TES 22 April

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Slower pace of life that leads to higher school achievement

The annual Scottish school-leavers' statistics reveal that, during the 2003-04 academic year, rural schools outperformed urban schools. Using a system designed to provide comparisons between schools based on all exam results, remote rural schools came top with a rating of 189, compared to 163 for large urban areas. Headteachers and council officials from rural authorities argued that the figures clearly demonstrate the value of small schools, and called for more careful consideration to be given to the current drive towards amalgamation.

Andrew Denholm, Education Correspondent, The Scottish Herald 6 April

"To take something from a person and keep it for oneself: that is robbery. To take something from one person and then turn it over to another in exchange for as much money as you can get: that is business."

Octave Mirbeau

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Essays marked by computer program

An American University is testing the use of computers as a way of marking university students' essays, as part of a project which could "radically alter the teaching role of academics". Qualrus, a program developed at the University of Missouri, identifies word patterns and compares them to other essays and against a marking scheme devised by the course tutor. Students submit their essays online, and are given feedback within seconds. Its developer, Professor Edward Brent, says Qualrus will save staff hundreds of hours of marking time. He argued that it is not designed to replace tutor marking, but to ensure undergraduates are thinking along the right lines before handing in their final work.

Justin Parkinson, BBC News Online 11 April

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Doubts over extra tuition success

Some parents who pay for private tuition for their children are wasting their money, according to research from London University's Institute of Education (IoE). The IoE research found that more than a quarter of students have private tuition before their GCSE exams. However, while private tutoring made a slight improvement to performance in maths, it had little impact on English grades. Boys were found to benefit from private tutoring more than girls, and ethnic minority families were more likely to employ tutors than white families.

BBC News Online 8 April

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Graduates flock to public sector

There has been a considerable rise in the number of students seeking civil service, police and teaching jobs because of higher salaries and more secure pensions in the public sector, according to a new study. The UK Graduate Careers Survey also shows that the private sector is struggling to recruit high-calibre graduates. Key findings include:

• applications from final year students for civil service jobs have risen by 41% since last year;
• 14% more have applied for teaching jobs, making teaching the most popular career among final year students;
• applications to the police are up 57%; and
• there has been a significant fall in the number of applications to the armed forces and accountancy firms.

A spokesperson for CBI Scotland said: "These figures back up our concerns that young, talented people are being attracted to well-paid, secure positions within the public sector which is reducing the talent pool available for the private sector, which after all has to generate the profits to enable the public sector to operate. It is no surprise that smart graduates are looking at the opportunities which are paying more and providing benefits such as safer pension provisions."

Calum MacDonald, The Scottish Herald 22 April

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Bowler hats and bureaucrats – dispelling the myths about the public sector workforce

The TUC is challenging the commonly held opinion that the public services are stuffed full of "bowler hats and bureaucrats" and that job cuts can be made without a negative impact upon public services. In a new report, the TUC argues that the public sector operates with far fewer managers than the private sector. Bowler hats and bureaucrats – myths about the public sector workforce, says that:

• The private sector has more "bureaucratic jobs" than the public sector; nearly a third (30%) of employees in the private sector are managers or administrators compared to 26% in the public sector.
• The public sector has a leaner management structure than the private sector, even taking into account workplace size. One might assume the private sector needs more managers because it has more small workplaces to manage but managers in private sector workplaces with more than 250 employees accounted for nearly a fifth of the workforce (18.7%) compared to less than one in ten in the public sector (9.6%).
• Public administration employs more professional workers than admin staff.
• Financial services in the private sector, which includes the City, employs more admin workers than public administration.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber commented: "Public servants have become easy targets for some politicians. They want us to believe two things about the public services that are both wrong. First, that you can make easy cuts to management and bureaucrats, without having any effect on public service delivery. Second, that there is an easy distinction between front-line staff who are all wonderful, and backroom staff who are a drag on the system. And, what's worse, in the next breath they will tell us that teachers should be given the time to teach and policemen the time to catch criminals, which of course they couldn't do if they had to take over the vital support tasks done by the so-called bureaucrats they want to sack. And what takes the biscuit is that politicians keep going to the finance sector for advice on these issues when the figures show they employ more managers and bureaucrats than almost anyone else."

TUC press release 8 April

The full report is at http://tinyurl.com/5paat

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Pay settlements run ahead of inflation

According to figures released by Incomes Data Services (IDS), the level of pay settlements is running ahead of general inflation and the corresponding rate of wage increases from this time last year. Three-fifths of pay settlements monitored so far in 2005 had given "pay increases matching or exceeding the headline inflation rate". IDS also found that that rises in the private sector had outstripped those in the public sector where median pay awards were running at 3%.

Andrew Taylor, The Financial Times 11 April

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PC World found guilty of selling old computers as new

PC World's parent company DSG Retail Ltd has been found guilty of mis-selling computer equipment under the Trade Descriptions Act. A Yorkshire court heard cases in which customers were sold goods which they believed were "ex-display". However, the goods were second-hand, and in one case a laptop with "a long history of trouble". The judge fined DSG Retail Ltd £5,500, awarded its wronged customers £2,184 compensation, and ordered the company to pay the £28,000 prosecution costs. Trading Standards is interested in any other customers (irrespective of UK location) who believe they have received second-hand equipment from PC World (or any other retailer) which was advertised as new. They can be found under Trading Standards in the phone book or via www.bt.com

Peter Hayes, The Register

via OUT-LAW.com 21 April

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Fewer angels in Scotland

The challenges facing Scottish firms looking for expansion funding have been highlighted by a survey showing that 80% of investors want to back London-based businesses, while less than half will risk money north of the border. The survey, from Beer & Partners, found "an overwhelming draw towards business prospects based in the south of England".

Mark Williamson, The Scottish Herald 15 April

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New employee consultation rules

ACAS is providing good practice advice for organisations on the new information and consultation regulations coming into force today (6 April) for companies with 150 or more employees. Companies are encouraged to consider the effectiveness of their current arrangements and how they can become more open and cooperative in their dealings with their workforce. Organisations with more than 150 employees will have to consult their staff directly or through representatives on matters that affect them, such as strategic direction, job losses or mergers.

ACAS press release 6 April GNN ref 114036P

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Small firms suffer "greater stress"

Research conducted by Bibby Financial Services reveals that Britain's small business sector is more prone to stress and more likely to suffer from a poor work-life balance than any other sector. The research found that 98% of small business owners and managers report feeling stressed at work. In addition, more than a quarter said they felt under pressure from three-quarters to all of the time.

British Chambers of Commerce Newsletter 22 April

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Cash to help pay for nannies available from tomorrow

For the first time, starting tomorrow (6 April), thousands of parents may be eligible for financial support to help pay for nannies. Under the Childcare Approval Scheme, families on incomes of up to £59,000 will be eligible for Working Tax Credit support for childcare in their own home. Parents will also gain the added security of knowing that their nanny has passed a series of key checks before being approved for the Scheme, helping parents in the recruitment process. Thousands of application forms have already been downloaded, while hundreds are currently being processed.

DfES press release 5 April (applies to England)

Client ref 2005/0049

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TUC advice on the new childcare vouchers

From 6 April 2005, working parents whose employers offer them support with their childcare, either in the form of childcare vouchers or via a place in a workplace nursery, could be getting a tax-free bonus. Such employees could now save money by opting into a salary sacrifice scheme. The TUC says that working parents need to weigh up whether or not it makes financial sense for them to join a salary sacrifice scheme where they can choose to receive up to £50 a week of their salary in childcare support, meaning that they will no longer be paying tax and national insurance on that part of their pay packet. To help parents understand whether joining a salary sacrifice scheme would be a smart financial move, the TUC is publishing advice on the new tax and National Insurance changes.

The advice is at http://tinyurl.com/57dqs

TUC press release 6 April

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Poor treatment

The new childcare vouchers designed to help families with children will deliver more benefit to well-off professionals than to people in poorer sections of society, economists have warned. The Financial Times reports that parents in the top tax band stand to gain up to £200 more a year from a new tax-exemption scheme which is designed to make childcare, including nursery places, childminders and live-in nannies, more affordable.

Changing Times News Number 57 (26 April)

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Pregnant women and risk assessment

A new TUC online guide provides a detailed and practical workers' resource on pregnancy and risk assessments. Around 350,000 women continue to work during their pregnancy every year and, of those, 69% return to work after giving birth. The Equal Opportunities Commission recently found the majority of employers failed to undertake the legally required risk assessments to protect new or expectant mothers.

Changing Times News Number 57 (26 April)

URL: www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-9712-f0.cfm

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MoD laptop found on rubbish tip

The Ministry of Defence is to hold an investigation after a laptop containing Army records was found on a rubbish tip. The laptop's hard drive contained unencrypted information relating to Worthy Down, the Royal Army Pay Corps and HMS Sultan. A spokesperson said: "A review is going to be undertaken. We have rigorous procedures in place to ensure that information is secure. Certain people handling low-value information can access data without encryption and the fact that this data was unencrypted will be a focus of the investigation."

Iain Thomson, Vnunet

via ITProPortal News Roundup 25 April

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So long and thanks for all the fish

Michael Schuyler, recently retired from Kirsap Regional library, writes his last article for Computers in Libraries (Volume 25 Number 2 (February 2005)) on the issue of privacy and technology. More of the latter leads to less of the former – not good! Do you remember, Mr Schuyler asks, Watership Down by Richard Adams? In one brief scene the rabbits were beside the road; they could see the vehicles, see the lights at night, feel the wind as they passed. The rabbits understood that these fast moving things killed their brothers and moved on without stopping. Do they not care? Have they no souls? Well, CPUs have no souls, they care not for what they do to us. With national databases of this, about that, and for the other purpose – all of which, it seems, are able to talk to each other – it is impossible to retain one's privacy. A captivating article which concludes that the "Wild West" approach to a stranger – "What do you call yourself?" – is no longer viable. I can't up sticks one morning and cease to be Hazel Edmunds by the time I arrive at my destination – not if I want to be paid (earnings or benefit), get medical treatment, buy a house or any other action which sustains life in the 21st century. If you aren't on the computer you don't exist.

Michael@schuyler.com

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Web-shops face tighter security

The world's largest credit card companies have joined forces to draw up strict security standards dictating what online shops must do to prevent fraudulent sales and keep their information secure. From 30 June, all web-shops will have to comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards, which were prepared by Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Diners, Discover, and JCB. The shops will be certified annually and checked quarterly to ensure they maintain the security standards. To comply, firms must scan networks four times a year and carry out an annual audit of their working practices. Failure to comply could lead to the sites being banned from trading or left to cover the costs of break-ins all by themselves.

Mark Ward, Technology Correspondent, BBC News Online 18 April

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Passport applicants must give fingerprints

The government has authorised the Passport Service to open 70 new offices so that all passport applicants can be interviewed in person from next year. It is anticipated that the offices will eventually be used for the inclusion of mandatory fingerprinting for all applicants. A spokesperson for the Home Office admitted that the new network could also be used in future as identity card enrolment centres, and the introduction of mandatory fingerprinting of passport applicants will form an important "building block" for the future ID card scheme. Civil liberties campaigners are concerned about the government's plan to permit police forces to access the database of fingerprints. Ministers have confirmed that the police will be able to check crime scene fingerprints against the database. Campaigners believe that, since 80% of the UK population are passport holders, this will open the doors for routine identity checks using fingerprint scanners.

Alan Travis, Home Affairs Editor, The Guardian 12 April

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Population Trends

The latest edition of Population Trends (Number 119 Spring 2005) is now available. Contents include:

Key articles

• A description of the recent demographic situation in the European Union, compared with the world situation.
• The development of a new set of geographical areas for Scotland, "Consistent Areas Through Time", which enable reliable comparisons of census data over time.
• The demographic situation in the European Union by David Pearce, ONS, and Francois-Carlos Bovagnet, Eurostat, describes the recent demographic situation in the European Union (EU), looking at population change, population composition, fertility and mortality.
• Replacement fertility, what has it been and what does it mean? - Replacement fertility is a term commonly used by demographers when referring to levels of childbearing and yet is rarely explained. This article explores the concept of replacement fertility and how it is calculated. It also discusses the demographic and social implications of below replacement fertility. (Steve Smallwood and Jessica Chamberlain, ONS)

Key statistics

• Cohabitation population estimates for England and Wales, 2003
• Marriages in England and Wales, 2003

ONS press release 31 March

Full publication (PDF 80pp): http://tinyurl.com/bjahn

"People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote – a very different thing."

Walter H Judd

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Information Security Forum announces new standard of good practice

The Information Security Forum (ISF) has announced the publication of the latest version of its international industry benchmark, the Standard of Good Practice for Information Security. The 2005 version offers "a detailed and comprehensive global standard that helps organisations to manage the full range of threats and improve information security".

Managing Information March 2005

More information www.securityforum.org

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Bogus blogs snare fresh victims

Cyber criminals are starting to use fake blogs to snare new victims, warns filtering firm Websense. The bogus journals are set to download a variety of malware programmes, including keyloggers, viruses and spyware, onto visitors' machines. A spokesperson for Websense said the company had found hundreds of bogus blogs, baited with all kinds of malicious software, that could bypass traditional security measures. He urged users to keep anti-virus and patches up to date, regularly scan machines with anti-spyware products and exercise caution when reading unsolicited messages sent via email or instant messenger.

BBC News Online 14 April

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"Windows Update" hides nasty Trojan

Security experts have warned of a spam email purporting to be from Microsoft that directs users to a fake version of the Windows Update website. Instead of installing the latest patch, anyone following the link is, in fact, putting a virus onto their desktop. The email appears to be from Microsoft, and comes from the spoofed address update@microsoft.com with subject lines such as "Update your Windows machine". In addition, it links through to a website which mirrors the design of a proper Windows Update page. Users should be reminded that Microsoft does not issue update notifications via email.

Will Sturgeon, Silicon

via ITProPortal News Roundup 11 April

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ITsafe

ITsafe is a government service, funded by the Home Office, which offers both home users and small businesses with "proven, plain English advice on protecting computers, mobile phones and other devices from malicious attack". It provides:

• A website that gives advice on keeping devices safe, including a glossary to explain any technical terms that are used.
• A low-volume Alerting Service which will warn of the most serious risks that might affect users when using a computer.

URL: www.itsafe.gov.uk/

Info@UK Issue 49 (April 2005)

"Behind every successful woman ... is a substantial amount of coffee."

Stephanie Piro

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Surfers learn to tolerate spam

According to the latest survey from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, computer users are becoming accustomed to spam and no longer regard it as an issue. Although two-thirds of respondents said they found spam annoying, there has been a fall in the number of people who feel that spam undermines their trust in email communication. Unfortunately, the proportion of people who have purchased goods from unsolicited email remains at 7%, a figure which the report claims is "more than enough to keep the spammers in business".

Iain Thomson- Vnunet

via ITProPortal Midweek Roundup 13 April

Update comment: I think they're right but when ditching the spam, you may inadvertently ditch something that you do want to read.

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Spam filters block too much work email, says Mirapoint

One-third of workers have missed deadlines because legitimate emails are blocked by spam filters, according to a survey by messaging firm Mirapoint that assessed the impact of spam controls on the reliability of email. Mirapoint, which carried out the survey together with trade show Infosecurity Europe, found that 66% of respondents had been the victims of false positives – where a spam filter blocks legitimate email along with the junk mail it is designed to catch. Two-thirds of those respondents said that this happened on a monthly basis, but a quarter claimed that the problem occurred on a weekly basis. While 51% of those respondents said that time wasted was the most significant repercussion, 42% had missed a deadline as a result.

® Pinsent Masons 2000-2005

OUT-LAW.COM 27 April

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The changing threat landscape

Profit-motivated threats such as identity theft and spyware will dominate dangers in 2005 and beyond, motivating antivirus vendors to expand detection and repair capability. Rapidly spreading worms and numerous new vulnerabilities and patches will continue to plague organisations that lack automated-response procedures through 2008. Largely effective spam-filtering strategies will expand to cover wireless devices and instant messaging in 2005.

Peter Firstbrook, META Group

IT Insights from META Group 7 April

Full article: http://tinyurl.com/8hosj

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Phishing Quiz: Catch a Phish

The Washington Post created a phishing quiz. See how many of these 10 real emails you can correctly identify as legitimate or phishing scams.

URL: http://tinyurl.com/5pqa4

Internet ScamBusters Number 123 (20 April)

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Graduate gloom about job chances

Two-thirds of those graduating from leading UK universities this summer believe there are not enough suitable jobs for them, according to a survey from High Fliers Research. The survey found a slight increase this year in those expecting to enter a graduate-level job, at 36%. However, the figure is considerably lower than the 49% recorded in the similar UK Graduate Careers Survey in 1998. The survey also revealed that more students applied for jobs in investment banking than any other field, though teaching, media and marketing opportunities were also popular. Moreover, London remains the preferred employment destination for a third of the graduates.

BBC News Online 21 April

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Praying for a bright graduate? Look here

The Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE), in association with Graduate Prospects, has published a guide for employers that attempts to "challenge assumptions that some disciplines are of little use in the workplace". The guide seeks "to raise awareness amongst employers of the employability skills that are developed through the study of a wide range of academic subjects". For example, it explains that religious studies graduates demonstrate skills including empathy, self-discipline and "an ability to attend closely to the meaning of written documents", while philosophy graduates "think creatively and analyse problems in a multi-dimensional way". Richard Brown, CIHE Chief Executive, said: "Differential fees could lead individuals to shun such courses because of a misconception about their value in finding a job. It is important to explain the wider values of all disciplines."

Tony Tysome, The THES 22 April

Student Employability Profiles - A Guide for Employers

(PDF 40pp) is at http://tinyurl.com/c7akf

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Scotland's shrinking and ageing population

The Economic and Social Research Council has launched a research initiative to examine Scotland's key demographic issues. The two-year initiative will investigate three key aspects of Scotland's demography: migration, fertility and the impact of an ageing population, and will comprise six separate research projects:

• Why is fertility in Scotland lower than in England?
• Fertility variations in Scotland.
• Macroeconomic impacts of demographic change in Scotland.
• Scottish graduate migration and retention.
• Scotland's ageing population.
• Scottish migration to, and return from, SE England.

HRLook Daily News 18 April

For more information, contact Iain Stewart, Lesley Lilley or Becky Gammon at ESRC
tel: 01793 413032/413119/413122

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Immigrants contribute more to the public purse than UK-born

The UK's immigrant population contributes relatively more to the public purse than their UK-born counterparts according to new research published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). IPPR research shows total revenue from immigrants grew in real terms from £33.8 billion in 1999-00 to £41.2 billion in 2003-04. This 22% increase compares to a 6% increase for the UK-born. The gap between the two contribution rates has been increasing in recent years as newer immigrants are filling vacancies in the higher-ends of the economy and paying more taxes. Paying their way: The fiscal contribution of immigrants in the UK evaluates the net fiscal contribution of immigrants and finds:

• in 2003-04 for every £100 that the UK-born contributed to the exchequer, immigrants contributed £112 – this is up from £105 for every £100 in 1999-2000;
• immigrants made up 8.7% of the population but accounted for 10.2% of all income tax collected (2003-04);
• immigrants earn about 15% more in average weekly income than UK-born; and
• each immigrant generated £7,203 in government revenue on average in 2003-04, compared to £6,861 per non-immigrant; similarly each immigrant accounted for £7,277 of government expenditure on average, compared to £7,753 per non-immigrant.

Nick Pearce, IPPR Director, commented: "Our research shows that immigrants make an important fiscal contribution to the UK and pay more than their share. They are not a drain on the UK's resources."

IPPR press release 27 April

Paying their way: the fiscal contribution of immigrants in the UK by Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, Laurence Cooley and Howard Reed, is free to download (PDF 16pp) http://tinyurl.com/8tquj

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E-petitions to link with local discussion forums

Two local authorities are to develop software to allow individuals and interest groups to discuss local policy issues and submit electronic petitions to councillors and committees. It is the first time that the "e-petitioner" software – originally developed by the Scottish Parliament – will be linked to online policy discussion, creating a powerful combination for local e-democracy. Bristol City Council and the London borough of Kingston have received £500,000 of "e-innovation" funding from the government to develop the systems over the next 12 months.

More information:
Kingston http://epetitions.kingston.gov.uk/list_petitions.asp
Bristol www.askbristol.com/

E-Government Bulletin Issue 184 (15 April)

"Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other."

Oscar Ameringer

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E-learning strategies

The DfES has published its e-learning strategy, Harnessing Technology: Transforming Learning and Children's Services. This strategy sets out "the first joined-up approach to utilising technology across the education system, enabling schools, colleges, universities and adult and community learning organisations to tailor education around the particular needs of their learners". The E-Learning Strategy sets out plans to:

• enhance ICT services available to schools with every school having broadband access by 2006;
• encourage schools to use their online networks to provide parents with more information about their child's performance and promote greater parental involvement;
• use internet channels to give teachers, parents and learners greater access to information, advice and guidance;
• encourage institutions to offer every learner their own online learning space to store coursework, course resources, results and achievements; <