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July 2005 |
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When starting to do the "putting together" of this publication I have a number of decisions to make. One is to decide whether I should do the thinking bit – writing the editorial – at the beginning or at the end. I should have decided, having done the initial sort and indexing of the potential "entrants", what the "flavour of the month" is which provides a start in "what to write about". Do I really want to do anything strenuous with my brain when I've only just finished indexing and adding comments as appropriate? Not really but then do I want to make pieces of text fit into the space available for them? Not really – I think I'll go and make yet another cup of coffee and do what "a reader" told me last month was a sensible use of positive procrastination – doing non-thinking jobs gives your brain a chance to work subliminally. ... ten minutes later ... Really? Brain still caught up with the cover of Youth Matters – the Green Paper which has been awaited so long that you'd think someone would have proof-read it before publication (after all "they" have had only ten months to get it right). Maybe it's only in the Word version that teenagers are provided with "opportunty", maybe it's just me being picky, but that error right on the front did colour my thinking about the document as a whole. (I have to hope that the very occassional error that slips past ADSET's proof reader doesn't have the same effect on you.) Perhaps more important from the point of view of most of Members' Update readers is that Youth Matters also contains the substance of the Report End to End Review of Careers Education and Guidance. For those who have not read it, and want to, you'll find links to PDF and Word versions of both the End to End Review and Youth Matters on the ADSET website <www.adset.org.uk>. In lieu of reading the whole of both documents you could rely on press comment – which for some of you will be enough – and which is overleaf (not too much of it, I hope, since it's only England that's affected). If you are in any way involved you will want to respond to the consultation. ADSET will be considering its response at the next Council meeting which will take place in late September or early October: contributions gratefully received – by 22 September, please – in note form if that's easier.
Now what?
Let's change the subject. How about information, or in this case the lack of information? Whilst exhibiting at the NACGT (National Association of Careers and Guidance Teachers) last month I was explaining to a teacher from Northern Ireland about what ADSET is and does – and bewailing the extreme shortage of interesting information about what is happening in that part of the UK. "I'm not surprised – so are we!" was his response. A plea to our readers in Northern Ireland – if you see anything interesting in the press, hear something on the radio or you're producing press releases yourself then please let us have a contact or link so we can pick up the information. I'm getting at bit tired of getting emails from Dawn which say "Nothing in the Belfast Telegraph again". To be honest, if it weren't for the regular press releases from the Welsh Assembly Government then we'd be in the same boat with Welsh news.
August, which we're now into even though this is the July edition of Members' Update, is traditionally the month for mergers and changes in the education world and this year there seems to be a lot of changes within other organisations as well; Sector Skills Councils, the LSDA, and HMSO to name (or acronym) a few. There'll be news on the LSDA changes in next month's Members' Update.
On 18 July 2005 the government published the Youth Green Paper, Youth Matters. It addresses key issues relating to how we support and challenge our teenagers. We are seeking to consult young people, parents and professionals on the proposals. Building on the ambition of Every Child Matters, which promotes the idea that all young people should achieve five key outcomes (being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution, and achieving economic well-being), Youth Matters aims to radically re-shape services for young people. The consultation sets out a comprehensive package aimed at improving outcomes for all young people, with a particular emphasis on those who are disadvantaged. The government wants young people to have:
Youth Matters will give new opportunities to all young people, except where they become involved in unacceptable or anti-social behaviour. In this case "opportunity cards" [these are?] would be suspended or withdrawn. Other measures announced include:
DfES website 18 July
More information: www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/youth/
According to an item in Young People Now magazine, Margaret Hodge, former Secretary of State for Children, is rather unimpressed with careers advice services. Ms Hodge said that offering careers advice through the Connexions Service has been "largely unsuccessful", but added that provision has always been somewhat sketchy. She said: "Careers Advice has never been great – not in my time, your time or anyone's time."
Careers Adviser Issue 9: 2
Update comment: Hang about Ms Hodge! Connexions is primarily about preventing those young people at risk of dropping out of society actually doing so and drawing back those have already rejected societal "norms".
The End to End Review of Careers Education and Guidance was published on 18 July. The review was completed a year ago, and the findings have been used to inform the development of the government's Green Paper Youth Matters. The review concludes that:
Comments on the recommendations from the End to End Review can be made as part of the Youth Matters consultation exercise, details of which are included in the Youth Matters publication.
CEGNET website 18 July
Report Of The End To End Review Of Careers Education And Guidance (Word document 47pp): http://dev.cegnet.co.uk/resource/content/files/704.doc
Under proposals contained in the Youth Services Green Paper, schools would be able to reject local careers advice services and buy their own instead. Local councils are set to take over the management of the Connexions service, and will continue to offer it to schools within their boundaries. However, if schools are unhappy with the service provided, they will be able to buy services from voluntary groups or private companies. Les Lawrence, the Local Government Association's lead officer for youth services, said that the move would "end economies of scale, jeopardise the impartiality of advice and fail to help disengaged teens".
The TES 22 July
Update comment: That just about sums up all the comment I've heard to date – much of it, of course, before the documents were actually published.
Young people are to be offered discounts on items such as cinema tickets and sporting activities in exchange for good behaviour, under new measures proposed by the government as part of the Youth Services Green Paper. They will be given "smart cards" which will reward "good" behaviour, such as volunteering for community service, with up to £12 a month in discounts. However, the card can be taken away if a youngster lands in trouble with police and faces prosecution. The proposal is one of a series of reforms set out in the Green Paper, Youth Matters, which recommends a shake-up of the running of youth services. For the first time, local authorities are to be given statutory duties for youth provision. Moreover, it was confirmed that the Connexions careers advisory service is to be dismantled at a national level and offered locally through schools and colleges.
Richard Grice, Education Editor, The Independent 18 July
Youth Services Green Paper (PDF 84pp): www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/youth/docs/youthmatters.pdf
Update comment: Erm, Connexions Card, anyone?
The government has rejected claims that the new smartcard for teenagers is a way of introducing ID cards by stealth. However, ministers have admitted that the cards, which offer financial rewards for positive behaviour, would carry a photograph of the user and could be used as proof of age.
Rebecca Smithers, Education Editor, The Guardian 19 July
Most people fail to take control of their own career development, says a report from HR Consultancy firm Chiumento. An online poll found that just one in five people has a clear view of where their career is heading. One in seven does not have a CV, while almost half (48%) admitted that they did not know what transferable skills were.
IRS Employment Review Number 824 (27 May)
Career Control (PDF 8pp) www.chiumento.co.uk/content/files/CareerControl.pdf
OfSTED inspectors have said there are "serious concerns" about the standard of education at a new city academy. A report on the West London Academy, in Northolt, says there are "pockets of good practice". However, punctuality and behaviour are problems, and the rate of exclusions "extremely high".
BBC News Online 4 August
David Bell, the Chief Schools Inspector, has given firm backing to the government's controversial city academies. While he acknowledged that there are causes for concern, he maintained that the wider picture is "broadly positive". He said that the academy programme has the potential to improve educational outcomes for millions of children. He said: "I am well aware of the hostility towards city academies expressed by sections of the educational establishment. However, I welcome a programme that may help consign generations of inner-city failure finally, and properly, to our educational past."
BBC News Online 4 August
The government is preparing an overhaul of its controversial academies programme to meet the criticism which has dogged the project to build 200 sponsored schools by 2010. Schools Minister Lord Adonis is overseeing a new framework for setting up the privately-backed state schools which is understood to include a re-evaluation of the building of the schools, who sponsors them and how the sponsorship funds are spent. A spokesperson for the DfES said: "We will shortly be setting out a new framework for taking forward the academies programme as a whole, as the programme expands to meet the government's manifesto commitment. This will include proposals to more closely align investment in academies with the Building Schools for the Future programme."
Polly Curtis, The Guardian 23 July
ARK (Absolute Return for Kids), a charity funded with money from hedge fund dealing, is planning to develop a network of city academies in the UK. Starting with seven academies in London, ARK will implement US-style methods which have proven to be effective in addressing under-achievement in disadvantaged urban areas. These methods include offering lessons in blocks of up to three and a half hours every other week to allow better concentration and applying strict disciplinary codes to "minimise disruption and to create the best environments for learning".
Rebecca Smithers, Education Editor, The Guardian 6 July
More information: www.arkonline.org/projects/uk_education/
Every adult in Scotland is being offered up to £100 to develop and improve their computer skills, as part of reforms of the Individual Learning Account (ILA) Scotland. The ILA Scotland offers low-income learners up to £200 a year for courses to help them get back into work. However, this has now been extended to provide funding of up to £100 a year for basic information technology training to everyone in Scotland over 18, regardless of income.
BBC News Online 1 August
Union leaders and business managers have given a "cautious" welcome to the Scottish Executive's scheme to offer a £100 computer-course voucher to everyone in the country. TUC Scotland described the announcement as "a step forward", but called for ministers to offer the vouchers for a wide variety of training, not just computing. The Federation of Small Businesses said the training voucher scheme was "a good idea". However, a spokesperson urged individuals to find out how to improve their overall employability, and to find out the particular skills demanded by business before undertaking any course.
Hamish MacDonell, Scottish Political Editor, The Scotsman 2 August
By tailoring learning programmes to meet learners' desired outcomes, providers can help them gain suitable accreditation. What also helps is an understanding between learners, providers and employers about the key barriers which learners face in making the most of learning opportunities. This publication reports on the conclusions of a research review on widening adult participation, in the context of the LSC's widening adult participation strategy.
Widening Adult Participation in Learning: a systematic review of strategies is at https://www.lsda.org.uk
SEN Newsletter July 2005
A practical guide to help recruit more adults into education from under-represented groups has been produced by the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA). Called Breaking down the barriers, it is aimed primarily at tutors, managers and other professional staff working for colleges, adult education organisations, voluntary associations, local authorities and in learning centres. The guide has been produced in partnership with the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) as a booklet and CD-ROM.
Breaking down the barriers. Success in widening
participation – a toolkit approach by Jan Champney, Margaret Davey and
Sandra Lawrence is free of charge from Information Services, LSDA, Regent
Arcade House, 19–25 Argyll Street, London W1F 7LS
tel: 0207 297 9123
email: enquiries@LSDA.org.uk
It is also at www.lsda.org.uk/pubs
LSDA press release 15 July
To add your voice to the campaign that NIACE is initiating in England to stimulate public debate on fairer funding arrangements for adult learning, visit the website at www.niace.org.uk/fairerfunding/
NIACE website 6 July
Update comment: Fairer? Restoration of present levels would be good even if they were below what many people thought was required.
According to a survey conducted by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), at least one in ten colleges is cutting its provision for adults with learning disabilities. The survey indicated that colleges feel this provision is now discretionary, since it does not contribute to meeting the government's public service agreement (PSA) targets. However, Peter Lavender, NIACE's Director of Research and Development, argues that colleges are mistaken. While he acknowledges that colleges are having to make difficult decisions as a result of reduced funding allocations, provision for adults with learning difficulties is, and has always been, a national priority. Mr Lavender reminds us that adults with learning difficulties are the only student group specifically singled out in the legislation that set up the LSC and its predecessor body, the Further Education Funding Council. He calls on both the LSC and colleges to pay "due regard" to this.
Peter Kingston, The Guardian 12 July
In July 2004 the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) published its consultation paper on Fees Funding and Learner Support. Alongside that document, a research paper by Adrian Perry OBE (former Principal of Lambeth College) was also published, Talking about fees: Provider policy and practice on course fees, which looked in some detail at the range of existing approaches to this issue in the sector. The paper was widely welcomed as an illuminating picture of a relatively neglected area of policy. The responses to the fees consultation found strong support for the proposal to develop a good practice guide in respect of fee policy and practice for further education institutions and their governors. It was felt that this would be a useful tool to support the work that is already undertaken in this area, and the LSC and DfES commissioned Adrian to produce this handbook.
LSC email update 21 July
Fee income - A good practice guide (PDF 72pp) http://tinyurl.com/dmgye
The Move On website offers level 1 and 2 learners the National Certificates in Adult Literacy and Numeracy with a free brush-up course. In addition, the site now offers new learner routes called: Prepare yourself for the test - English and Maths. These materials have been designed for level 2 learners to give them practice for passing the National Test. They include interactive Hot Topics for learners to brush up on skills related to these tests.
BBC Skillswise Edition 181 (6 July)
URL: www.move-on.org.uk/
New research shows that adults with the worst literacy levels suffer in many areas of their lives. Are Labour's skills targets unintentionally leaving behind those most at risk asks Peter Kingston (The Guardian 5 July)? The research, carried out by the National Research and Development Centre for adult literacy and numeracy (NRDC), identified the degree to which illiteracy makes a real difference to a person's life. It found that, while all those with literacy problems face hardship in their everyday lives, there are varying degrees of literacy. Level 2 (five GCSEs at grades A* to C) is the government's minimum target level. However, below level 2 there are four bands: level 1 – the reading age of an 11-year-old – and then three "entry" level bands, 3, 2 and 1, in declining order of literacy. Researchers found that, the further down the ability scale a person is, the bleaker their lives become. People at, or below, entry level 2 are "far more likely to suffer severe depression, to have no job, to be unable to find partners, and to see their children end up at the same level, struggling with the same problems". Mr Kingston writes that, while the Skills for Life strategy calls for 2.5 million adults to have improved their skills by at least one level by 2010, the reality is that the target only embraces people at entry level 3 and above. Colleges and other institutions are "wrongly" assuming that priority must be given to these groups, as they contribute to the target. Indeed, a recent survey conducted by NIACE found that 76 out of 100 reported cutting courses at entry levels 1 and 2. Critics argue that financial constrains will force colleges to recruit more candidates who are most likely to meet the required standards, at the expense of those with the lowest levels of literacy.
Full article: http://tinyurl.com/al57y
Update comment: Wouldn't you do the same? If the government pays you to count frogs then frogs, not toads, is what you count.
Richard A Posner
Copyright law, but not patent law to any major extent, is different in the US from that in Europe. However, the issues addressed by Mr Posner in this article have an application on both sides of the Atlantic. The economics of innovation in manufacture have an extensive literature but the economics of creativity in the arts and entertainment fields have been less well studied. Intellectual property rights have developed in order to protect the financial advantage to the creator of a work from exploitation by others. However, if it is possible, even though illegal, to copy the work of others without payment to the original creator, then some, maybe even many, people are going to break the law. Having accepted this premise, the economic argument is about the value of the intellectual property and whether legitimate sales can be priced at such a level as to afford the original creator adequate recompense for the effort involved in the creation AND encourage legitimate purchase. The article contains several comparisons with the law of physical property and in one such there is a look at time scales. You can freely copy Pride and Prejudice – it is no longer in copyright having been written some time ago and you can, as we have witnessed from different adaptations of Jane Austen's original text, make money out of your copying. You can't however, take the roof off your neighbour's house (even if it is more than 70 years old) in order to adapt it to fit your own new house. The comparison between intellectual and physical property ceases when looking at time limits. (I don't think that such rules existed when the Tudor nobility took advantage of the dissolution of the monasteries!) Picking out somewhat disparate points from an extremely long, very interesting article I found:
The Journal of Economic Perspectives
Volume 19 Number 2 (Spring 2005)
Update comment: I'll bring you more info on the economics of intellectual property next month. I can't take in more than one in one afternoon.
Councils struggling to e-enable every service by December 2005 have learned that the most difficult ones could now be excluded from the 100% goal. Every council has been invited to draw up a list of "difficult" services which, once fully agreed, will then be removed from those which count towards the national target for e-government. Local authorities would then be able to claim a 100% success rate against the government's 2005 target.
E-Gov Monitor Weekly Issue 173 (4 July)
More information www.egovmonitor.com/node/1632
Update comment: "I don't believe it!" You can't reach the target so move it till it's reachable.
The Open University has announced that it will no longer be broadcasting its late-night programmes. It will replace the late-night schedule with a range of science, knowledge and history shows to be aired at peak times on the BBC. The shows will be accompanied by DVDs, CD-ROMs and e-learning.
Molly Watson, The Western Mail 30 July
The latest figures from the Open University (OU) reveal that "record" numbers of young people are choosing to study with the OU. The number of students aged 18 to 25 has trebled over the past ten years from 3,887 to 11,525, with the biggest rise being among the under-21s. As a result of the increase, the OU has decided to join the clearing system. A spokesperson for the OU said that the prospect of high debts has prompted many students to study while remaining in full-time work.
Richard Garner, Education Editor, The Independent 2 August
Almost two-thirds of university entrants from England and Wales who applied for maintenance grants for this year were unsuccessful. The Student Loans Company said 27% of 273,000 applicants had received full grants of £1,000 and 7% a lesser amount. The total cost was £83 million. Higher Education Grants are available on a sliding scale for students whose household income is less than £21,185 a year.
BBC News Online 15 July
Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell has announced that full-time students in England with young children will be entitled to more financial help with childcare from September. Mr Rammell said that the maximum weekly amount of childcare grant available to higher education students will increase for a student with one child from £114.75 per week to £148.75 per week and for a student with two or more children from £170 to £255.
The Guardian 27 July
According to a study published in the National Institute Economic Review, the introduction of top-up fees could mean that it will cost men more to study for an arts degree than the lifetime salary gain from graduating. Researchers found that, while a male arts graduate can expect to earn £22,458 more than a male non-graduate over his lifetime, this is considerably less than the estimated £34,000 cost in fees and three years' forgone earnings he will lose as a result of his studies. The study concluded that there is a "strong argument" in favour of varying top-up fees according to the financial rewards gained from different academic disciplines.
Paul Hill, The THES 29 July
Sue Hatt, Arthur Baxter, Neil Harrison (University of the West of England, Bristol) and Andrew Hannan (University of Plymouth)
In England, the government target that 50% of young people should gain experience of higher education has prompted many initiatives to widen participation. National policies, however, are often implemented at institutional or local level. As a result, the impact upon the individual participants can vary according to the context in which the measures are enacted. The Opportunity Bursary scheme was first introduced in 2001, and institutions were allowed considerable discretion over the allocation of these awards. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data, this article reports differences in the ways in which two institutions administered their bursary schemes, and the effects on the students. At both institutions, bursary students were more likely to continue with their studies one year after entry than students from low-income backgrounds who were not in receipt of financial assistance. The interview data suggests that bursary students are well motivated and determined to succeed, but it is unclear whether this is due to the additional financial support or to the process of conscious choice through which they have entered HE.
Studies in Higher Education
Volume 30 Number 4 (August 2005)
English students attending universities in Scotland will have to pay £500 more each year under plans to prevent a flood of "fee refugees". The Scottish Executive confirmed that there will be an increase in annual fees from £1,200 to £1,700 beginning in 2006. The Executive also announced a separate higher rate of fees of £2,700 for medical courses. This rise recognises the high demand from England for places at Scottish medical schools and the difficulties of NHS Scotland in retaining graduates. Scottish students will not be affected by either change as they have their fees paid for by the Executive, and pay a graduate endowment once they complete their course.
Andrew Denholm, Education Correspondent, The Scottish Herald 21 July
Almost 1,500 students who took out loans to get through university have declared themselves bankrupt since devolution. Figures released by the Scottish Executive reveal that the total number of student bankruptcies since 1999 is 1,473. Fiona Hyslop, the SNP education spokesperson, called for more research into student debt. She said: "We have to know the extent of graduate debt in Scotland. We cannot continue to send young people into bankruptcy just because they want an education."
Kevin Schofield, Education Correspondent, The Scotsman 28 July
One in three prospective students underestimates the cost of university and a quarter expect their unprepared parents to foot the bill, according to research from the Association of Investment Trust Companies (AITC). This showed young people expected their debt on graduation to stand at £7,208, while their parents estimated it would be £9,741. However, research by Barclays Bank puts the average debt for those finishing university this year at £13,501. Annabel Brodie-Smith, the AITC's communications director, commented: "It's alarming that so few of tomorrow's graduates or indeed their families fully comprehend the financial implications of going to university. Students still expect their parents to fund them, but our research shows that few are in a financial position to help out, so they will have to make sacrifices to alleviate the burden."
Susan Smillie, The Guardian 26 July
A third of teenagers seriously underestimate the amount of debt they will accrue at university and expect their parents to foot the bill, according to research. To make matters worse, almost half of parents are saving nothing to meet higher education costs although they would be prepared to make sacrifices, such as going without a holiday, to do so. A report today (26 July) shows that would-be students estimate their debt on graduation to be around £7,200 and one in four expect parents to help them pay it off. Research by the Association of Investment Trust Companies says that, while they are not saving to help their children out of the red, parents are willing to make sacrifices.
Sarah Womack, Social Affairs Correspondent, The Daily Telegraph 26 July
The majority of new universities will refrain from imposing increased tuition fees on part-time students in 2006, claims Campaigning for Mainstream Universities, the umbrella organisation representing post-92 institutions. A spokesperson for the CMU said that most institutions would freeze fees at their 2005 level, in response to concerns that increased fees will "jeopardise" the long-term future of part-time study. However, Pam Tatlow, CMU Chief Executive, warned that vice-chancellors at post-92 universities were worried about whether providing part-time study would be "economic" in future. Ms Tatlow said that the government had scored an "own goal of mammoth proportions" by failing to come up with a better deal for students and institutions.
Paul Hill, The THES 15 July
The Office for Fair Access has confirmed that trainee teachers will have to pay full top-up fees. Sir Martin Harris, director of OfFA, said that, from 2006, graduates will have to pay up to £3,000 for the one-year postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE). Sir Martin acknowledged universities' fears that recruitment could suffer. However, he said that universities would be obliged to give the poorest trainees a minimum of £300 in bursaries. The government has also promised £1,200 for all trainee teachers and up to £2,700 for the poorest. This is in addition to increased grants from the Teacher Training Agency in shortage subjects, such as maths and science.
Polly Curtis, Education Correspondent, The Guardian 30 June
The Teacher Training Agency has been forced to reveal that hundreds of newly qualified primary school teachers in England are struggling to find jobs. The figures show that, by January this year, at least 681 of those who qualified in 2004 were still seeking a teaching post, with the worst difficulties being recorded in the North East, North West and South West.
BBC News Online 23 July
A leading recruitment analyst has called for a curb on the number of primary school teacher training places available. Professor John Howson of Education Data Services argued that 10% fewer places should be offered in future, to prevent even greater increases in the number of unemployed primary teachers.
Graeme Paton, The TES 5 August
More over-thirties than ever are choosing to teach modern languages, according to new figures from the Teacher Training Agency (TTA). The latest figures show that, in 1998/99, 26% of people starting secondary modern languages teacher training courses were over thirty. By 2003/4 the proportion has risen to 36%. The number of over-thirties choosing to teach maths has also risen. In 1998/99, 39% of new entrants was over 30. This rose to 48% in 2003/4.
South Wales Echo 22 July
The first intake of teachers onto a scheme to recruit high-achievers into challenging schools is set to graduate. Over 150 graduates on the Teach First programme carried out two-year placements in London secondary schools which find it hard to recruit staff. The scheme is loosely based on Teach for America, which recruited teachers to inner city schools in the US, and is supported by business and not-for-profit organisations.
BBC News Online 8 July
More information: www.teachfirst.org.uk
What makes girls choose childcare and boys bricklaying? Peter Kingston reports on the gender divide in apprenticeships (The Guardian 2 August) and points to research from the Centre for Labour Market Studies at Leicester University which finds that being employed in a non-traditional sector is more worrying for young men than young women. Indeed, a boy is four times more likely to worry about being ridiculed for his career choice than a girl who opts for a non-traditional job. The study, Employers, Young People and Gender Segregation (England), was conducted as part of a wider investigation into occupational segregation by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC). It focused on apprenticeships, although the researchers were forced to conclude that, "In the 10 years since they were introduced, apprenticeships have failed to increase the numbers of young people entering training normally undertaken by one gender."
Employers, Young People and Gender Segregation (England)
Alison Fuller, Vanessa Beck and Lorna Unwin, Centre for Labour Market Studies, University of Leicester
(PDF 101pp) www.eoc.org.uk/cseng/research/wp28.pdf
The pay gap between women and men will not close unless there is a radical rethink of equality laws, said the EOC. Britain's 30-year-old gender equality laws are failing to tackle the different causes of the pay gap. On the basis of evidence published by the EOC, both individuals and employers will continue to suffer the damaging effects of the gender pay gap for at least another generation. The research shows that employers are failing to take action that would help them realise women's economic potential in the workplace as well as to avoid damaging tribunal cases. Two-thirds of organisations still have not carried out an Equal Pay Review to check for fair pay, and have no plans to do so. It has also found that employers' appetite for undertaking Equal Pay Reviews is actually decreasing. Most women still work in low-paid areas and are failing to access higher-paid jobs. Existing laws rely on individuals being able to take their case to an Employment Tribunal – a process favoured by few employees or employers. The EOC is calling for a new duty on employers to take action on all three causes of the pay gap (pay discrimination, occupational segregation and the unequal impact of family responsibilities). The new law would modernise existing laws and would:
EOC email update 6 July
Older women looking after sick or elderly relatives are being squeezed between a failing pensions system and an inflexible job market that both ignore their caring role, according to a new report from the Equal Opportunities Commission. The report, Older workers and options for flexible work, reveals that up to one million older workers – both male and female – want to return to work. However, many are being prevented from remaining in, or returning to, the workforce because of a lack of flexible working arrangements, such as flexitime or job sharing. Fewer than one in six older men and only one in four women is currently employed on a flexible working arrangement. The study finds that, after 50, women's employment as a proportion of men's declines. This is despite the fact that there are more women in the Third Age population, especially from age 60 onwards. Women are far more likely to work part-time, which gives rise to stark pension inequalities. The research notes that less than one-fifth of recently retired women are entitled to the full basic state pension based on their own contributions.
Lucy Ward, Social Affairs Correspondent, The Guardian 13 July
Older workers and options for flexible work (PDF 107pp): http://tinyurl.com/8pk43
Employers who discriminate against women will be denied public sector contracts under proposals being drawn up by advisers at the Women and Work Commission to stamp out prejudice in the workplace. The proposals would mean that public bodies would have to give consideration to a company's track record on equal pay or sexual harassment before awarding contracts. A spokesperson for the think-tank, the Fawcett Society, said the plans could "hit uncooperative bosses where it hurt". She said: "This would be a powerful tool in the government's hands. We would like to see only companies who have implemented equal pay audits (checking what female and male staff are paid), and are actually working to improve gender equality, to get government contracts."
Gaby Hinsliff, Political Editor, The Observer 31 July
The Equal Opportunities Commission has launched its vision for the transformation of work, caring, the welfare state and public services. It has issued the government with an action plan to transform work, caring and public services, making it clear what the steps are and why they are so important. The action plan is summarised in six key points:
EOC email update 20 July
Full statement (PDF 8pp): http://tinyurl.com/8mtsb
Debenhams will become the first retailer to be sued under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) for failing to improve physical access to goods and services within its Derby store, the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) revealed. Greg Jackson, a 43-year-old wheelchair-user, is suing the retailer because he has been denied access to a section of the menswear department in the Derby store which can only be reached via a set of steps. The DRC is supporting him in his case. Bert Massie, Chair of the DRC, commented: "An independent report for the DRC shows that some 20 Debenhams stores pose similar access barriers to those found in Derby. This is unacceptable. Debenhams has had many years to make these changes yet unlike their competitors there is no centrally managed plan to make access improvements that would meet their legal duties. Instead, they appear satisfied in doling out a second class service to disabled customers."
DRC press release 29 July
A survey conducted by disability charity Scope has found that two out of three polling stations in the May election were inaccessible. Despite new access duties introduced as part of the Disability Discrimination Act, 66% of venues failed to meet even the most basic requirements.
Andrew Crooks, Disability Now July 2005
A disabled woman who was training to become a Methodist preacher has had to end her studies because she cannot access local churches. Problems included automatic locks that left her stuck in worship areas and inaccessible loos. The student complained repeatedly but said she was "fobbed off and ignored".
Disability Now July 2005
Following a review of the Disability Rights Commission's work to reach Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities, the DRC's Campaigns and Marketing Team has just published a revised edition of the publication: Who We Are And What We Do in Arabic, Chinese, Bengali, Punjabi, Urdu, Gujarati and Polish.
DRC Email Bulletin Number 38 (July 2005)
More information: http://tinyurl.com/7j7ah
Bus stops around Bristol have been fitted with a device allowing vision-impaired travellers to hear the time, bus stop names, route numbers, destinations and arrival times for eight bus routes across the city. Users point an electronic key fob at the passenger information display at stops to activate audio information.
E-Access Bulletin Issue 67 (July 2005)
Update comment: Now that's what I call useful.
The Library and Information Statistics Unit (LISU) has published Availability of Accessible Publications, which documents research undertaken on behalf of the RNIB. The research was commissioned to establish a reliable estimate of the proportion of books available in accessible formats in libraries across the UK. It found that less than 5% of titles are available in one (or more) accessible format(s), and audio cassette is the most frequently used alternative format.
Library and Information Update
Volume 4(7-8) July-August 2005
Executive summary (PDF 2pp): http://tinyurl.com/a9ydy
Full report (PDF 47pp) http://tinyurl.com/9nqjl
The Disability Rights Commission has published a policy discussion paper about the issues of personal risk for disabled people. The paper states: "Many disabled people find their opportunities and independence severely limited because of other people's fears concerning their vulnerability to harm or exploitation or because it is believed supporting disabled people's opportunities and independence poses a risk to others. This is an issue that affects disabled people in almost every area of their lives. It affects their ability to get a job, access services, seek personal assistance and support, and have the right to take decisions or make choices. It is seen in society's fears about the risk they think is posed by mental health service users. … Risk – or rather the perception of risk – is an ever-present issue." The paper asks:
For more information, or to join the debate, visit www.drc-gb.org/disabilitydebate/more/risk/
DRC email update 20 July
The paper (PDF 20pp) is at http://tinyurl.com/c5hq6
The Learning and Skills Development Agency has published a series of leaflets to help staff working in further education, adult education and training understand their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act. The leaflets are aimed at different audiences, including specialist tutors and support staff, staff involved in admissions and enquiries, senior managers and local authority officers.
The leaflets are free of charge and can be ordered from
the LSDA
tel: 0207 297 9123
email:
enquiries@LSDA.org.uk
LSDA Briefing July 2005
Jacob Clark Blickenstaff, Western Washington University
Women are under-represented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in most industrialised countries around the world. This paper explores the broad array of explanations for the absence of women put forth in the literature of the last 30 years. It is argued that some proposed explanations are without merit, while others play a part in a complex interaction of factors. It is suggested that the very nature of science may contribute to the removal of women from the pipeline. Recommendations for reform in science education to address the problem are provided.
Gender and Education
Volume 17 Number 4 (October 2005)
In one of the first initiatives under the new Sector Skills Agreement, ConstructionSkills has announced the pilot of "Programme Led Apprenticeships" – an innovative way of bringing employers and training providers together to boost apprenticeship opportunities. Forming a core part of the drive under the Agreement to increase apprenticeship completions by 400% by 2010, Programme-led Apprenticeships will aim to address the current lack of on-site work experience opportunities, which is preventing young people from completing their NVQ. The new Apprenticeships will begin with a young person completing a year full-time at FE College, gaining their Key Skills Level 1, Employment Rights and Responsibilities (ERR) and beginning their Technical Certificate (ICA). They will then be selected for the Programme-led Apprenticeships scheme in their second year. After the period of intensive coaching and practice at college, and completion of their ICA, they will transfer to employment to gain the site experience necessary to gain their NVQ and complete their Apprenticeship Framework.
SSDA Involve Issue 92 (5 July)
More information: http://tinyurl.com/ccxhj
A report from the Apprenticeships Task Force reveals that companies are saving up to £1 million a year by training apprentices rather than trying to recruit skilled workers. The Task Force's final report illustrates the business benefits that employers gain by employing apprentices and outlines how to increase employer involvement. Research commissioned by the Task Force found that apprentices help to improve business performance by raising competitiveness, profitability, productivity and quality. They also strengthen the workforce by improving staff retention, career progression and diversity.
TES FE Focus 15 July
Apprenticeships Task Force Final Report - The Business Case for Apprenticeships (PDF 31pp): http://tinyurl.com/7tzkz
The Chief Inspector of the Education and Training Inspectorate in Northern Ireland, Marion Matchett, has launched her second report. She states that, while there is much to celebrate about the education system in Northern Ireland, there is undoubtedly room for improvement, much of which will depend on the capacity to work together with others. Ms Matchett said: "We need to move beyond thinking of education as successful insofar as it helps young people do well in exams and we need to explore further how education can help motivate young people to contribute positively to their communities. However, schools, colleges and youth organisations cannot do everything on their own, they need the support of all those who contribute to the health and well-being of young people and there is evidence over the last two years that some organisations have gained considerably from a multi-agency approach to issues associated with disadvantage."
t Magazine July-August 2005
Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has announced plans to offer children who struggle to read one-to-one "catch-up" lessons, as part of a drive to break down class barriers in schools. In a major speech to the Institute of Public Policy Research, Ms Kelly also announced the launch of a Bookstart programme, which will give every child from eight months to four years a free bag of books, along with paper and crayons to encourage writing.
The Guardian 26 July
Nick Seaton, chair of the Campaign for Real Education, has dismissed the government's Bookstart programme as "a waste of taxpayers' money". Mr Seaton said that the government should concentrate its resources on improving teaching methods rather than handing out free books. Under the scheme health visitors will give parents a bag containing two books, a nursery rhyme place-mat and information on libraries when their babies reach eight months old.
Matt Barnwell, The Daily Telegraph 25 July
Schools should consider introducing a reading scheme that is fostering a love of books in thousands of American pupils, one of the government's leading education advisers has said. Sir Cyril Taylor, Chairman of the Specialist Schools Trust, has recommended that ministers back the Accelerated Reader project. The project is a computerised testing system operated by the American firm Renaissance Learning, and is offered in more than half of US schools. Sir Cyril highlighted positive results in America, saying that the scheme is making it cool to read.
Warwick Mansell, The TES 8 July
The Sure Start Maternity Grant is designed to help families on a low income with the costs associated with a new baby. Research conducted by Cannock CAB/Sure Start has raised serious concerns about the workings of the new tax credits in relation to Maternity Grant entitlement. There's a lot of detail in the article which is intended to illustrate the complexity of Child Tax Credit as a passport to the Maternity Benefit. It achieves its objective – I (Hazel) have no idea who, if anyone, might get the Grant. And, to emphasise the issue, national statistics show a large drop in the number of households receiving the grant as a percentage of claims. blah, blah, blah "If at this point advisers are confused then what chance is there of claimants coming to the right conclusion for the right reasons?" blah, blah, blah "To successfully negotiate this process a sophisticated understanding of the benefits system is required, as well as a degree of confidence, and in our experience families do not always possess these capabilities."
Adviser 110 (July + August 2005)
In an article for The Guardian (6 July), Louise Tickle tells us about a scheme in Scotland offering single parents support to get off benefits and into paid employment. The Working for Families Fund (WFF) helps by offering a series of temporary benefits, including subsidised childcare and a flexible "sitter" service. The sitter service picks up children from after-school care and takes them to their parents in cases where their working hours mean that they would be unable to do this themselves. The scheme also offers advice and advocacy, as well as supporting businesses to provide work for disadvantaged people.
For more information about the Working Families Fund,
contact Helen Chambers or Alison Provan
tel: 0131 244 0809 / 0616
email: Helen.Chambers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
orAlison.Provan@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
A lack of childcare and the cost of the care that is available are keeping British women out of work, new research comparing working mothers in different European countries finds. The research, conducted by the Institute for the Study of Labour (IZA) in Germany, compared women with and without dependent children in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and the UK. It concluded that a British mother with children under two years of age lowers her chances of staying in full-time employment by 10% per child. In contrast, other European women, who generally have access to better childcare provision, "have no substantially positive or negative labour supply effects with respect to an increasing number of kids, regardless of their children's age."
Changing Times News Number 61 (25 July)
A survey from childcare charity the Daycare Trust has revealed that the average cost of UK childcare during school summer holidays has risen by 3% from a year ago. The average weekly cost of a place for a child in a summer play scheme has climbed from £73.71 to £76. The survey found that childcare is most expensive in South East England, and cheapest in Scotland and inner London. Susan Crane, Chief Executive of the Daycare Trust, commented: "It is at times like these that the benefits of working for some families can become marginal with the cost of childcare consuming a large part of a family's income. Quality childcare during the school holidays helps parents, provides stimulating and enjoyable activities for children and strengthens communities, but many families struggle to be able to find appropriate summer holiday childcare which they can afford."
BBC News Online 11 July
The extended schools agenda will not work unless there are clear lines of accountability, warns the National Association of School Governors (NASG). The association is calling on the government to issue clearer guidance regarding who has ultimate responsibility for the extended hours. Professor John Adams, NASG's chair, commented: "The extended school agenda is saying that schools should get together, open themselves up to all sorts of other bodies and have all sorts of other professions on the school premises. But how is this line-managed? Who is responsible for what? It's a very ambitious agenda. My concern is that we implement it so that it works and lines of accountability are clear so that if something goes wrong we can identify where responsibility lies."
David Singleton, Children Now (6-12 July)
"Speed childminding" could be the answer for councils hoping to boost the uptake and sustainability of childminding places. The concept, inspired by speed dating, gives parents the chance to meet a range of childcarers, helping to break down barriers and dispel misconceptions about childminding. It is taking off around the country after several councils and childminding groups staged events during National Childminding Week last month, supported by the National Childminding Association. A spokesperson for the NCA said: "This is the first time there has been a concerted national effort to get them off the ground and it has been successful. Most people who ran an event want to start running them regularly."
Children Now 19-26 July
"The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital."
Joe Paterno, US college football coach (b.1926)
Inspection reports on childminders are being published online for the first time by education watchdog OfSTED. Among the first 1,000 reports in England, 45 childminders, nurseries and crèches are graded as "inadequate" and 16 as "outstanding". Those labelled "inadequate" must improve or face having their registration taken away.
Reports can be accessed on the OfSTED website www.ofsted.gov.uk
Classroom assistants who cover lessons should be subject to the same rigorous inspections as teachers, the Chief Inspector has said. David Bell said school inspectors should target classes being taken by teaching assistants to ensure lesson standards are not being compromised.
Greame Paton and Jon Slater, The TES 8 July
In the 2005 Budget, the government stated that the Secretaries of State for Education and Health would announce plans to bring together the work of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and OfSTED. It also stated that there would be a consultation with employers on the future of the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI), with the view that it would also take part in the merger. The consultation process has now started. In the wake of the proposal to merge the ALI with OfSTED, David Sherlock, Chief Inspector of Adult Learning at the ALI, discusses what role inspectorates will have in the future and outlines his alternative vision for a radical new kind of assessment agency for the learning and skills sector.
The article appears in the latest edition of TALIsman
(Issue 41 (July 2005)) (PDF 4pp) which is at http://docs.ali.gov.uk/talisman/Talisman41pp17.pdf
The Quality Assurance Agency has confirmed that it has abolished its routine subject-level teaching inspections at higher education institutions in England and Northern Ireland. The move will halve the cost of complying with institutional audits from £20 million a year to £10 million, and has been hailed as "the final nail in the coffin for the notorious teaching quality assessment (TQA) system".
Phil Baty, The THES 5 August
A new web guide to multimedia, e-learning and accessibility has been launched. The Skills For Access website offers "a comprehensive resource on issues relating to multimedia, e-learning and accessibility. Whether you're new to e-learning, want to know more about specific accessibility issues, or are an expert multimedia developer, we believe you'll find information relevant to your needs."
URL: www.skillsforaccess.org.uk
ALT News Digest Issue 87 (3 July)
Russian universities are reported to be using state-of-the-art mobile phone jamming equipment to scupper cheating students. Invigilators complained that the problem of students having exam answers texted to them has become so serious that it could undermine the entire examination procedure. Designed by "the cream of Russia's military", the system blocks mobile signals within a given radius.
Andrew Osborn The Independent 17 July
Moscow State University rejected the application of a young woman after her brother, masquerading as a woman, was caught trying to sit the entrance exam for her. The brother was caught as he tried to take the psychology exam. Apparently, what gave the game away was his abnormally large "female features". Invigilators thought that the entrant may have been hiding notes in her bra, but were somewhat surprised by what they found – or rather, didn't find – instead!
The St Petersburg Times 6 July
Update comment: What is Dawn doing reading the St Petersburg Times (presumably in translation)?
More than 100 Scottish school pupils will fail exams this year because they took mobile phones into examination halls, according to figures released by the SQA. A spokesperson for the SQA said that, while most of the allegations of mobile phone abuse referred to them were not direct attempts at cheating, candidates would be disqualified nonetheless. He said that candidates were warned well in advance of their exams that such devices were prohibited in test centres.
Arthur Macmillan, Scotland on Sunday 31 July
Plagiarism experts have warned that the launch of a new online essay service <www.nursing-essays.com> might tempt trainee nurses to cheat their way through university and place hospital patients at risk. The site provides model essays to be used as a study guide. It strongly condemns plagiarism and maintains that its essays must be used "for guidance only". However, critics believe that the site could still encourage some users to cheat. Duncan Williamson, an education consultant, complained to the site owners Eternity Publishers. He wrote: "Can you imagine the situation in which you arrive at a hospital in need of critical care and one of the nurses whom you have encouraged to cheat is put in charge of your case? That nurse may just be working on you in the area in which he or she cheated and is consequently not that good at it. You could then lose your life, your sight or your career."
Phil Baty, The THES 5 August
In a letter to the Economist (25 June-1 July), Juan Miguel Petit, Office of the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, urges the world's governments to clamp down on the use of anonymous online transaction methods, such as e-gold. Mr Petit argues that, since such transactions do not require a bank or financial institution to act as an intermediary, they can be, and indeed are being, used for criminal purposes, such as the trafficking of child pornography. He writes: "If we don't want the virtual marketplace to degenerate into a red light district for child porn, we must ensure that online payments can be traced back to their source."
Researchers in Germany have discovered a way of creating two documents with the same digital signatures. Digital signatures are unique to individual documents as they are created from the contents of the file. Digital signatures allow for electronic authentication. However, the researchers have found a way to break the algorithm used to create and verify the digital signature. The researchers fear that, if they can achieve this, criminals may be able to do so as well.
Info@UK Issue 52 (July 2005)
According to research from anti-virus firm Sophos, malware authors have increased both the volume and sophistication of their attacks over the last six months to such an extent that an unprotected Windows PC (without either firewall or antivirus protection) stands a 50% chance of infection by a worm after just 12 minutes online. The firm said that it detected 7,944 new viruses in the first half of 2005 alone – a 59% increase on 2004.
John Leyden, The Register
ITProPortal News Roundup 4 July
Technology companies have formed an alliance with public interest groups to tackle spyware. Membership of the Anti-Spyware Coalition includes AOL, EarthLink, HP, McAfee, Microsoft, Symantec, Yahoo! and the Business Software Alliance. The ASC draft definition of spyware reads: "Spyware and other potentially unwanted technologies are those that impair users' control over material changes that affect their user experience, privacy, or system security; use of their system resources, including what programs are installed on their computers; or collection, use, and distribution of their personal or otherwise sensitive information." The definition is open for public comment until 12 August, after which ASC will formulate a "final definition" for spyware.
John Leyden, The Register
via ITsecurePortal Security Update 19 July
More information: www.antispywarecoalition.org/
Getting involved with education makes good business sense. A series of publications for employers, published by the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA), shows how both public and private sector organisations can boost their reputation, improve staff morale and help to develop employability skills among young people by developing closer links with schools and colleges. The nine publications, Tomorrow's workforce, comprise eight leaflets on each of the eight GCSEs in vocational subjects, plus a 24-page booklet that contains general advice on how businesses can support education. The subject-specific leaflets contain concrete examples, ranging from art and design to leisure and tourism, of how businesses have benefited from their links with schools and colleges and become involved with GCSEs.
The leaflets were commissioned by the DfES and can be downloaded free of charge from the LSDA website www.lsda.org.uk/pubs
LSDA press release 8 July
Over a third of the UK's small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) have lost money after being mis-sold telecoms services, according to research from BT. The survey found that more than half thought they had been mis-sold services, and 35% said that it had cost them money. On average businesses lost £289 and wasted 6.1 working hours sorting it out. Almost nine out of ten said they would welcome clear guidelines regarding what to do in the event of such incidents.
Iain Thomson, VNUNET SME Adviser 27 June
A survey of manufacturing firms in France, Germany, the UK and the United States, conducted by the Centre for Economic Performance (LSE) and McKinsey & Company, has found that US firms are on average the best managed and those in the UK are the worst. Other findings include:
SSDA INtelligence N36 July 2005
Management Practices Across Firms and Nations (PDF 47pp) http://cep.lse.ac.uk/management/management.pdf
The Information Commissioner has consolidated the four data protection codes of practice which covered:
In their place, the Commissioner has published one code. The new code sets out the basic principles, and gives key points and actions to be taken to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act.
Employment Team Legal Update
Volume 7 Number 6 (June 2005)
The Employment Practices Code (PDF 91pp): http://tinyurl.com/dl5h4
The Employment Practices Code: Supplementary Guidance (PDF 86pp): http://tinyurl.com/cz4vr
Quick Guide to the Employment Practices Code: Ideal for Small Businesses (PDF 24pp): http://tinyurl.com/75qf7
The Forum of Private Business (FPB), which represents 25,000 small firms, is urging businesses to take part in an online survey to tell Chancellor Gordon Brown which regulations they most want to see scrapped or amended. The survey asks business owners which legislation is most outdated, damaging to competitiveness and poorly worded. The survey further asks how legislation could be simplified with clearer definitions, merging of two or more pieces of legislation or changes in applicability.
HRLooK Daily News 8 July
The red tape survey is at http://surveys.fpb.org/redtape/
Anti-social behaviour orders could be served on businesses that persistently flout environmental codes under plans unveiled by Baroness Young, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency. Baroness Young said that ASBOs provided a more effective approach than prosecution in some cases, such as the illegal dumping of waste. She said: "There are cases where people, despite facing prosecution, carry on [committing environmental offences] partly because the fines are too low, partly because the process of prosecution takes time."
Fiona Harvey, Environment Correspondent, The Financial Times 28 July
The first "European Company", that is a company established under European rather than national country rules, has been set up in the UK. It is Schering-Plough Clinical Trials, formed by the merger of Irish and UK subsidiaries of the US pharmaceuticals group Schering-Plough. European legislation making it possible to establish European Companies came into force last October. Just three others have been set up so far.
Labour Research Volume 94 Number 6 (June 2005)
Richard Thomas, the UK's Information Commissioner, has told companies to remove the long words and legal jargon from their data protection notices, because customers get confused and ignore this "small print". However, Struan Robertson, Editor of OUT-LAW, accuses Mr Thomas of sending out his own "muddled" messages. Mr Robertson highlights the research report released by the Commissioner, which found that "around 60% of people say they care about what happens to their personal information, yet many don't read FPNs". He argues that the use of the term FPN (fair processing note) in a campaign against jargon is "disappointing". However, he is more concerned that Mr Thomas has failed to follow the best practice as laid down by his department in 2001, under the then Commissioner Elizabeth France. The guidance gives specific instructions regarding how FPNs and privacy policies should be presented. They specify that a notice should consist of a clear explanation of how personal data is gathered, who it is gathered by, how it will be stored and what it will be used for. A link to more information may be included, but is not sufficient in itself. The notice may also be partially layered, but the main message should be on the top layer. Mr Robertson was surprised then to find that the research report included praise for three sites (MSN, Procter & Gamble and Kodak), none of which comply with the best practice guidelines or, indeed, the Data Protection Act itself. While Jonathan Bamford, Assistant Information Commissioner, was keen to point out that the Commissioner's Office was "not an endorsement" of the data protection compliance of these companies, Mr Robertson believes that its inclusion is misleading. He said that businesses would "surely interpret the Commissioner's statement as a pledge of support for the … approach taken by Microsoft – and that they would reasonably look to the way that Microsoft layered its statement and emulate that".
Mr Robertson concluded: "What we need is clarity from our Commissioner. Yes, a layered notice is a good thing: a short notice that links to more detail will help the reader. Web sites should display a short notice as a mandatory screen presentation, something that does not require an extra click to be found. The 2001 guidance said this clearly. It made sense and was consistent with the Data Protection Act and the European Directive from which the UK's Act was derived. Mr Thomas just failed to remind us, this important message getting lost in his own gobbledegook."
OUT-LAW News 9 June
There is much more detail in this very readable article at www.out-law.com/page-5791
The full research report, Fair Processing Notifications: Current Effectiveness and Opportunities for Improvement, (PDF 124pp) is at http://tinyurl.com/ds964
The LSC has announced that it is cutting its £24 million annual subscription to the Joint Information Systems Committee by £6.5 million. The subscription enables higher and further education establishments to access strategic guidance and support from JISC on the use of computers for teaching, learning and research. LSC officials insist that the cut will not be unduly damaging, as it has ring-fenced funding for core services. However, a spokesperson for JISC warned that colleges in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will continue to benefit from a full subscription, leaving English colleges at a disadvantage. Chris Weeks, Acting Managing Director of AoC NILTA, welcomed the news that core services would continue to be funded but warned that AoC NILTA had concerns "about the effect of reduced funding to JISC, in terms of colleges' access to new content and development projects."
Peter Kingston, The Guardian 5 July
"Owing to financial constraints, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has reduced the level of its contribution to the JISC budget by 27.3% overall. In order to meet this reduction, and in order to meet the revised requirements of the LSC, the JISC Board has agreed to consolidate JISC's services to the further education sector in England around the following areas of activity:
The funding cuts therefore fall entirely in the following areas, which will regrettably no longer be available to the English further education community:
These changes will take effect immediately. This reduction in funding means that the LSC is no longer a full funding partner of JISC but will take up associate partner status and will remain a significant contributor to JISC. English FE representatives on JISC committees will continue to serve for the remainder of their terms, and JISC will continue to advise the LSC on relevant strategic issues affecting the post-16 education community in England.
JISC Headlines Number 24 (June 2005)
LSC Funding for JISC - Questions and Answers http://tinyurl.com/azocs
The Association of Colleges has issued college principals with a briefing pack, advising them how to deal with the expected public backlash over course cuts and price rises. The pack urges principals to communicate directly with students, rather than leaving it to staff to tell students about course closures. Linda Butler, AoC's Director of Communications, said: "[Principals] must make it clear they are on the side of the students, and must make sure that the responsibility for the cuts is placed where it belongs. Colleges should not take the blame for something that is not their fault."
Joseph Lee, TES FE Focus 15 July
The Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) research into the funding of schools and Further Education colleges for full-time students aged 16-18 has now been published. It was commissioned as part of the LSC Agenda For Change programme to inform and shape further deliberations about the funding of comparable learning among different kinds of providers. The research concludes that a "funding gap" of approximately 13% exists between the amount received by colleges and school sixth forms for comparative courses. However, significant increases to FE funding since 2002/03 means the difference in funding rates has narrowed and is now a relatively small part of the gap. The research also found that:
LSC email update 22 July
The funding gap – funding in schools and Further
Education colleges for full-time students aged 16-18 by Mick Fletcher and
Glyn Owen is available free of charge from the LSDA, Regent Arcade House, 19-25
Argyll Street, London W1F 7LS
tel: 020 7297 9144
email:
enquiries@LSDA.org.uk
It is also (PDF 32pp) at http://tinyurl.com/72zhm
A report, published by the government as part of its Success for All plan for further education, reveals that female students are responsible for more than 80% of the growth in student numbers over the past ten years. The report finds that, for every additional male student in FE since 1996, there have been three female – and women are more likely to complete their courses successfully than men.
Joseph Lee, TES FE Focus 15 July
Success for All Delivery Plan - Data Evidence (Word document 48pp): http://tinyurl.com/cma6a
Whatever happened to the war on Bureaucracy?, a report by the Centre for Excellence in Leadership, has found that measures to cut the burden of red tape on FE colleges have not had the desired effect. The report finds little evidence of the "improved transparency and trust", as recommended by the Bureaucracy Task Force.
Joseph Lee, The TES FE Focus 5 August
Update comment: Dawn says that she would love to be able to give you a link for this report, but can't find it mentioned anywhere other than the TES FE Focus! There's only two explanations I can think of: the title quoted is not quite right or the document hasn't yet been published on the internet. I suspect the latter.
A new test which is designed to help universities identify the brightest students is "facing a battle for credibility", after it emerged that Cambridge University has no plans to use it. The university said that Unitest, a 60-question assessment of reasoning, was not sufficiently difficult. Geoff Parks, Director of Admissions, said: "It looks like a very good test in terms of what it aims to do. I just do not think it will be of any value to the University of Cambridge."
Warwick Mansell, The TES 15 July
A computer system that calculates the risk of students dropping out will be tested in September after research showed that up to 80% of undergraduates who leave a course do so in the first four weeks. The computer system will look at non-completion indicators such as social background, home postcode, entry method, gender, age and qualifications, and will allocate a "risk of withdrawal" indicator to each candidate. This will enable institutions to target pastoral care and support to students who are most likely to need it.
Paul Hill, The THES 29 July
Napier University's Faculty of Health and Life Sciences has been awarded £420,000 to give lessons over the internet. The money has been provided by the European Social Fund (ESF) to fund a range of health-related online modules. The 27-month project will see the development of a suite of masters-level modules designed to suit the needs of health and social care workers, and will include modules on child protection, clinical governance, mentorship, consultancy, research, cardiac care and mental health.
Edinburgh Evening News 27 July
"Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them."
W Clement Stone, author and businessman
Universities should go back to basics and organise more contact between students, the first Higher Education Academy annual conference heard. Craig McInnis, Professor of Higher Education at Melbourne University, said that today's students are more time-pressured, and no longer feel that they can spare the time to socialise with other students outside lectures. Professor McInnis said that students will miss out on informal learning opportunities as they become more accustomed to working alone. He said: "We need to engineer situations where students can meet. We need to construct situations and build mechanisms into the curriculum rather than expect (students) to meet in their spare time, which they don't see as spare time any more."
Anthea Lipsett, The THES 8 July
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) has announced that there has been a substantial rise in the number of people applying to university. The 8.9% rise has sparked fears that people are rushing to attend ahead of the introduction of top-up fees in 2006. The figures also show that the gap between men and women applicants has grown yet again. Female applicants increased by 8.8%, compared with 7.4% for men. In addition, there has been a substantial fall in applications from East and South East Asian countries. Applications from Chinese students have gone down by 23.5%, from Hong Kong by 8.7%, Malaysia by 5% and Singapore by 15.4%. However, increases in applications from Germany, the US and new EU members states means that overseas recruitment has risen overall.
Polly Curtis, Education Correspondent, The Guardian 19 July
Howard Newby
This article sets out the principles behind the emerging concept of lifelong learning networks in England. It argues that many vocational learners have been disadvantaged by higher education which has not developed pathways to meet their needs. Lifelong learning networks will be required to explore these needs and enable learners to move from further education provision into and through higher education. The concept of a lifelong learning network is still new and needs further development and the article sets out the challenges for further and higher education working together. However the possibilities for learners are great. If networks focus on the learner specifically they will connect HE to the developing skills agenda, construct better links between HE and FE, and create the same opportunities for vocational learners as for others.
Journal of Access Policy and Practice
Volume 2 Number 2 (Spring 2005)
Chris Fuller outlines the extensive provisions of the Housing Act 2004 which range from anti-social behaviour through home information packs to tenancy deposits.
Part 1 of the legislation introduces the Housing, Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). This replaces the existing fitness test in the Housing Act 1985. This part comes in force in October 2005.
Part 2 provides for a mandatory licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupancy (HMGs). Initially this applies to properties of three or more stories occupied by five or more persons who comprise of two or more households. This part comes into force in October 2005.
Part 3 introduces a licensing scheme similar to that for HMOs for areas of low housing demand blighted by poor private sector landlords or by anti-social behaviour.
Part 4 establishes several different kinds of management orders where a local authority can take over the running of private sector homes.
Part 5 of the Act legislates for the provision of home information packs (HIPs) when a home is offered for sale on the open market. This is, we're told, both the most publicised and most contentious aspect of the legislation. There's likely to be a lot of fine-tuning, if not substantial changes, before the system goes live in 2007.
Part 6 contains a wide variety of measures including:
Tenancy Deposit Schemes will be established over the next year or so by a competitive tendering exercise. Part 6 of the Act also contains a series of other initiatives in relation to improving, including the establishment of a Social Housing Ombudsman for Wales.
At the end Part 7 mainly contains a series of technical points relating to powers of entry and enforcement powers.
Adviser 110 (July + August 2005)
As an alternative to Jux2, a website that demonstrates the overlap between the results generated by different search engines, Phil Bradley suggests:
Library and Information Update
Volume 4(7-8) July-August 2005
The government is to consider reforming the social fund to "help the poorest people build up savings and escape the cycle of deprivation". Speaking at an Institute for Public Policy Research event, Work and Pensions Secretary David Blunkett said that the government would look at ways of helping former social fund recipients to save their repayments once their loan has been repaid. The money could be placed into the government's Savings Gateway scheme, which gives low income savers £1 for every £1 they save. Mr Blunkett also called for extra financial advice to help borrowers to plan their finances and avoid the need for further social fund loans in future. He said: "We are about to explore how we might look at helping the very poorest to be able to get out of poverty rather than simply surviving in it. For many people the social fund doesn't equal a long-term plan to help them not to need another loan. How to link the loan with credit unions and financial advice? How to provide a way of continuing to save after the loan has been repaid? These seem to us to be well worth exploring."
Chloe Stothart, New Start Hotnews 6 July
Update comment: Dawn says: "The man's a twit! By the time a social fund recipient has paid off the £500 they borrowed to buy a washing machine, the washing machine is broken and they need another loan to buy another washing machine! Suppose the loan was for children's clothes. Are the children not allowed to grow? Or should they just wear the same clothes for the next three years while mum builds up a nice nest egg?"
The number of sixth formers has risen by just 1% since the introduction of the Education Maintenance Allowance, statistics released by the DfES have shown. The proportion of 16- to 18-year-olds in full or part-time education at the end of last year was 62.8%, compared to 61.8% for the previous year. However, the proportion of 16- to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) has also risen, from 9% to 10%. The figure for those in education or training stood at 75.4% – still short of the government's 2015 target of 90%.
Zero2Nineteen Bulletin 6 July
Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has admitted that, despite massive investment and ever improving test results, the poorest students have benefited the least from Labour's education policies. Ms Kelly points to new research which finds that, while schools have improved overall, it is the children from middle-class homes who have driven much of the improvement. She warned that there would have to be a "major policy shift" to improving deprived pupils.
Polly Curtis, Education Correspondent, The Guardian 25 July
Colin C William, University of Leicester
Attempts to nurture community self-help in deprived urban neighbourhoods currently follow the "third sector" route of developing existing community-based groups. Here, the implications and legitimacy of pursuing this public policy approach in relation to British deprived urban neighbourhoods are evaluated critically. The author finds that such a policy approach imposes on to deprived neighbourhoods a relatively foreign culture of engagement more characteristic of affluent areas. Identifying how the participatory culture in deprived neighbourhoods is more oriented toward engagement in one-to-one reciprocal aid rather than participation in groups, and that some form of payment is more often than not involved, a call is made for public policy to recognise the predominance of this form of community self-help in deprived populations and to pursue policy initiatives that seek to nurture it. How this might be achieved is then outlined. (original abstract)
City and Community Volume 4 Issue 2 (June 2005)
This article describes the background to Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics and the development of an Index of Multiple Deprivation for Scotland. Robert Williams from the Scottish Executive tells us that key to the development of the index has been the creation of "data zones" as units of statistical geography. Data zones are small areas containing around 750 household residents. The introduction of the zones has streamlined statistical information across Scotland, and they are now the main small area statistical geography for collecting and disseminating government statistics. The zones have proved instrumental in enabling researchers and policy-makers to pinpoint pockets of deprivation across Scotland, using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). The SIMD utilises some 31 indicators from six domains: employment, health, education, current income, housing and access. Using the SIMD measure across data zones, indices of deprivation can be "layered", so that relevant parties can immediately identify the worst affected, as well as the least affected. Moreover, the measure has enabled researchers to identify pockets of deprivation that were previously overlooked by indices based on ward and postcode sector.
BURISA Number 164 (June 2005)
More information
Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics www.sns.gov.uk
Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/simd2004/map.asp
"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."
Robert A Heinlein
Carl Parsons, Canterbury Christ Church, University College
This paper examines perspectives on student disaffection in education at the levels of culture and policy. It considers the balance between punitive/exclusionary and therapeutic/restorative positions. The paper engages with concepts of retributive punishment, social welfare ideologies and discourses of social exclusion. The conclusion is that policy choices are made about how disaffected, at-risk young people are to be provided for, and these policy choices are not contained simply within an education policy and practice setting. The policy responses emerge from national and local government decision-making. They correlate with national indicators of punitiveness in the criminal justice system and the scale of inequalities tolerated. Policies resonate with deep-seated cultural positions which are linked to the willingness to pay – for prevention or for punishment – and with the propensity to allocate blame either to individuals and families or to societal failures. Opportunities for intervention at points in the reinforcing cycle of punitiveness are indicated. (original abstract)
British Journal of Educational Studies
Volume 53 Issue 2 (June 2005)
Youngsters perform best in school if sitting side by side with people from different social classes, a new report claims. The research, conducted by academics from Heriot-Watt University, found that if middle-class children attend schools with pupils from similar backgrounds to themselves, they will do less well than if the school had a social mix. The same applied for pupils from less-privileged backgrounds who attended school alongside youngsters in similar circumstances. Researcher Noah Kofi Karley concluded: "The important thing is the social mix – they learn from each other. … Where the social mix is a full mixture, kids tend to do very well."
Kevin Schofield, Education Correspondent, The Scotsman 30 July
Trinity Academy in Edinburgh has become the first school in Scotland to recruit ex-military instructors full-time to crack down on bad behaviour and truancy. Skill Force, an organisation made up of former armed forces instructors, has been employed to provide discipline for unruly pupils. Skill Force also offers an "alternative curriculum" for disengaged pupils including taking children on adventure trips where they are taught survival skills, first aid, cooking, carpentry, problem-solving and more.
Edinburgh Evening News 9 July
2005 is officially The Year of the Volunteer. In an article for Horizons (Issue 33 (June 2005)), Justine Hart looks at the different types of volunteering and levels of participation. She highlights research conducted by the Home Office which found a flourishing voluntary sector, with participants donating some 3.8 billion hours of time free of charge each year. The Home Office Citizenship Survey: People, Families and Communities identified three types of community activity:
The bulk of community activity was found in the formal voluntary setting. Overall, people who volunteer were more likely to be found in affluent areas, as well as being more likely to be actively practicing a religion. There was a clear north-south divide. Volunteers were more prevalent in the south, even when examining relatively deprived areas in the south-west. Moreover, they were mostly found among those who are somewhat "time-poor". People with the least amount of leisure time, after work and family responsibilities were taken into consideration, were by far the most likely to volunteer in their local communities.
More information: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/citizensurvey.html
Update comment: Just goes to prove the old adage "If you want something done you should ask a busy person".
ProjectScotland has launched a portal through which young people in Scotland can access full-time volunteering opportunities. The project aims to "give 16- to 25-year-olds a chance to get involved, contribute to their community and help them make choices in their lives". Placements can last from 3 to 12 months, and are supported by an allowance and expenses, to ensure that anyone can access the scheme.
Newscheck July-August 2005
URL: www.projectscotland.co.uk
The UK Workforce Hub is the new body set up to develop skills and good employment practice for voluntary and community organisations. Built on the foundations of the former Voluntary Sector National Training Organisation (VSNTO), the Hub is already working towards supporting and promoting skills and learning in voluntary and community organisations, sharing good employment practice and promoting the sector as a career. The Hub is also working with a small group of Sector Skills Councils to look at how they can work effectively together.
SSDA Involve Issue 95 (26 July)
More information at www.voluntarysectorskills.org.uk
Robert Toutkoushian, Indiana University and Taylor Curtis, Carleton College
The authors used data on public high schools in New Hampshire to demonstrate how the socioeconomic status (SES) of the district can help explain variations in students' average standardised test scores and college attendance rates and subsequent rankings of schools within states. The authors show how states can use multiple-outcome measures to derive an alternative ranking of high schools that removes the contributions of SES to the school-level outcomes and how these rankings compare with similar rankings that would be obtained on the basis of observed outcomes. Results demonstrate that socioeconomic factors ac