• Michael Gove's drive to convert all schools which have been in special measures for over 12 months into academies, would apply to 250 schools. Teachers leaders have criticised the proposal; one arguing that 12 months is not sufficient time to show a change and that the challenge for these schools was to attract specialist teachers. An Institute for Fiscal Studies report has questioned the financial expediency of 'free schools'. Telegraph
• 
  
• A professor of politics and former chief examiner of history applauds Michael Gove's pledge to review the school history curriculum. He claims students lack any grasp of the broad chronological sweep of history, having instead been taught selected themes, isolated packets of knowledge which fail to give them an understanding of how they and their country has come to be where it is. Guardian
• 
  
• Associate Editor of the Guardian writes in favour of Niall Ferguson's remarks that history has been banalised and marginalised in the school curriculum and should instead be an overarching study of the period of western ascendency from 1500. He argues however that Britain's lack of common culture and social democracy leaves the pursuit of common history problematic. Guardian

• In his first speech since becoming Business Secretary, Vince Cable spoke about how adult education had 'saved his mother's mind'. As England's colleges face £200m of cuts, Cable identified priorities as 'increasing emphasis on lifelong learning, stripping out some of the bureaucracy around FE'. It is thought the budget for lifelong learning may be maintained but over 20 quangos axed within the year. BBC

• Harriet Harman has called for half the Labour party's shadow cabinet to be women, a call which was quickly backed by Ed Miliband. Harman used some of her six questions at Prime Minister's Question Time on Wednesday to ask about the decision to grant anonymity to men accused of rape and about tax breaks to married couples. Guardian

back to top