• Headteachers of two of England's biggest teaching unions have voted overwhelmingly to boycott Sats exams on May 10th, the first day of a new government. Labour and the Lib Dems support Sats, although the latter hope to scale them back; the Conservatives are considering moving the tests to the first year of secondary school. Guardian


• Thousands of teachers and pupils still stranded abroad mean classes will be suspended and exams cancelled on the first day of the summer term at many schools. Schools are to implement plans for bad weather and likely to have to rely heavily on supply agencies. Times


• Oldham and neighbouring mill towns that saw vicious race riots in 2001 are to merge and reopen schools which remain starkly segregated, to catalyse racial blending. The aim is also to increase standards: in the five schools targeted under 30% of pupils achieve five or more A*-C grades at GCSE. Times


• The seventeen year old who asked a question on education to leaders at last Thursday's tv debates has said that he would not vote for Labour. He called himself a 'child of Blair', educated under the education system Blair had authored and blamed Labour for 'a series of failures over the last 13 years'. Telegraph


• Sociologist Frank Furedi writes on the destructive power of false accusations and how fear of these impacts on the capacity of teachers to provide authoritative leadership. Parents, he argues, must regard teachers as allies. Guardian


• Five education experts, including former Secretary of State for Education Estelle Morris, general Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, and Fiona Millar, chair of Comprehensive Future, debate whether parents should be able to set up their own 'free schools'. Guardian


• David Cameron has backed the idea of a UK-wide school talent contest based on shows such as X-Factor to promote music in schools. Gary Barlow, who publicly endorses the Conservatives, would record a song with the winner of the contest. BBC

• The Sunday Times garners legal opinion which suggests that the admissions policy of Edinburgh University to give additional weighting to local students, might breach race relations laws. Such a claim may also apply to the fact that English students pay fees and Scottish students do not, as the UK's nations are not recognised by EU law. Times


• First time voters have been catapulted to the centre of the election agenda as the opinion polls put the Lib Dems on top for the first time. Younger voters show extraordinary volatility of voting preference: less than a quarter are certain to vote but many of these have changed allegiance since April 1st. Times


• In a ballot beginning this week, Cambridge University will contemplate changes that would curtail the right of the University's Parliament to approve the names of staff being made redundant, ending what many claim to be five centuries of job security. Times
  
• The BBC has learnt that Cumbria University had to receive a cash advance from the Higher Education Funding Council to pay staff wages last month. It is nearly £30m in debt but its vice chancellor claims it now has 'a credible business plan'. BBC


• Check how many pupils at state schools and from underprivileged backgrounds go to your university. Guardian


• David Mitchell disapproves of Cambridge Union Society's decision to launch pole dancing classes for students. Guardian


• The founder of website Graduate Fog picks apart the squabbling around university provision as one where all stakeholders - employers, students, universities and politicians - have very different ideas of what universities are for. Guardian

• Cameron sets out the Conservatives' vision of - and his motivation for - a big society. Guardian


• A lesbian couple have become the first same sex parents in Britain to jointly sign the birth certificate of their child, the father - a sperm donor - is not mentioned. The changes have angered pressure groups who argue that a birth certificate should reflect the genetic make-up of the child. Telegraph


• Scouts membership last year grew to 500, 000, the biggest growth in 38 years. The organisation has undergone a makeover to try and make it more appealing to today's young people and the waiting list stands at 33,500 due to a need for more volunteers. Times


• The controversy around Facebook's refusal to install a safety button for child protection is ongoing, as the NSPCC states that it would refuse expected offers by Facebook to allow children's charities to advertise for free on the site. Times


• Madeleine Bunting looks at where the big society already exists and finds it can never be a substitute for state intervention, or resolution to inequality. Guardian

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