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| Institute for the Study of Civil Society |
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28 July
- Michael Gove has promised to examine evidence from the case of Khyra Ishaq, who starved to death at home after her mother removed her from school, to look for evidence as to whether the home education system leaves children at greater risk of abuse or neglect. A report last year showed that twice as many home-educated children are known to social services as school age children within the mainstream education system.
Times
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The Association of Headteachers and Deputies in Scotland (AHDS) has suggested that SNP plans to limit class sizes in the first year of primary school to 25 pupils may threaten the education of older children. They are concerned that unless extra funding is provided - unlikely amid in the era of cuts -schools would be forced to transfer staff from teaching other classes. The AHDS general secretary suggests that setting a ratio of teachers to pupils would be more important.
Telegraph
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Tim Byles, chief executive of the Partnership for Schools, responsible for the £55bn initiative Building Schools for the Future, told MPs he warned Gove's office to check the list of which school building projects were to be axed before publishing it. He claims Gove's staff disregarded this to publish the list which was later found to have 25 errors. Ministers later appeared to blame Byles for the errors.
Guardian
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Birmingham council yesterday published the first serious case review in full - into the death of Khyra Ishaq. The Chairwoman of the Birmingham safeguarding children board, which conducted the review, said the tragedy was entirely avoidable, concluding that it was confusion over who was responsible for children's welfare once they'd left school rather than home schooling which contributed to the tragedy. Inquiries into Birmingham children's services have found it to be substandard despite restructuring.
Times
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MPs are to launch an enquiry into 'endemic problems' at the children's court service, Cafcass, after a report found it could have responded better to the sharp rise in its workload following the Baby P case, raising concerns about its ability to facilitate quick but sound decisions about the lives of vulnerable children. In September, the public accounts committee will seek assurances that a £10m transformation programme at Cafcass would address the problems.
Guardian
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A review of studies into the impact of relationships on health found that people had a 50% better survival rate if they belonged to a wider social group, whether friends, neighbours or relatives. Being lonely and isolated was as bad for a person's health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic, and twice as bad for the health as being obese. The researchers call on GPs to consider isolation as seriously as they do other health risks.
Guardian
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Work and Pensions Secretary Chris Grayling is conducting an urgent review into the application of a new medical test which assesses whether those applying for employment and support allowance - the benefit which replaced incapacity benefit - are capable of working. Figures show only 6% of those tested are being found to be totally incapable of working. The scrutiny group will explore whether the tests are being applied sufficiently flexibly and report by the end of the year.
Guardian
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