The International Monetary Fund recently forecast that the world economy will contract by 0.6% desipte the earlier prediction that it would grow by 0.5%, writes Kyial Arabaeva. At a time of deepening recession, increasing unemployment, soaring prices and gloomy economic prognosis by economists and experts who claim that the global economy will get worse before… [Read More]
Amidst predictable howls of protest from those who will accuse them of doing so merely to reinforce still further the privileges of the already undeservedly more advantaged pupils of public schools, colleges at Cambridge University have today announced that, from 2010, applicants must have gained at least one A* grade at A-level.
Over the last decade the government has made a number of attempts to revolutionise the teaching profession, some less successful than others. The most recent proposition is particularly questionable. The plan is to implement a ‘fast track’ teacher training course, in which candidates are fully trained and working in the classroom within six months. As if this was not controversial enough, it is said to be geared towards ex-City workers.
The Annual European Growth and Jobs Monitor says that the economic downturn has compromised the economic growth and employment goals envisaged in the EU’s Lisbon Treaty, writes Kyial Arabaeva. The report says that “Declines in growth rate and labour productivity will be followed by deteriorations in employment and public finances”.
I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry at the government’s latest gimmick in public service reform: government-sponsored websites on which people can rate their school, GP practice or nanny. For now, I will settle for outlining four points specific to healthcare: Continued at healthpolicyinsight.com
The Charity ‘Age Concern England’ brought a case to the British High Court to challenge the British law that empowers employers to sack somebody when they reach retirement age – 65 years old, writes Kyial Arabaeva. The Charity is urging the UK Government to abolish the mandatory retirement age.
On Friday the Times Educational Supplement brought to our attention the numbers of secondary school head teachers removed from their posts last year: a staggering 150. The article claims that it is generally heads of challenging schools not ‘turning their schools around fast enough’ who have suffered. Surely with this kind of ‘pro-active’ behaviour the… [Read More]
This email spun its way into my inbox from a consultant working in the NHS, following our discussion around AHSCs last week. It may well be a controversial view, but a thought-provoking one nonetheless: “It was fascinating to hear your guests unanimous in their conviction that the NHS needs a fundamental re-think if it is… [Read More]
A strange combination of maladies currently afflicts England’s state schools. On the one hand, recent obsession with ‘examination results’ has led many to morph into soulless ‘boot camps’, simply drilling pupils to pass tests, in the memorable image recently coined by Nick Dorey, chairman of the Society of Headmasters and Headmistresses.
Following Eastern and Central EU Member States’ recent mini-summit to discuss fears of protectionism, an informal summit of the leaders of all 27 EU Member States took place on Sunday, writes Kyial Arabaeva. The ambition was to construct concrete solutions to tackle the crisis and to expel worries about protectionism, unequal bail-outs and a feared… [Read More]