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Police assure parents and teachers that warnings were bogus despite pupils being evacuated from some sites UK politics live – latest updates Hundreds of schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland were hit by a fresh wave of hoax bomb threats on Wednesday, with some sites evacuated as a precaution. Police said at least 470 schools, from Dumfries in the south of Scotland to Aberdeenshire and Orkney in the north, had…
Conservative leader launches Welfare That Works policy document Here are pictures of some of the ministers arriving for cabinet this morning. Lucy Powell was giving interviews this morning in part to publicise an announcement from the Department for Education beefing up guidance on mobile phones in schools in England. As the BBC reports, schools are already supposed to be phone-free, but in many places this just…
Inquiry recommends NSW police investigate allegations of sexual assault and other abuse at Redeemer Baptist school A probe into a private religious school accused of sexual, physical, psychological, spiritual and financial abuse has recommended it be barred from enrolling new students. Former students and teachers of western Sydney’s Redeemer Baptist school told a NSW parliamentary inquiry about a string of…
Almost two-thirds of school leaders polled say new regime is much more intense than previous framework More than half of headteachers in England who were polled after their schools were inspected under Ofsted’s new regime are considering cutting short their careers as a result of the experience. In response to the question “Has the inspection affected how long you intend to stay in your role?”, 52% of those who…
Company says schools should control student AI use, but if they block its AI tools, they’ll lose access to search engine Parents and teachers across the US are criticizing Google’s announcement that schools choosing to block AI tools could also lose access to Google Search. Google announced last week a range of new AI tools for schools and classrooms, alongside options allowing teachers and administrators to restrict…
Lucy Powell says proposals to end widespread practice will be included in overhaul of England’s national curriculum Pushing GCSE subjects on younger pupils risks turning England’s secondary schools into “early exam factories”, the education secretary has said, warning that it is increasing disengagement from education. Lucy Powell wants schools to end the widespread practice of teaching GCSE topics to pupils in year…
Primary school students bested 200,000 competitors across New South Wales to reach the Premier’s Spelling Bee finals in Sydney Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Competing in a spelling bee is not for the faint of heart. Sometimes, the difference between victory and loss is one incorrect vowel and you’re undone, months of training reduced to nought. At a small theatre hall in Sydney’s west…
We’d like to hear from teachers and parents about how AI is changing communication between schools and families As AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude become increasingly common in everyday life, we are interested in how they’re being used in communication between parents and schools. Are you a school leader or teacher who has received AI-generated emails from parents, if so, what has been the impact? Or are you a…
Exclusive: Schools minister launches new Ukrainian GCSE and says she is sorry students were pushed to study Russian in its absence The UK has apologised to Ukrainian child refugees who were told to study Russian in English schools, as it launched funding for a new GCSE in Ukrainian. Ukrainian children who were forced to seek refuge in the UK after Vladimir Putin’s invasion in 2022 say it was “insulting” that their…
My father, Jim Hardy, who has died aged 81, spent 54 years helping young people find their feet through karting. He joined Barclay school in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, as a chemistry teacher in 1969, and founded its karting team that year. Even after he stopped teaching in 1997, he remained its team leader. Continue reading...
After deaths of five students at hands of Israeli settlers in last academic year, al-Mughayyir’s teachers and pupils are on high alert This year, parents in al-Mughayyir had to be persuaded to send their children back to school. Israeli settlers had killed five teenage students last academic year – one of them at the school gates. To reassure parents, teachers of the public secondary school gave a tour of the…
Minister warns weeks without lessons are putting exams at risk as unions plan nationwide strike on Thursday Dozens of high schools across France were blockaded again on Monday as the government braced for another tense week of protests over school conditions and the high cost of living. The protests come amid warnings that weeks without lessons are putting some pupils’ school year and final exams at risk. Continue…
From feeding schoolchildren to recycling tyres, these entrepreneurs are challenging stereotypes while solving social and environmental problems Africa is thought to have a higher proportion of female entrepreneurs than any other continent and yet many still struggle to access financing . Four business leaders from Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya and Malawi tell us about the inspiration behind their success – and the…
Readers respond to a campaign by teenage girls against the use of uniforms in pornography This is a wonderful campaign by Rose, Mae, Aylin and Willow to ban the use of school uniform in pornography ( We’re teenage girls fighting to ban the use of school uniform in porn. Why have you left it up to us?, 23 October ). Perhaps it could be followed by another to ban school uniforms altogether. The reasons for having them…
Marilyn Hampton, who regularly bought supplies for and gave rides to children, was honored at public meeting US schools are often named after presidents, historical figures and civil rights leaders. And soon joining those ranks is a retired longtime Texas school custodian known for going above and beyond her duties by buying classroom supplies for children in need and helping students with their assignments. That…
Misogyny prevention fund to help tackle sexism at work, school and in public places across UK The chancellor will give £15m to a dedicated fund to tackle misogyny in workplaces, schools and public places amid concerns in government about the rise of “manosphere” influencers. The women and equalities minister, Bridget Phillipson, will helm the UK-wide fund, announced last month, marking the first time there has been…
Activists say struggle must go on until their ‘maximum’ demands are met over teacher shortages and building repairs French children should continue to barricade their schools and take part in street protests, a student union said on Monday after the government announced a package of education measures to try to stem the crisis. “Today we’re at the negotiating table, we’re able to negotiate with the government,”…
No one should have to feel nervous about walking to school in clothes designed for children. It’s time for UK law to end the disgusting sexualisation of minors In the Little Feminist Book Club, we don’t read a lot of books. The group, set up by former students at our school, is more about reading poems and articles, analysing song lyrics, discussing the issues that matter to us and, most importantly, campaigning. Our…
French president also says he will decide on concrete ‘next steps’ for the next nationwide demonstrations Angry lawyers and bewildered defendants: the fallout from fast-tracking French rioting cases Emmanuel Macron has said “illegitimate” demonstrations will be banned over the coming days as France seeks to get a grip on civil unrest after some of its worst street violence in years erupted on the fringes of cost of…
Zia Yusuf claims undercover investigation broke the law as broadcaster stands by its journalism Here is an explainer by Jill Ambrose about the Jackdaw decision. But environmental groups have condemned the decision. Ami McCarthy, head of politics for Greenpeace UK , said: Approving Jackdaw shows the toxic grip fossil fuel lobbyists still hold over our energy policy. Andy Burnham promised pragmatism [see 8.40am ] , but…
Readers react to Simon Jenkins’ article that said it’s more important for children to learn how to speak fluently than study mathematics Simon Jenkins must have had a deeply unpleasant experience of learning maths at school because he seems to have a pathological antipathy towards it ( We are teaching children maths they will never use. Isn’t it better to help them speak fluently?, 16 October ). I have no qualms with…
A Washington referendum has drawn broad opposition from adults who work with queer and trans teens For Kelsey Gellner, a Seattle-based pediatric nurse, a statewide proposal to bar trans girls from sports participation feels like a violation of her duty as a medical professional. The ballot initiative includes a requirement she calls “invasive and extreme”: all students who wish to compete on girls’ teams would have…
Government expected to accept recommendations of review, which found three in five Jewish students had experienced prejudice Schools and colleges in England will be expected to take a tougher stance against antisemitism after a report found that three out of five Jewish students said they had been affected. Sir David Bell, the former chief inspector of Ofsted who was commissioned by the government to lead the…
Reunions can be riotous, scandalous or just plain awkward. Experts and attendees share how to go in prepared Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email Mike walked into his 20th high school reunion with a mission. The 40-year-old firefighter from Melbourne was not the first, nor will he be the last, to enter such a space with an agenda. After all, few social situations are as fraught as high school reunions. Some…
Authorities examine potential Hipaa breach after Louisiana hospital counselor shared information with pre-school principal, her sister-in-law The FBI has launched a criminal investigation after a counselor at a premier Louisiana pediatric hospital accessed the medical records of a girl whose parents reported that she was sexually abused by a classmate at her preschool – and then shared information from the child’s…
