Event – Annual Practitioner Conference 2009
The date and venue for this year’s Annual Practitioner Conference have been announced.
Tuesday 17 to Wednesday 18 November 2009, Jury’s Inn, Birmingham
General news
14-19 education – Record numbers for autumn courses(BBC, 15 June 2009)
Record numbers of youngsters will be starting courses in sixth forms, colleges and work training in England in the autumn, says the government.
14-19 education – More youths not in jobs or school(BBC, 16 June 2009)
The proportion of young people in England not in education, employment or training has increased to more than one in 10, government figures show.
14-19 education – A-levels ‘too much like sat-nav’(BBC, 17 June 2009)
The A-level exam has become “hollow preparation” for university, by undermining independent study and original thought, says a think tank.
Further education – Fears over college training fund (BBC, 16 June 2009)
There are fears the body responsible for funding England’s further education colleges could face its third cash crisis in a year, the BBC has learned.
Government – UK’s Darling: Health, education priorities in spending squeeze (Guardian, 17 June 2009)
Britain’s Labour government will make health and education its priorities despite having to squeeze overall public spending because of the recession, Finance Minister Alistair Darling said on Wednesday.
Higher education – Era of easy access to university may be over (Times, 16 June 2009)
This was never going to be an easy year to win a place in higher education – there are more 18-year-olds than at any time for almost 20 years and more overseas applicants to compound the problem.
Higher education – Capable students to miss out on university as clearing places cut(Times, 16 June 2009)
Two thirds of A-level students who would normally get into university through the clearing system will be left without a place this year, according to research by The Times.
Higher education - £7.8 million grant for shared solutions to common problems in the higher education sector (HEFCE, 25 June 2009)
HEFCE today welcomed the statement by the Prime Minister on the important role played by The Open University (OU). This coincides with an announcement by HEFCE of £7.8 million of funding to enhance the OU’s national role, and is part of the celebrations of the OU’s 40th anniversary.
Sectors: engineering – Three-year drive to boost STEM will raise student numbers and aid economy (HEFCE, 15 June 2009)
Further details have been announced for the £20 million national programme starting this summer that aims to increase the number of students graduating from science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses.
Sectors: health and social care – New national curriculum needed for social work degrees (General Social Care Council, 18 June 2009)
A new national curriculum should be put in place for social work degree courses to improve quality and so that employers can be clearer about what to expect from newly qualified social workers, the General Social Care Council (GSCC) has said.
Sectors: public wellbeing – Building partnerships between higher education and grassroots sport (Sport England, 12 June 2009)
Sport England, supported by British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS), has launched a consultation on our plans to further develop the partnership between higher education and grassroots sport.
Sectors: sustainable communities – John Denham: Survey signals time to strengthen local government(Communities and Local Government, 23 June 2009)
A major new national survey on what people think of their local area and council demonstrates the importance of renewing local democracy, said Communities Secretary John Denham today.
Vocational education – Guardian letters(Guardian, 25 June 2009)
Opinion piece: letter from Sue Betts, Director of Linking London Lifelong Learning Network.
Workplace training – Train to Gain goes from strength to strength (BIS, 25 June 2009)
Three-quarters of employers training their staff through the Government’s flagship Train to Gain programme have seen significant gains in performance and in the skills of their workforce, according to reports published today.
