UK Education News

Expletive Given Marks in English Exam

2008-06-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

A review has been launched after a top examiner gave a GCSE English candidate marks for writing only a two word expletive on their exam paper.

Peter Buckroyd, the Assessment and Qualification Alliance's (AQA) chief examiner for GCSE English, gave the pupil two marks out of a possible 27 for writing "fuck off" on the exam paper.

According to The Times Mr Buckfield defended his leniency by saying that the candidate had demonstrated more skills than one "who doesn't write anything at all".

He told The Times: "It would be wicked to give it a zero because it does show some very basic skills we are looking for - like conveying some meaning and some spelling."

The Joint Council for Qualifications, a body representing the exam boards, said that examiners were required to report instances of "inappropriate, offensive or obscene material" in exam scripts. The awarding body must investigate and decide on an appropriate sanction.

An AQA spokeswoman said that examiners in a similar position should contact the board for advice.

She said: "As a result, an obscenity should either be disregarded, or action will be taken against the candidate, depending on the seriousness of the case.

"The example cited was unique in the experience of the senior examiner concerned and was used in a pre-training session to emphasise the importance of adhering to the mark scheme: i.e. if a candidate makes any sort of response to a question then it must be at least given consideration to be awarded a mark.

"We do not condone the use of obscenities in scripts: in the light of this incident we will be reviewing our instructions to examiners which will include reiterating the procedure to be followed when encountering obscenities in scripts."

Foreign Students Accused of Degree Fraud

2008-06-20T02:41:00.000-07:00

An influential MP has said that the Government must take seriously the fraud of foreign students with poor English language skills graduating with postgraduate qualifications in the UK.

Phil Willis, Lib Dem MP for Harrogate and Karesborough and Chair of the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Select Committee, warned of unease at the way standards were policed.

Mr Willis' comments come a few days after a university lecturer blew the whistle on her institution's approach to recruiting postgraduates who lack even basic English skills.

The anonymous female academic, who works in a science department in a well known UK university, told how she'd had to resort to drawing pictures to communicate with some postgraduates because their English was so poor.

Hundreds of people emailed the BBC to corroborate what the whistleblower had said. Several of the email correspondents claimed that their institutions were happy to turn a blind eye to overseas postgraduates with poor language skills, because of their high tuition fees.

Concern was also expressed that some overseas students resorted to plagiarism to overcome their poor level of written English. Institutions are reluctant to penalise these students, because they recognise that such cutting and pasting may be acceptable in different cultures.

Mr Willis said: "The government must take this issue seriously.

"The quality of our higher education product - with several of our universities in the top 100 universities in the world - is dependent on the quality of research and the quality of the students doing the research, and that must not be jeopardised. "

"It is hugely disappointing that the academic cannot report this to his or her own university or to Hefce [England's funding body for higher education].

"It is critically important that where there is evidence of malpractice - or fraud, which is what this is - that it is teased out as quickly as possible."

The universities claim to have measures in place to ensure students have sufficient knowledge of English to cope with their studies.

Parents Given Green Light for Village School

2008-06-12T04:44:00.000-07:00

A group of parents has been given permission to open a new village school.

The villagers of Bolnore in West Sussex are the first parents in England to win the right to open their own school.

The primary school, with sufficient places for 210 pupils, will be built in woodland near Haywards Heath.

Children from the village currently have to travel to over 20 different schools, most of them several miles away.

The need for a school was recognised by West Sussex County Council last year, with the population of Bolnore creeping upwards. Due to Government legislation the authority had to put the proposal for the new site out to tender.

It is the first time parents have succeeded in a competitive bid to run a primary school, but it is not the first parent-led state school.

Bolnore School Group chairman Julia Bunting Thring said: "We're incredibly excited to be given the opportunity to create a new school that will meet the needs of all our children, our families and our community.

"Our proposal is about partnership. It's about bringing together the best people to ensure that every child can flourish and reach their full potential."

Jim Knight, Minister for Schools, said: "This shows that our policy of increasing choice and diversity for parents and pupils is really working. We want new and distinctive groups to get involved in education where this has the support of the local community and will help to raise standards.

"This could include other schools, local colleges and universities and other institutions with a presence in the area, perhaps in a shared trust.

"And we particularly welcome the involvement of parents and local residents themselves who know the needs of the children and the area. I congratulate the Bolnore School's Group on their success, and wish them all the best for the future."

The new foundation school will open in September 2009. To begin with it will operate in shared primary school accommodation in Haywards Heath, moving to new buildings the following year.

Scotland Offers New Baccalaureates

2008-06-10T05:17:00.000-07:00

The Scottish Government has announced the introduction of new science and languages Baccalaureates.

Launching the scheme at Stirling University Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "The new Baccalaureates are designed to stretch our most able young people and the first awards will be made in 2010. The Baccalaureates will contribute to the Government's principal purpose of creating a more successful Scotland with opportunities for all to flourish through increasing sustainable economic growth."

"The awards aim to encourage more of our young people to study science and language courses in the later stages of secondary school, raise the status of S6 and assist our young people in making the transition from school to higher and further education and employment."

The new qualifications, based on the existing system of Highers, are intended to smooth the transition between school and university or employment.

The Science Baccalaureate will consist of a maths Higher, two science Highers, one science at advanced Higher, and an "interdisciplinary" project to be taken at the Advanced Higher level.

The Language Baccalaureate will consist of English or Gaelic at Higher level, two modern or classical language courses at Higher, one modern or classical language course at Advanced Higher, and an interdisciplinary course at Advanced Higher level.

The Conservatives have accused the Government of making the awards system even more complicated.

Schools Warned: Improve or Close

2008-06-10T05:03:00.000-07:00

As many as one in five secondary schools in England face closure unless they can improve their exam results.

The Government is targeting 638 schools, where less than 30% of the pupils gain at least five good GCSEs including English and Maths.

The new standards drive, known as the National Challenge, will give the worst performing schools only three years to pull their GCSEs grades above the 30% benchmark. The scheme will also see the number of academies increase by 70.

Launching the scheme Schools Secretary Ed Balls told Radio 4: "Academies in the last few years have been taking intakes from more deprived areas, a move deprived intake than their area would suggest, and have faster rises in results than the average."

Struggling schools will receive additional funding, expert advice and support from neighbouring successful schools and external partnerships.

There will also be a new type of school structure for those "completely unable to raise their exam results".

These National Challenge Trusts will see the shutting down of the failing school and a reopening of a new school, to be run as a joint project with a high-performing local school and a partner such as a local business or university, with up to £750,000 funding.

Teachers' unions have criticised the plan and suggested it risks stigmatising schools in poor areas.

School Bans Red Bull

2008-06-06T04:09:00.000-07:00

A school has decided to ban its pupils from drinking the energy drink Red Bull, following complaints that it increased the level of bad behaviour.

Chatsmore Catholic High School in Worthing, West Sussex, said some children's conduct changed after consuming the drink.

The acting head, Anne Ward, said that pupils were now banned from bringing Red Bull on to the school grounds. The Tesco branded Kick high energy drink has also been banned from the 630-pupil school, in a bid to stop the escalation of bad behaviour.

Ms Ward said: "We found that a small number of children's behaviour was less appropriate after they had been drinking these drinks.

"We were becoming increasingly concerned about the level of inappropriate behaviour so decided to take action before it becomes a bigger issue.

"If they want to drink these drinks outside school then that is an issue for their parents.

"We advocate drinking water and indeed we allow pupils to drink water during lessons."

Each can of Red Bull, advertised by the manufacturers as a product that "gives you wings", contains 80 mg of caffeine. It is not recommended for individual sensitive to caffeine, including children.

New Child Protection Vetting List

2008-06-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

Millions of adults who work with children will have to register with child protection authorities, under an expanded safeguarding scheme due next year.

The Government estimates that 11.3 million people - one in four of all English adults - will be included on the new database, with registration costing £64 per person. The fee will be waived in the case of voluntary workers.

Inclusion on the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) database will be mandatory for anyone who works with children, whether in a paid or voluntary capacity.

Organisations providing work experience placements for students will not be compelled to register their workers.

From October 2009 employers, voluntary organisations and charities will be forbidden from recruiting anyone who is not ISA registered. People currently working with children will have until 2010 to complete the registration process, irrespective of whether they have been previously vetted.

It will become an offence for anyone barred from working with children to apply for such a job - and there will be penalties for employers who fail to check on the registration of applicants.

Initially the scheme will apply to workers based in England, but it is expected that it will be extended to Scotland and Wales.

Most Maths Teachers Not Specialists

2008-06-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

Less than half of maths teachers in England's secondary schools have a degree in the subject, despite a national recruiting campaign to boost numbers.

A government-commissioned study of 327 secondary schools found that most teachers had a degree in the subjects they taught.

This tended to be more likely in the sciences, with 90% of these teachers having what was categorised as a relevant post A-level qualification.

In biology, for example, 85% of those teaching the subject had a relevant degree, as did 83% of those teaching chemistry and 72% of those teaching physics.

But the figures showed that only 47% of those teaching maths had a relevant degree, although 75% had a post A-level qualification of some sort.

One in four maths teachers did not hold any relevant post A-level qualifications, which include BEds, PGCEs and Certificates of Education.

And the percentage of lessons taught by maths specialists dropped from 88% in 2002 to 84% in 2007, according to the report, the Secondary School Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2007.

A spokeswoman for the Training and Development Agency (TDA) for Schools told the BBC News: "Fewer students are studying science, technology, engineering and maths subjects at A-level and degree level, meaning a smaller pool from which to draw in an increasingly competitive graduate labour market."

Universities Showing Clemency to Plagiarists

2008-06-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

University students caught plagiarising their work are very rarely expelled, according to the latest survey on the issue.

The findings, published in a recent Higher Education Academy report, show that of the 9,200 cases studied only 143 students were actually expelled.

The most common sanction was making the students resubmit their work with marks deducted. The second most common sanction was a reprimand.

The report criticised the inconsistent approach shown by different institutions in dealing with plagiarism. Some institutions allowed students to resubmit plagiarised work with no penalty, whereas others were happy to issue an informal warning.

This study also found that plagiarism was more frequent in postgraduate courses.

"It was surprising to observe that the recorded level of plagiarism among postgraduate students was so much higher than the recorded level among undergraduate student," says the report.

Across the universities as a whole, the cheating rate was about seven cases for every thousand students.

Students Tipped Off Over Exam Content

2008-05-28T04:06:00.000-07:00

An exam board is investigating claims that teachers may have given students prior notice of the questions they were likely to face in a practical examination.

The Oxford, Cambridge and RSA (OCR) exam board is concerned that discussions in an online student forum ahead of their A2 biology practical identified key areas for revision.

A thread was started on The Student Room forums asking for ideas about which topics would be covered in the exam.

One student replied: "My teacher randomly covered kidneys today and offered no explanation. Also we covered yesterday a Benedict's test of a non-reducing sugar... can't be coincidence."

The following replies also appeared:

"It's more than likely going to be food tests and kidneys for Q2, as I've been led to believe."
"Pretty sure it's kidney and food tests."
"Our teachers have had a look and gave us a revision list ..."
"In my last lesson my teachers made us do this practical practice sheet on the kidney - all about the different areas and what's in them etc so yeah I would say that is going to be the microscope question."
"The microscope is on kidneys! That's for sure, my teacher would not lie."
"Yes, she (the teacher) gave us a *MAJOR* hint so no reason to disbelieve her. We looked through kidney slides today as well, spent a full 1 hour looking down a microscope at the kidney! She wants us to be 'familiar' with it."
"Kidneys a deffo so revise everything. And the first question we were hinted by our techa that its got to do something with a mini water bath u have to make of ur own so is temperature and enzymes related to this?"

In a statement, the board said: "OCR is aware that, as is the case every year, various suggestions as to what might be in the practical examination were circulating on the internet.

"We will be closely examining the results from any centre where there are grounds for suspicion to ascertain if any candidate was unfairly advantaged."

In the same examination last year OCR were forced to abandon candidate's marks after many had difficulty in obtaining experimental results.

Under-5s Curriculum Slammed by Top Schools

2008-05-27T11:52:00.001-07:00

The Government's proposed curriculum for under fives is an assault on family life, according to a coalition of top schools.

In a leaked letter to Beverley Hughes, the Children's Minister, the Independent Schools Council (ISC) argued that the planned curriculum would see greater interference in the education of younger children than in any other age group.

The Council, representing 1,280 fee-paying schools teaching 500,000 children, also criticised the target-driven programme as a "clumsy" and "unjustified" imposition on schools.

The Early Years Foundation Stage framework, nicknamed the nappy curriculum, sets out hundreds of developmental milestones for younger children and envisages assessing them on almost 70 different skills areas.

It will apply to all 25,000 nurseries and child care settings in England, whether they are run by the state, charities or private companies. This includes 946 ISC member schools, providing facilities for children aged three to five.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) defended the project, saying that parents would be able to opt out of parts of the programme that conflicted with their beliefs.

AQA Launch New A-Level in Being a Teenager

2008-05-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

The largest examining board in England and Wales is launching a controversial new A-level that will see students tested on a range of teenager related issues.

The A-level in communication and culture is being branded as "excellent preparation" for higher education by the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA).

But critics suggest that the new qualification, which replaces the obsolete and derided communication studies A-level, lacks the academic rigour of other subjects. There is also concern that schools will use the lightweight subject as a means of artificially inflating their standing in the league tables.

The syllabus is reported to include topics such as the cult of celebrity, body modification, forms of communicating including texting, computer games, graffiti and street art.

Nick Seaton, of the Campaign for Real Education, said: "Many parents and employers will consider this a waste of school time and expect an A-level covering 'culture' to concentrate on great literature, art or music."

An AQA spokesman said the syllabus had been approved by the exams watchdog Ofqual.

Teachers Reminded of Online Risks

2008-05-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

Teachers in Scotland have been reminded of the dangers of putting too much personal information on the internet.

The new guidelines, issued by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), follow concerns that teachers were contacting pupils by email and exchanging information via social networking sites like Facebook or Bebo.

Concerns have been raised that teachers who communicate online with pupils could be exposing themselves to potentially career damaging accusations of misconduct.

Gary McDonald, technology teacher at Balerno Community High School in Edinburgh, said teachers had to be careful of getting into situations where they could be taken advantage of by a group of pupils, or by an individual.

He added: "Teachers should not involve themselves with social networking sites, or be in a situation where an online relationship could form with a pupil.

"In school there are guidelines to say don't be in a classroom alone with a pupil, all doors should be open, and from that point of view we are covered.

"Online we are not and teachers should be wary of involvement with pupils, particularly through social networking sites."

Annie Rankin, an English teacher at the same school, said the code of conduct sets out expectations for teacher behaviour in such circumstances.

She said: "There are some new technology issues that do come up. A friend of mine had a social networking page and was recently approached by a pupil to become their friend, to which they rapidly replied: 'no thanks'.

"In rural areas, where teachers live within the catchment areas of the school or perhaps have children who go to the same school, they may have pupils who are friends with their children and maybe even visit their house.

"At what point does it become the teacher/pupil relationship, or one of the friend's parent?

"There has to be a balance between building a rapport with pupils, but also maintaining a distance and a level of formality.

"There is always an element of naivety, particularly with those who are new to the profession, but this new code will benefit us and protect us."

NUT Issues New Strike Warning

2008-05-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) has raised the prospect of further classroom disruption with a warning that an autumn ballot for strike action remains an option.

The union, which recently staged the walk out of teachers in over 8000 schools, is considering the next course of action in a disagreement over pay.

The Government's proposed pay deal would see teachers receive an increase of 2.45% this September, followed by 2.3% increases in each of the following two years. The NUT has dismissed the offer, which they argue equates to a pay cut when the price of living is taken into account.

Christine Blower, NUT acting general secretary, bluntly warned that: "An option for an autumn ballot will be given consideration."

Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, responded to NUT concerns by saying: "I believe that this three year award will enable teachers and schools to plan ahead, is fair and affordable and delivers the kind of public sector pay discipline that our economy needs at this time."

Elsewhere the University and College Union (UCU) is threatening that its members in London will take strike action on 9 June unless there is an improvement on 2.5% pay offer.

GCSE Music Answers Mix-Up

2008-05-23T04:28:00.000-07:00

Thousands of teenagers sitting their GCSE music exam had a pleasant surprise when they discovered some of the answers had been included on the paper.

The Oxford, Cambridge and RSA (OCR) exam board is blaming a printing error for the embarrassing blunder, which affected 12,000 pupils sitting the exam on 16th May.

In many centres the mistake wasn't noticed until the exam had already started, leaving eagle-eyed candidates at a potential advantage over their less observant counterparts.

As part of the exam the pupils had to listen to, identify and answer questions on several compositions - the details of which were conveniently provided in the copyright acknowledgement on the reverse of the question paper.

An OCR statement said: "OCR regrets that a printing error may have affected a small number of marks on the GCSE Music paper which was taken on Friday 16 May. A maximum of five per cent (5%) of the marks on this particular paper are potentially affected.

"All exam papers have a copyright statement dealing with source material on the back page. This one in particular had more detail than is usual in a music paper. OCR has received a handful of calls from schools querying the situation. Since there has been media comment, there are still only 20 queries from teachers that have been received. It is unlikely that many of the 12,000 students sitting the examination would have recognised the value of the information in the copyright statement and subsequently used it.

"However, OCR is putting procedures in place to identify the effect, if any, this had on candidates and to make allowances accordingly to ensure that no candidate is disadvantaged. There will be no need for candidates to retake this component. OCR is confident that the procedures put in place will ensure that all candidates get the grades that their hard work deserves."

The new exams watchdog Ofqual has been informed of the incident.

Ofsted Switch Focus from Tables to Classrooms

2008-05-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

The schools regulator Ofsted is to send more inspectors into classrooms to observed teachers' performances, following criticism that they focus too much on national test results.

Appearing before the House of Commons Education Select Committee he chief inspector of education, Christine Gilbert, told MPs that the new Ofsted inspection regime would include more lesson observation.

Ms Gilbert also raised concerns about the number of poorly performing teachers, saying it took too long "to get rid of" teachers who were not up to scratch.

She said: "We are working to improve our work so it is more proportionate - inspectors may spend more time than they currently do in classrooms."

Committee chairman Barry Sheerman suggested that the current lighter touch inspections had failed to "get to the heart of" what was happening in schools - a claim firmly rejected by Ms Gilbert.

She said: "We don't rely just on data. We go into schools and test out that data, speak to teachers, observe lessons and invite comments from parents, and we do get a full impression of the school."

Asked about the number of failing teachers, she said: "I see, and heads tell me, that the process for getting rid of teachers who can't teach well takes too long. They are reluctant to embark on it. When they embark on it, the teacher moves school before the end, so I do think there is an issue there."

Recent estimates place the number of below-standard teachers in England's schools at between 17,000 and 24,000. The Government has promised to make removing poor teachers from schools easier in the future.

Advantages of Setting Questioned

2008-05-16T03:53:00.001-07:00

Setting pupils by ability in primary schools has no clear advantages and can have a detrimental effect on children in the lower groups.

That's the opinion of a group of leading academics working on The Primary Review.

Setting children by their academic ability is a widespread practice in UK schools. Those in the top group work faster and have enhanced learning opportunities, with teachers expecting more from them. Those in lower groups can feel stigmatised and have their activities restricted, according to the report.

On setting, the report said: "Teachers believe that they are matching instruction to the level of the students' ability, but the evidence suggests that many pupils find the work they are given is inappropriate; often it is too easy."

In fact, teaching quality had the biggest influence on whether pupils were successful or not, said the researchers from the Institute of Education and King's College, University of London.

It continued: "The adoption of structured ability groupings therefore has no positive effects on attainment but has detrimental effects on the social and personal outcomes for some children."

Exam Watchdog Asks Tough Question

2008-05-16T03:24:00.000-07:00

The public are to be asked whether they think examination standards are falling, according to the new independent watchdog.

Kathleen Tattersall, the first head of Ofqual, is to gather evidence on the thorny issue of whether public examinations are being dumbed down.

Ms Tattersall says that the public have unrealistic expectations that assessment should be absolutely perfect or accurate, citing the examples of essay and multiple choice questions where answers could be influenced by the interpretation of the examiner or sheer luck.

Ofqual's creation was announced last autumn, when the Government said it was splitting the two functions of the exams watchdog QCA, which had been charged with making sure standards were maintained and with shaping the curriculum and testing regime.

In a letter to Schools Secretary Ed Balls, Ms Tattersall said her first priority would be "to establish Ofqual as a credible, authoritative and independent voice in the debate around standards, assessment and qualifications, as we maintain and develop the ongoing work of regulating qualifications and tests".

Speaking to the Press Association news agency Ms Tattersall said: "We have really got to begin to engage with the public in a dialogue about the nature of the examination system.

"There's a broad expectation that assessment should be absolutely perfect and accurate, that a mark of 50 is a mark of 50, regardless of who marks, the time at which it is marked and so on.

"There is a precision expected of the system. We need to explore whether that sort of expectation is well-founded, or whether within the system there are some trade-offs between absolute reliability of that nature and the validity of the way in which we go about assessment."

Ms Tattersall suggested it was difficult to maintain standards whenever courses were revised or syllabuses changed.

Universities Falsifying Satisfaction Survey Results

2008-05-14T03:45:00.001-07:00

Students from a range of UK universities have claimed that they are being pressurised into making overly enthusiastic responses in an official satisfaction survey.

The National Student Survey, set up by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), provides a league table of student satisfaction designed to help potential undergraduates choose their university. The survey is endorsed by the Government and is part of the quality assurance system in higher education.

The underhand tactics came to light when students at Kingston University complained that staff were trying to sway their survey responses. Subsequently students at dozens of other institutions came forward reporting similar intervention.

In the Kingston University case a student obtained an audio recording of members of staff instructing students how to respond to the survey in a positive light, rather than by making their own honest answers.

In an email to BBC News a student called Brian from Newcastle wrote: "The message was practically shoved down our throats. Give us good reviews or your degree won't be worth much and you'll look like you're coming from a rubbish place in your interviews.

"We had at least three 'special' lectures on it, and a school wide announcement and e-mails and it was announced in induction events."

An HEFCE spokesman defended the credibility of the survey by saying: "Apart from Kingston, a very small number of cases has been brought directly to our attention. Again each of these has been or is being investigated.

"We do not consider that the cases that have come to light call into question the robustness of the survey and believe that the great majority of students will take the opportunity to provide accurate feedback on their experiences."

Tests Damaging School System

2008-05-13T04:41:00.000-07:00

An influential panel of MPs has said that the English national system of school tests is being misued to the detriment of children's education.

The report by the House of Commons Schools, Children and Families Select Committee comes in the same week that hundreds of thousands of eleven-year-olds are sitting their Key Stage 3 SATs exams.

It says that teachers spend too much time "teaching to the test".

"The inappropriate use of national testing could lead to damaging consequences," warns the report.

Barry Sheerman, chair of the committee, said that: "In an effort to drive up national standards, too much emphasis has been placed on a single set of tests and this has been to the detriment of some aspects of the curriculum and some students."

The committee broadly supported the idea of national tests but voiced concerns that there was over-emphasis on their results.

Schools Minister Jim Knight defended the use of national tests as part of the process of assessing progress for pupils, schools and the education system.

"Along with teachers' own judgements and Ofsted reports, tests are a tool which help pupils and their parents to understand how well they are doing, help parents and teachers to understand how well their school is doing, and help the public to scrutinise the performance of the schools system.

"That's why they are here to stay. Parents don't want to go back to a world where the achievements of schools are hidden from them."

The National Union of Teachers and NASUWT have both voiced their opposition to National Curriculum tests.

Maths Teacher Shortage to Worsen

2008-05-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

The shortage of qualified maths teachers in England and Wales is to worsten, according to a recent survey.

Professor John Howson, from Education Data Surveys, says that there is a north-south divide when it comes to number of trained maths teachers, with the south struggling the most.

The data was obtained by analysing the number of maths teaching vacancies compared to the number of newly qualified teachers with maths as a specialism.

Secondary schools across England and Wales have advertised 1,650 vacancies for maths teachers already this year, which equates to three quarters of the maths trainees likely to qualify in 2008.

The government has been working to address the shortfall of teachers in some shortage subjects by offering 'golden hellos' to welcome new entrants to the profession.

Professor Howson said: "Once again the government's failure to recruit enough trainee maths teachers means that some schools will be short of properly qualified maths teachers.

"Parents should ask what the government is doing about this issue.

"What is even more alarming is that recruitment to training courses for 2008 is falling behind the levels seen last year"

The government body responsible for teacher training, the Training and Development Agency (TDA), says that overall the number of people applying to teacher training courses is on target.

The organisation's chief executive Graham Holley said: "TDA figures from last year showed the number of trainee maths teachers had reached more than 2,300 for the first time.

"We are working hard to attract people with an interest in maths to the teaching profession, in what has become an increasingly competitive graduate labour market.

"We have a range of incentives to increase the supply of teachers offering maths, such as enhancement courses for existing teachers of other subjects to bring their maths skills up to date, returners courses, and higher bursaries (£9,000) and golden hellos (£5,000)."

Exam Congestion

2008-05-12T02:44:00.001-07:00

Pupils sitting GCSEs and A-levels over the next few weeks are under increased pressure due to 'exam congestion', according to head teachers.

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has warned that as more pupils sit a wider range of subjects, increasing numbers of them are being overwhelmed by three of four exams in a day.

The NAHT is calling for the examining bodies to co-ordinate their exams more effectively.

The exam season begins across England, Wales and Northern Ireland on Monday, but teaching unions fear what is already a difficult time for pupils is being made even harder.

Chris Howard, vice-president of the NAHT, said: "The exam boards need to do more to best co-ordinate their efforts so that youngsters don't have this problem of three or four examinations in one day which is clearly asking too much of anybody.

"It can't encourage the best performance by them."

There are fears that the problem of exam congestion could become even worse next year as new and old A-level systems overlap.

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which represents the exam boards, acknowledges the difficulty of squeezing thousands of different examinations into a one month period.

It said the increasing number of subjects being offered to pupils and restrictions on the scheduling of examinations, including bank holidays, school holidays and religious festivals, meant some clashes were inevitable.

Teaching Excellence and Grades Connection

2008-05-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

A leading government think-tank has said that poor teaching can be the difference between a pass and fail at GCSE level.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said that having an 'excellent' teacher could increase student's marks by at least one grade, whereas a 'good' teacher could give a 0.6 of a grade boost.

The findings have just been published in an IPPR report called Those Who Can? It called for more rigorous training and selection of teachers. The report also highlights that only one-in-four teachers have regular monitoring of their classroom performance.

The report contrasted the English system of initial teacher training (ITT) with those of several overseas countries, where they recruit only the brightest of graduates to the profession. It also suggested that graduate ITT courses should be doubled in length to two years, using psychometric testing to assess candidates' suitability and introducing a nationally-set exam for applicants.

Other recommendations included 20 days of development training each year and that teachers should regularly observe the lessons of colleagues.

The IPPR estimate that it would cost £481 million to implement the report's recommendations in full.

Governor Shortage

2008-05-09T05:24:00.000-07:00

One in ten governor's posts in England is vacant according to the Government's latest research on the issue.

The figures come just weeks after Schools Secretary, Ed Balls, revealed his plans for sweeping new changes to the way schools are governed.

A 2007 study revealed that one in five head teachers thought their governing body was inefficient. A similar proportion of heads thought their governors performed a very effective role.

Mr Balls thinks that effective governing bodies are a key factor in turning around failing schools.

As the working group advising ministers on how to strengthen school governance meets for the first time, he said: "We need all governing bodies to lead the work of school improvement.

"Strong governors are central to turning around under performing schools and will be key to raising standards in our 638 National Challenge schools, where less than 30% get five A* to C GCSEs, including English and maths.

"This is not about making governing bodies paid professionals - the voluntary ethos is here to stay.

"It is about making sure they have the right professionalism, skills and focus on holding schools to account and being accountable themselves to children, parents and local communities."

Government research shows that in schools graded inadequate by Ofsted the governing bodies fail to hold the leadership team to account. Concern has also been expressed that governing bodies fail to monitor the progress of such schools and an unaware of their strengths and weaknesses.

Students Overpaying Loans

2008-05-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

Former students may be out of pocket due to a flaw in the student loan repayment system, according to the National Union of Students (NUS).

The NUS's findings are supported by a BBC investigation, which revealed that some former students are still being asked for payments even after their debt has been cleared.

David Malcolm of the NUS said that the Student Loans Company was failing to keep a proper check on repayments.

Mr Malcolm said: "It's possible for any borrower to overpay on the amount of student loan debt that they have, simply because the Student Loans Company doesn't have that information about the repayments from the end of one tax year to the next."

Bill Rammell, the Higher Education Minister at the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, said that the Government were working closely with the Student Loans Company to improve their practices.

Mr Rammell said: "As from next year, student graduates will be able to predict when their repayments are due to cease, step out of the automatic system and repay manually through direct debit.

"That will mean that no-one will repay more than they're due to."

There are currently 2.5 million students with Student Loans Company loans worth a total of £18 billion.

Heads Leaving Over Workload

2008-05-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

More than a thousand head and deputy head teachers are leaving the profession each year because of increased pressure at work.

That's the stark warning issued by the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), who said that many of these school leaders were leaving without a pension and with no job to fall back on.

The union blames the long-hours suffered by heads and deputies, about half of which are working at least 60 hours a week.

NAHT General Secretary Mick Brooks is urging the Government to look closely at easing the burden on school leadership.

Mr Brooks also highlighted the difficulty in finding applicants for school leadership roles.

"We are down to three or four applicants on average for primary schools and special schools and about six for secondary schools.

"There aren't the necessary number of people applying and sometimes schools are not appointing anybody, or in desperation they are appointing the wrong person," he said.

He added: "In some cases, nobody is applying. It's very difficult for schools in these circumstances with hard to reach children and hard to reach parents.

"But it's not just these schools that are struggling - those with good reputations are having problems too."

Sixth Formers Cover Classes

2008-05-03T08:55:00.000-07:00

A comprehensive school is employing its sixth formers as occasional cover in place of supply teachers.

Two dozen A-level students at Chalfonts Community College in Buckinghamshire are being paid £5 for each lesson they cover.

The school believes it is better than employing temporary teachers who are unfamiliar with its ways and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) confirmed that such arrangements were not illegal.

The school's principal, Sue Tanner, said: "The quality of some of the supply teachers that come here is less than we would expect.

"They are not teaching, it is more like babysitting, they are just coming in and sitting there to cover," she told the Bucks Free Press newspaper.

"Sometimes they don't understand the expectations here, that we have a behaviour policy we expect teachers to follow."

A spokeswoman for the DCSF said schools had a certain amount of flexibility which could include occasionally using non-teachers to take lessons provided they were supervised by a qualified teacher.

But it was not something the department was keen to encourage.

"We do not micro manage schools and they have certain flexibilities within the law - this includes occasionally using non-teachers to take lessons if they are supervised by a qualified teacher."

Exam Papers Stolen

2008-05-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

The UK's largest examination board is re-setting dozens of GCSE exam papers after a van carrying them was stolen.

The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) confirmed that it was re-setting the questions in 40 papers following the theft of the unmarked Parcel Force delivery van in Hertfordshire two weeks ago.

The van was being unloaded when an opportunist thief jumped into the driver's seat and made off with the valuable cargo.

Despite the van being recovered only a few hours the Police were unable to account for all of the papers, meaning the security of some of this summer's exams is compromised.

A spokesman for the board said: "Incidents like this are extremely rare. However, AQA takes all such cases very seriously.

"Protecting the integrity of our examinations and the interests of all candidates taking those examinations are our paramount concerns.

"All replacement papers are subject to our normal thorough quality assurance procedures and the regulator has been kept fully informed of our actions."

A spokesman for the new examinations regulator Ofqual said: "AQA has informed us that there has been a security breach, involving a number of examination papers.

"Ofqual is confident that AQA has taken the necessary steps to ensure that candidates will not be affected and that the integrity of the exams will not be compromised."

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact Hertfordshire Police on 0845 3300222.

Teachers on Strike

2008-04-24T09:55:00.000-07:00

More than a million children had an extra day off school today as teachers walked out on strike disrupting a third of schools in England and Wales.

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) called for the industrial action, the first in more than twenty years, in response to a 2.45% pay award which they argue equates to a pay cut in real terms.

The walkout has affected at least 8,000 schools in England and Wales forcing many parents to stay off work or make alternative childcare arrangements.

This one-day strike, condemned by all the main political parties, is the opening move in what the NUT says will be a long-term campaign over pay.

Christine Blowers, acting general secretary of the NUT, said: "I'm here today leading the strike action that was so well supported by Steve [Sinnott, the general secretary] before his tragic death a couple of weeks ago.

"What I would say to government is that we're very serious about education in the NUT and we believe that teachers, having had three years of below-inflation pay increases with a further three years to come, will mean not only our members will suffer in terms of pay levels but we won't be able to recruit the brightest and the best of graduates into teaching to do that job that we all love and is the most important in society."

The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said that the strike had been support by only a minority of teachers and that it was regrettable for both pupils and parents.

Mr Brown added: "I hope we can move forward in the next few months and get a sure settlement of this."

Teachers have been manning picket lines outside their schools, waving placards and handing out leaflets to drum up support for their cause.

Some metropolitan boroughs were particularly hard hit by the protests with widespread disruption reported in Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds and Inner London as well as some rural counties.

The Government's three-year pay deal for teachers is worth 2.45% this year, and then increases of 2.3% in the following years.

Exam Appeals Rocket

2008-04-22T07:55:00.000-07:00

One of Britain's largest teaching unions is calling for stricter guidelines to prevent parents from exploiting the examination system.

John Bangs, the head of education at the National Union of Teachers (NUT), has said that teachers need more defined guidelines to fend off pushy parents.

He said: "The occasional pushy parent will put teachers under pressure.

"I think actually having a proper code of practice which teachers can actually show to parents and say, this is the guidance, this has been worked out with schools, we have been consulted on it, it's entirely reasonable, and that's as far as I can go".

GCSE and A-level students can have extra marks or time awarded for a range of mitigating circumstances including headaches, noise in exams and family bereavement.

There are fears that the system is being exploited, as evidenced by a sharp increase in the number of appeals from 250,000 in 2005 to more than 300,000 in 2007.

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) reported a 9% increase in successful claims last year.

The official rules allow candidates one week after their final exam in a subject to make a plea for extra marks.

GCSE and A-level pupils in England can get an extra 5% on their marks if a parent dies close to exam day or 4% if a distant family member dies. They are also given special consideration for things like witnessing a distressing event on exam day (3%) or having a headache or hay fever, which entitles them to an extra 1% mark.

A-Level Alternative Introduced

2008-04-17T05:15:00.000-07:00

Another alternative to A-levels, aimed at preparing students for university study, has been approved by the exams watchdog.

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has given the green light to the Cambridge Internation Examinations "Pre-U" qualification, which is intended to "stretch and challenge" even the brightest of students.

The two-year Pre-U will compete with existing A-levels and the forthcoming Diploma. Students will be examined by essay style questions at the end of the two-year study period. The Pre-U will be offered in 26 subjects, including subjects such as English, Maths and Science.

Several high profile private schools have declared their interest in the qualification, which will also be made available in state schools from September.

Huge Rise in Unqualified Teachers

2008-04-16T05:04:00.000-07:00

The number of unqualified teachers working in state schools has increased sharply, according to new figures released by the Conservatives.

The number of teachers without Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), the Government's official teaching qualification, has increased from 2,940 in 1997 to 16,710 in 2007.

Two thirds of the five-fold increase in unqualified teachers - 2,480 in 1997 and 16,710 in 2007 - come from overseas, prompting fears that the Government is being forced to look abroad for teaching staff.

The Conservative shadow schools secretary, Michael Gove, expressed his surprise at the figures at a time when the Government is advising that every state school teacher should hold QTS.

Mr Gove said: "Ed Balls says he wants every teacher to have a masters degree but he's presiding over a system where more and more teachers don't even have the basic qualification he demands. Once again there is a gap between the government's spin and what happens in practice.

"The huge increase in the number of teachers from abroad is partly due to the fact that so many British teachers are leaving the profession. Increasing problems in many schools with discipline and bureaucracy simply put many people off."

A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) commented that: "The standard of teaching in our schools has never been better, indeed, Ofsted tells us that we have the best generation of teachers ever in our schools.

"These figures need to be seen in context. Teaching is the second most popular career choice for UK graduates and there are almost 40,000 more teachers in our schools than in 1997."

Teachers who qualify overseas are required to convert to QTS within four years of taking up a teaching post in the UK.

Tesco Offers Foundation Degree

2008-04-14T07:25:00.000-07:00

UK retail giant Tesco is to begin offering its own degree qualification in retail management.

The new programme will cover topics like the art of display design, special offers, efficient pricing and shelf stacking. Tesco's decision comes just a few months after the UK exams watchdog, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), gave the go ahead for similar qualifications to be offered by Network Rail, Flybe and McDonald's.

"Retail has had an image of attracting people are not much interested in going to university," said Derek Longhurst, director of Foundation Degree Forward, the body promoting the qualifications. "This is one way we can change that perception."

The course will be taught by a combination of hands on practicals, online projects and some days of lectures.

The two-year degree could become the standard national qualification for supermarket managers.

CCTV to Combat Exam Cheats

2008-04-11T04:27:00.000-07:00

CCTV cameras could be used in examinations to detect cheating and prevent unfounded complaints against invigilators.

The new measures, suggested by the Examination Officers' Association (EOA), will be tested in a handful of exam centres over coming months.

The EOA is concerned that cheats are using increasingly high-tech methods to break exam regulations and that invigilators fear the rising number of complaints being levelled at them by students.

The examination boards are already using electronic methods to track their papers and check passages of text for plagiarised material. Now invigilators want to see some of that new technology filter down to the exam room.

Andrew Harland, Chief Executive of the EOA, said: "CCTV is extensively used in schools and colleges but not in exam rooms.

"We wondered whether it would be useful in an exam situation to protect the students and staff.

"There is no diktat about introducing this, we are simply exploring the idea of whether this would be an interesting solution."

Mr Harland pointed out that their is an increasing tendency for exam centres to use non-teaching staff as invigilators, meaning the candidates don't necessarily know the people overseeing their exams.

He added: "With the introduction of the diploma system in September we are going to get people moving in and out of schools and possibly sitting exams in centres that they've never been in before - how can these pupils be recognised?"

Mr Harland also described the "world of wonderful technology" increasingly employed by candidates to aid their cheating.

In 2006 the taking of unauthorised items into exam rooms was the most common offence committed. Nearly two-thirds of such cases involved mobile phones.

Student Ghettos Spoiling Quality of Life

2008-04-10T03:19:00.000-07:00

Students are wrecking the quality of life in some areas of the UK, according to a recent Government report.

The report, compiled by the Department for Communities and Local Government, says that the growing number of students in higher education has increased the size and number of enclaves of rented housing.

Some students are also causing problems for their neighbours by inconsiderately parking their cars, dropping litter and by making low-cost housing unaffordable to locals.

Out of term time pubs, shops and other local facilities are forced to close because they are under-used.

The Government is considering legislation to see if the number of student houses, termed homes of multiple occupancy (HMOs), can be more tightly controlled by local councils.

Housing and Planning Minister Caroline Flint said: "It is not acceptable that in too many areas people living in HMOs and local communities alike are having their quality of life affected."

Student Complaints Up 25%

2008-04-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

The number of complaints made by students against their universities has risen again for the third year, according to figures released by the adjudicator.

The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education in England and Wales (OIA) said that almost two-thirds of the complaints related to academic results and almost the same proportion were made by mature students over the age of 25.

The adjudicator, Ruth Deetch, said that the complaints reflected the changing makeup of the student body: more graduates, older students and students with English as a second language.

Speaking to BBC News Baroness Deetch said: "You can't reduce conflict over grades. We don't interfere with academic judgements and I think it's important for British academic institutions to keep upholding their high standards."

The OIA have cited fee paying students seeking value for money as a reason for the increased number of complaints.

The total number of complaints dealt with by the OIA last year was 734 - up 25% on the previous year's figure of 586. Around 600 complaints were deemed eligible for consideration, of which 26% were upheld at least in part.

In 2007 the adjudicator recommended that complainants be awarded £172,000 in compensation from the institutions found to be at fault.

Introduction of Modular GCSEs

2008-04-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

One of the UK's largest exam boards, OCR, has announced the introduction of modular GCSEs across a wide range of subject areas.

The modularised courses are already available in subjects like maths and science, but this will be the first time they have been expanded to non-core subjects. The OCR board has just announced details of 43 new GCSE courses it hopes to offer from September 2009.

The new examinations, featuring something called "controlled assessment", are designed to reduce the risk of plagiarism by cutting the coursework component of existing courses.

A-level examinations were made modular in 2000 and are currently undergoing an overhall to reduce their number of units from six to four.

The head of OCR's GCSE project, Parool Patel, said: "Teachers, parents and students have confidence in the GCSE qualification and know that high standards are being maintained.

"Flexible assessment is an improvement in the GCSE qualification which is designed to offer teachers the opportunity to implement assessment processes that best suit the needs of their own students."

Concern has been raised that the new format will dumb down GCSE standards by allowing less able students the opportunity to re-sit, without penalty, modules where their performance is below par.

Professor Alan Smithers, a qualifications expert from the University of Buckingham, said: "The pressure on schools to maximise results will lead many of them to take advantage of these new arrangements.

"The downside is that assessment becomes dominant throughout the course, rather than towards the end of it."

NUT Leader Steve Sinnott Dies

2008-04-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

Steve Sinnott, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), has died today at the age of 56.

Mr Sinnott, who had led the NUT since 1994, was described as "inspirational in his devotion to teaching" by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

He was born in Liverpool and began his teaching career in 1975. His death comes just days after the NUT announced it was to stage its first national strike in over 20 years.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls has joined the PM in paying tribute to the union leader. Speaking to BBC News Mr Balls said he was saddened at Mr Sinnott's untimely death.

"Steve was a passionate advocate for teachers and a great believer in the power of education to transform the life chances of children and young people," said Mr Balls.

"I know from our many meetings and phone calls that he believed strongly that every child matters and deserves the best.

"We shared a common goal to put the interests of all children and young people at the heart of our policies.

"Of course, we did not always see eye to eye on every issue. But we never had an angry word."

The leader of rival union the NASUWT, Chris Keates, described Mr Sinnott's death as: "a great tragedy for his family, for his union and for the trade union movement.

"Whatever the differences between our two unions we have always been united in wanting to do the best for teachers."

The NUT's acting general secretary, Christine Blower, said: "I know that he would have wanted the union to go ahead with all its campaigns because he believed in all of them with his heart as well as his head.

"At a later stage we will have the opportunity properly to remember Steve Sinnott, to honour his achievements and to celebrate his life.

"For now, the best way to mark our respect would be to maximise the effect of the campaigns to which he was so committed."

NPQH Revamped

2008-04-04T12:45:00.000-07:00

The qualification that all new head teachers in England must have is being made tougher.

The change by the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) to try to ensure that only those set on headship apply.

Of the 30,000 people who have obtained the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) only around one third have taken up their first headship.

The NCSL's chief executive Steve Munby said there was concern that the NPQH was being viewed as a general leadership development programme and that it was too inflexible.

The director leading the process, Jane Doughty, said: "We want to maintain and improve the flow of high quality graduates into headship, so our re-designed programme focuses on ensuring that graduates will have the competence and confidence to apply for headship as soon as they have finished the qualification.

"We anticipate individuals will take between four to 12 months to graduate depending on their personalised needs."

The tightening of the NPQH rules comes at a time when there is a flow of school leaders out of the profession.

Some fear that making the qualification harder to obtain might restrict the pool of available talent at the wrong time.

Prof John Howson of Education Data Surveys said the college had a dangerous balancing act to perform.

"They could actually end up with a shortage of people with NPQH," he told the Times Educational Supplement.

"What they must not do with this relaunch is to make the recruitment situation worse."

Ofsted Inspectors Threaten Strike

2008-04-03T15:39:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of Ofsted inspectors are to balloted over strike action following the break down of pay talks.

Unison and the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union have warned that school inspections across England could be affected if the action goes ahead.

The unions are protesting at the details of a 3-year pay settlement offered by England's inspectorate, which is responsible for monitoring schools and childcare providers.

Unison and the PCS claim to have 1000 Ofsted employees among their membership. The PCS's national officer Helga Pile said: "Inspectors have been pushed to breaking point by Ofsted constantly demanding more work for less pay.

"The cost of living is soaring, yet our members are being expected to sign up to an unjust new pay structure and three years of below inflation pay settlements.

"These highly skilled workers will have no choice but to vote with their feet unless they are made a more realistic offer."

Another public sector union, the FDA, said that its members had accepted the offer. FDA spokesman Jim Caldwell told BBC News that all inspectors who checked schools for children over the age of five belonged to the FDA and that any impact on school inspections would be indirect and "not huge".

Ofsted are insistent that talks with Unison are still ongoing. An Ofsted spokeswoman told BBC News that: "School inspections will not be affected by threats of strike action by Unison.

"The school inspectors union, the FDA, has voted overwhelmingly to accept Ofsted's three year pay offer to staff, having recognised the benefits it offers. The new pay deal improves reward arrangements for the vast majority of staff.

"Discussions with Unison are ongoing and internal processes have not yet been concluded. Talk of a strike is premature."

Neil March, PCS negotiations officer for Ofsted, said: “This three year pay offer is totally unacceptable and will result in a significant number of hardworking staff receiving nothing in the first two years with others receiving less than 2%.

"Below inflation pay and cutting pay in real terms will do nothing for the morale of staff and yet again Ofsted staff working in highly stressful call centre environments have been overlooked."

The ballot is expected next week with any industrial action to take place in May.

Governing Bodies Face Review

2008-04-03T05:18:00.000-07:00

Schools Secretary Ed Balls has signalled a "root and branch review" of school governing bodies.

The news follows the NASUWT's criticisms that many governing bodies were "not fit for purpose" and placed too much responsibility on "well-meaning volunteers."

Delegates at the union's spring conference in Birmingham said that governors were increasingly overwhelmed with information and frequently rubber-stamped head teachers' plans without understanding their true significance.

General Secretary of the NASUWT Chris Keates said that: "An essential public service in which there is massive investment of public money should not be in the hands of untrained volunteers, however well-meaning."

The union wants the Department for Children, Schools and Families to look at alternative models of governance, such as those used in the health service.

Schools Breaching Admissions Code

2008-04-03T04:27:00.000-07:00

Almost one in six schools checked by an official inquiry are breaking the rules on admissions, according to the Government.

Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, said that the current situation was "unacceptable" and plans are afoot to tighten rules further.

Amendments to the Education and Skills Bill, currently before parliament, will:

require local authorities to report annually on the legality and fairness of all schools admission arrangements in their areas
extend the power of the schools adjudicator to amend arrangements that come to his attention
make sure that parents and local communities are properly consulted about school admissions arrangements

Of the 96 schools caught breaching the rules, six had asked the parents of potential pupils to make a financial commitment as part of the admissions process.

Schools have also been asking parents banned questions about their marital status and educational background.

Shadow Schools Secretary, Michael Gove said: "Ed Balls started a witch-hunt against schools which were alleged to be handing out places for cash.

"But there's no evidence that money played any part in determining admissions in any of these schools.

"Ed Balls knows that many faith, and other, schools ask parents if they'd like to make purely voluntary contributions.

"He also knows that Jewish faith schools have to secure additional funding to guarantee the physical safety of their children.

"But he put these schools in the dock simply in order to distract attention from the fact that 100,000 parents weren't getting their first choice of school thanks to his policies," he added.

Pay Strike Looming

2008-04-03T04:10:00.000-07:00

Members of one of Britain's largest teaching unions, the National Union of Teachers (NUT), have voted overwhelmingly to hold a one-day strike over pay.

The industrial action, planned for 24th April, will be the first time that teachers in England and Wales have staged a mass walkout in more than 20 years.

The union wants their 2008 pay award of 2.45% lifted to above the rate of inflation, the current rate of which stands at around 4%.

General secretary Steve Sinnott said: "I call on the government to think again and ensure that salaries at least keep pay in line with inflation and that there is a recognition of the continuing workload pressures on teachers."

From September 2008 a newly qualified teacher will have a starting salary of £20,627 in England and Wales and slightly higher in London. A recent survey by the Association of Graduate Employers puts the starting salary of graduates in the private sector at around £24,000.

The Government has urged the NUT to reconsider the action claiming it will be disruptive to children's education. A spokeswoman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said the pay award had been recommended by the independent School Teachers Review Body.

"It was welcomed by all the other teaching unions," she said.

"So it is disappointing that a small proportion of teachers are threatening to disrupt children's education in this way."

Members of rival union the NASUWT have widely accepted the pay review body's recommendations.

Welcome to UK Education News

2008-04-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

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