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The Guardian - UK

National

Frederika Whitehead

Cribsheet 05.09.11

To the rescue ... Nick Clegg, who has said free schools will not be run for profit. Photograph: Rui Vieira/PA

Reality check: Will free schools deprive other schools of funding?

In the first of a new series investigating the truth behind the biggest stories of the day, Polly Curtis asks what the impact of Michael Gove's new free schools will be on neighbouring comprehensives and academies. Can you help? Email polly.curtis@guardian.co.uk or contact her on Twitter @pollycurtis

Nick Clegg's supporters are claiming a significant win as he rules out the possibility that free schools can be run for profit. The Observer's Toby Helm reported:

Nick Clegg has thwarted plans by the education secretary, Michael Gove, to allow the new generation of "free schools" to make profits in the state sector after a massive ideological battle over the coalition's education policy.

Clegg announced the decision in a speech this morning, and the Guardian is live blogging the response.

But is Clegg's claim somewhat spurious? How serious were Gove's plans for free schools to be profit-making in the first place? And how honest is Clegg's claim that they won't be?

Toby Helm reported that:

Sources close to Gove admitted last night that the education secretary had been hoping to allow free schools, which are set up by local people but still funded by the state, to make profits in the second term of a Tory-led government.

A Gove supporter said:

"Gove has never had an ideological issue with profit in schools, whereas Clegg is ruling it out for ideological reasons."

But Mike Baker points out:

"Keen to show the difference between the coalition partners, the Liberal Democrat leader and deputy PM, Nick Clegg, is saying that he will not tolerate free schools being run for profit. It is his line in the sand on education policy. ... [but] there is already a rather fine distinction between a for-profit company running a free school directly and a for-profit company being engaged to manage a free school by its promoters. The former is currently not allowed, the latter is."

Toby Young, the founder of a free school in west London, says Clegg is making himself a hostage to fortune with his self-aggrandisement.

"In the past Clegg has often taken credit for the government's U-turns, but these policy shifts were largely dictated by political necessity – or, rather, George Osborne's view of what is and isn't politically prudent – and had little or nothing to do with the Lib Dem leader. In the case of free schools, he's guilty of even more self-aggrandisement than usual because there has been no U-turn."

Education news from the Guardian

• Nick Clegg says that teachers cannot be responsible for all society's problems following last month's riots. This contradicts the line taken by Michael Gove who recently loaded more responsibility for children's development onto their teachers. You can read his full speech here.

• Cambridge has topped the league table of the world's best universities for the second year running, closely followed by Harvard and MIT. Although America still dominates the league with 13 out of the top 20.

• The Metropolitan police are to station 1,000 officers outside schools until half term to protect children from muggers who are targeting them for their mobile phones. There were 15,766 muggings in the capital between April and last month, with more than a third of victims aged between 10 and 19, and 8,200 mobile phones reported stolen. Police said that robberies in which mobile phones are taken from children leaving school increase at this time of year.

• A survey of 22,000 graduates has found that half of all internships undertaken by students during their degree are still unpaid.

• The cost of school uniforms is "breaking the bank" for poorer families as the price of state school uniforms is increasing and local authorities are cutting clothing grants, according to a new report by Family Action.

More education news and debate from the Guardian and the Observer

• This round-table discussion on the future of British Education, published in Sunday's Observer, is well worth a read. Or a listen if you'd prefer - it's also available as an audio.

• And there were some interesting reflections on the situation for history teachers in the letters page on Sunday.

• And the stripping teacher debate is still rumbling on: Rachel Cooke thinks that knowing her teacher worked as a male stripper would have made her hang on his every word. But Oliver James would prefer his children not to be taught by someone who is known to work in the porn industry because

"I would not want my teenage daughter saying to me: 'My teacher does porn films – what's wrong with me doing it?'"

On the Guardian's Higher Education Network

The Guardian's Higher Education Network has the full rundown on the world university rankings which were announced this morning. On Wednesday, once folk have had a chance to scrutinise the findings, the network will host a live chat on the methodology behind the rankings. The panel will be online to answer your questions from 1pm on Wednesday but you can post questions for them now if you like.

In tomorrow's EducationGuardian pages

• The latest world university rankings (QS) have given Anna Bawden a few ideas about top places where students could study more cheaply than in the UK.

• Thanks to spending cuts, many more children will be walking to school along unlit roads with no pavements, as traffic shoots by at 60mph. Rachel Williams reports.

• Poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy says the current generation of children will make fantastic poets because txt messaging fosters creativity in language.

• Preview of the 'other' Olympics taking place soon in London, bringing together the top florists, plumbers and leg waxers from all over the world.

• Peter Scott warns the government's white paper will have lethal consequences for research.

• Alan Smith will talk about teaching philosophy in prison.

Event: How will the tuition fees increase affect part-time students?

Students are invited to quiz personal finance expert Martin Lewis about part-time student finance. Lewis is a financial journalist and runs the website moneysavingexpert.com. He will be visiting Birkbeck, University of London to record a video on fees and funding for part-time students, in front of a live audience of Birkbeck and Open University staff, and to take questions afterwards.

The event is being held on Wednesday 7 September, in Birkbeck's main building on Torrington Square at 3pm. If you would like to attend, please email Nicola Gambrill via n.gambrill@bbk.ac.uk or phone 020 7380 3118.

Education seminars from Guardian Professional

Thinking about doing a PhD?

This seminar will provide independent advice and information on framing a research proposal, the process and pitfalls of a research degree and career prospects.

9 September, London.

Making the most of media opportunities to enhance your school's profile

Whether it's sharing good news or handling a crisis, headteachers and school management teams need to be able to handle the media in all of its forms. This one-day seminar in association with the NAHT is essential for new and aspiring heads as well as established school leaders who wish to update their knowledge. It includes a session on social media.

20 September, London.

Using social media to enhance the student experience

As tuition fees rise, so too do student expectations. Social media is an effective, low-cost way to manage this challenge. This seminar will explore newly conceived best practice, techniques and strategy for all higher education staff: academic, communications, recruitment, marketing and strategy.

22 September, London.

Life after a PhD

Whether it's getting published, convincing an employer that you have transferable skills, or securing an academic post, you need to be fully prepared to achieve your goals. This course will help you identify career opportunities for those with research skills and specialist knowledge.

28 September, London.