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The Guardian - UK

National

Judy Friedberg

Cribsheet 05.10.11

White children honour Henrik Verwoerd — White schoolchildren salute the architect of apartheid Hendrik Verwoerd. Photograph: Afpix

Curious that a leading private school head should be the person to warn against increasing racial segregation in schools.

David Levin says London schools are "sleepwalking towards Johannesburg", with classrooms in some parts of the capital teaching almost exclusively black or Asian pupils.

Be interesting to know the proportion of white pupils at private schools compared to state schools, but then that's another story.

Levin says his school, City of London school for boys, has collaborated with one school, Stepney Green in east London, where "97% of pupils are of Bangladeshi heritage", while other schools take an overwhelmingly high proportion of pupils of west African descent. Levin, who grew up in South Africa, says:

"They aren't mixing with people from different faiths and backgrounds. I have lived pre- and post-apartheid and one of the things I have learned is that your imagination is stronger than the reality. If you know people who are different to you, you don't fear them."

More education news from the Guardian

• The nation awaits David Cameron's speech to Tory party conference this afternoon, which we're told will include a plea to householders to repay their debts. He will say:

"The only way out of a debt crisis is to deal with your debts. That means households - all of us - paying off the credit card and store card bills."

Tickety boo. And what about students, who are about to be saddled with huge debts that they've been told they're not allowed to pay off early?

• David Willetts told the conference yesterday that young people in areas such as Tottenham are not taking advantage of the generous apprenticeship opportunities being offered them by the government. Could it be the blighters aspire to go to university instead? And Michael Gove told his party that more than 40% of secondary schools in England are now - or are about to become - academies. Melissa Benn (@melissa_benn), on the Local Schools Network (@localschools_UK), was less than impressed:

"There was something surreal about his claim that Conservative party is now 'the party of the poor, the party of state education and the party of the teacher'."

• Cuts to government funding of universities mean the UK risks losing top academics and students to its international competitors, the vice chancellor of Oxford University, Andrew Hamilton, warns.

• Whatever happened to the music education review?

Education news from around the web

• More than 300 Welsh schools are closed fully or partially today as members of the teaching union Ucac strike over plans to change pensions, the BBC reports. The union, which represents about 5,000 staff, says 89% of those who took part in a ballot voted for the one-day strike.

• Record numbers of British students are preparing to study at American universities to escape the introduction of £9,000 annual tuition fees, the Telegraph reports. It bases its story on accounts of students struggling to find places to sit the SAT, the US higher education entrance exam. Apparently there are around 28 test centres in Britain, and "most have reported record demand".

• Oxford has released a sample of questions posed by its admissions tutors to terrified prospective students. See how your colleagues do on these:

Why do lions have manes?
Would it matter if tigers became extinct?
Why are both ladybirds and strawberries red?

• Birmingham University students have been rewarded for tweeting, the student newspaper Redbrick reports. (Thanks @universityboy.)

On the Guardian Higher Education network

• Could the new higher education 'market' work in students' interests? Prompt online feedback, pastoral care and skills support could make a real difference to students. But will the reforms actually result in these kinds of improvements, asks Dale Bassett.

• Why universities must optimise third stream revenue opportunities: Does the sector have the leadership, skills and strategy to make third stream central to its activities, asks Paul Hoskins of Precedent.

Education seminars from Guardian Professional

The Guardian Teacher Network runs training sessions for teachers throughout the year in Yorkshire and London. Upcoming courses include:

Is your school thinking of becoming an academy?

This seminar will provide an independent view of the advantages and disadvantages of converting to academy status. It will look at the process of conversion, the implications of academy status, and the support and funding available. November 30, in London. February 21, 2012 in Yorkshire

Protecting young people in a digital age

Led by school digital safety experts, this one-day course will provide safeguarding policy and Ofsted criteria updates, as well as looking at social media and offering practical advice to help your school develop its digital safety policies. February 1, 2012 in London. February 8, 2012 in Yorkshire.

For a full list visit the Guardian Teacher Network

Teachers seminars from the Guardian Education Centre

Reading for pleasure – bringing classics to life

This half-day conference for secondary school teachers will explore the use and teaching of classic books from Dickens and beyond. Keynote speakers will be Simon Callow, actor and Dickens enthusiast and Judy Golding, daughter of William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies.

20 October, London

Insight into digital journalism

Spend a day at the Guardian and find out how an international news media organisation works. The seminar will focus on aspects of digital journalism including writing and editing for a news website, the relationship between print and web journalism, live blogging, the use of social media, podcasting and video production.

2 November, Kings Place, London