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The Guardian - UK

National

Judy Friedberg

Cribsheet 11.10.11

A fountain pen rests on a cheque book — No more fees for well-heeled parents. Photograph: Alamy

What do we think about private schools becoming free schools? Should we be thrilled that they are joining the state sector and widening their intake? Or are we furious that we're picking up the tab for parents who elected to send their kids private? Janet Murray (@jan_murray) has been to Batley Grammar in Leeds to see how a change of status has affected the community there.

More education news from the Guardian

• Harriet Swain previews two conferences that will debate the future of higher education - what's it for and who should pay for it. And then tomorrow - trumpets, please - we have David Willetts live online to discuss the same issues with Guardian readers. Start posting your questions now.

• A new wave of comprehensive schools - to be known as university technical colleges and backed by firms including the developers of the BlackBerry, Toshiba, Boeing and Rolls Royce - will open in England next year.

• A sculpture using children's milk teeth is at the heart of a campaign to inform the public about stem cell research.

• And don't forget the lovely Advice to Sink in Slowly posters, composed by students for students to help them through their adjustment to university life.

Guardian comment

• Michael Mansfield: Education is a basic human right. If high fees force students out of the "marketplace", the whole of society will suffer.

• Fiona Millar: As Gove becomes increasingly powerful, educational divides deepen.

On the Guardian higher education network

• UK universities excel at attracting foreign students. They're not so good at sending home students abroad, and that's a problem, says Sue Littlemore

• Universities must rethink their approach to student digital literacy - the emphasis should be on building communication skills so that students can share and develop their ideas and aspirations online, says Dr Abhay Adhikari

Education news from around the web

• If you're doing a bit of tutoring on the side, beware the taxman. That's the warning from the Telegraph, which reports that in its latest attempt to claw back some of the £35bn in unpaid taxes, HMRC is going for the country's 500,000 private tutors. It believes most tutors use private lessons as a second source of income to supplement their day job. Tutors, it reckons, are likely to be paid in cash and may not declare their earnings.

• The creator of the Special Needs Jungle website, Tania Tirraoro, has brought out an ebook guide for parents of children with special needs on how to get them the help they need, starting with statements. She says:

"I've helped many parents with their applications and I realised that what they need is not an overview of the whole system that you find in other books, but a basic 'how-to', written in an accessible way. That is what I hope I've achieved."

• Blog of the day is undoubtedly @warwickmansell's infuriated piece about the Department for Education's website.

"Its main function seems to be as a selling platform for the current pet schemes of politicians: academies and free schools. In that sense, instead of being viewed as the flagship site for our schools, it should be seen as a national embarrassment."

Warwick compares the DfE's offering to that of other education departments around the world which he finds a lot more useful, because they are a lot less political. But when he's made this point to the department, he's been given short shrift:

"The Department for Education press office have tried to tell me that it is the duty of civil servants to promote government policy, and thus that my view - that there should be a concept of the public interest beyond the interest of elected politicians, and that at least one aspect of the public interest is clearly for the department to support the education system as a whole - is in some way strange. Quaint as it may seem, I cling to this view."

Happy as I'd be to quote the rest in its entirety, it's a tad long. But do read it yourselves.

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