Back from my hols - and what an exciting three weeks I've missed.
It's been good for some. Chris Woodhead has got grown-ups calling him Sir, at last. Steve Smith also received a knighthood and admitted:
"A lot of people may not be pleased to see that someone who was president of Universities UK during this period has got this."
It's not been so good for others. David Willetts got a thrashing from his former tutor at Oxford, and a vote of no-confidence from the entire university. Michael Gove is once again defending himself against accusations of doing a U-turn, this time on school funding, while fingers are also being pointed at him over the leaked Balls documents. And the own-worst-enemy award has to go to the beleaguered AC Grayling for:
"Everybody is quite right about the thought of bringing private money into higher education. All the precedents are very poor. When you look in the past, the profit motive has always trumped the education ambition and has always made a mess of it. And so the precedents are terrible."
But most of all, it's a bad time for the planet, with Tim Oates, the adviser in charge of overhauling the curriculum for schools, dumping climate change from the science syllabus. Jessica Shepherd quotes him as suggesting "pupils might be more interested in how the pharmaceutical industry produces drugs".
The Daily Mash thinks celebrity romances are a better option:
"From next year the study of how greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane can trap thermal radiation in the earth's atmosphere and lead to gradual changes in weather patterns will be replaced by a weekly assessment of whether a woman who lived in a house with some other people is really in love with a man who lived in a jungle with many of the same people."
More education news from the Guardian
• Foreign student visa numbers are to be cut by 230,000 over five years, Alan Travis reports, making "a significant contribution" to the government's goal of reducing net migration to "tens of thousands" each year.
• A poll of university vice-chancellors shows that nearly half believe that it will become more difficult to convince young people of the benefits of a degree once higher tuition fees have been introduced, Jeevan Vasagar tells us.
• David Gilborn, professor of Critical Race Studies in Education at the Institute of Education, argues that the Ebacc disadvantages black pupils and will mean fewer get the chance to go to top universities:
"Research has consistently shown that black children, and especially black Caribbean pupils, are disadvantaged when teachers decide who should be entered for the top exams. Black children are most likely to be placed in lower teaching groups and denied the most sought after subjects regardless of their achievements, their social class and their gender. These findings have been replicated by numerous studies, including work commissioned by the education department itself and by Ofsted."
And on the Guardian Higher Education Network
There's a live chat today on the topic Communicating the Wider Value of a University.
Universities have to persuade their communities that higher education matters. But just how? Join the panel to consider the relevance of HEIs to society.
Education news from around the web
• A third of parents don't understand the university fees system, it is unsurprising to discover. The BBC has a video report based on the YouGov research.
• Simon Hughes says universities should reduce their costs by cutting the wages of vice-chancellors.
• Exeter vice-chancellor Steve Smith cautions against plans to do away with predicted grades and base university entrance on actual results. He acknowledges problems of accuracy, but tells the Independent's Richard Garner that disadvantaged students are most likely to lose out:
"I worry about the effect on widening participation. It's one of the unintended consequences of changing the current system."
Note to Indy subs: Aren't we meant to be calling him Sir now?
• Lloyds is launching a scholarship programme worth more than £12,000 in awards and paid work for students from lower-income families, the Independent reports. The Lloyds Scholars scheme includes fixed bursaries of £1,000 a year, variable awards based on exam results, and two stints of summer work worth £2,800 each.
Guardian Education Centre seminars for teachers
This half-day conference for primary school teachers will help you inspire students to read with pleasure and maintain the reading habit. Andy Stanton, author of the Mr Gum series, will be joined by Julia Eccleshare, Guardian children's books editor, and reading development experts.
Time: 1 July, 9.15-12.45.
Cost: £48, including refreshments and resources.
Insight into Journalism: investigative and features journalism
This seminar, part of our popular Insight into Journalism series, gives secondary school teachers and college tutors the chance to spend a day at the Guardian. You'll meet specialist journalists from the investigations team, find out from writers what makes a good features article and learn about commissioning, editing and interview techniques.
Time: 8 July, 9.15-4.30.
Cost: £72, including lunch and resources.
Education seminars from Guardian Professional
Distinctiveness and branding in higher education
Higher education institutions will struggle in the marketplace unless they stand out from competitors and make sense to stakeholders. The Guardian's half-day seminar in partnership with the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education will explore what it takes to develop and maintain a distinctive brand that attracts students, staff and funders. Participants will hear from experts, examine case studies and have the opportunity to network with peers.
28 June, 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.
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