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The Guardian - UK

National

Judy Friedberg

Cribsheet 14.12.11

A finger hits the pound sign key of a computer keyboard — Will the government invest in computer education? Photograph: Corbis

Even Michael Gove now acknowledges the irresistible momentum gathering behind the campaign for proper computer lessons in schools.

Jessica Shepherd reports today that a damning report by Ofsted says schools are jeopardising the career prospects of thousands of teenagers by failing to offer compulsory classes in ICT.

A three-year study by the inspectorate has found that provision is weak in almost a fifth of secondary schools. The level many school-leavers reach in ICT is so low they would not be able to go on to further study or an apprenticeship in computing. Inspectors say teachers lack the expertise and confidence to teach the subject properly.

Fingers crossed the report is taken seriously when the government produces its technology strategy for schools next year. Schools minister Nick Gibb promises:

"We are looking very carefully at ICT as part of the national curriculum review and have listened closely to the computing industry's calls for more rigorous computer science courses to help tackle the skills shortages facing high-tech industries."

There is a brilliant discussion of the complexity of the problem going on in the comments on Jess's story.

More education news from the Guardian

• Last week the Guardian and the London School of Economics published Reading the Riots, a groundbreaking study that interviewed 270 rioters to try to understand why the riots happened. Today Ed Miliband, home secretary Theresa May, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, Lynne Owens, the deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan police, Louise Casey, the former "respect tsar" who is leading the government's response to the riots, and Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger are speaking at a conference on our findings at the LSE in central London. You can follow the discussion on our live blog.

• Nick Clegg versus the profit motive: Is the Lib Dem leader losing the battle to keep profit-making out of schools? Jeevan Vasagar ponders the deputy PM's dilemma in his blog.

• Tuition fees could bring a bonanza for humanities - if the same fees apply for all subjects, humanities departments may benefit, says Jonathan Wolff.

• Are Central Saint Martins students happy with their spectacular new home? One term in, Jonathan Glancey finds out.

• The school of Jay-Z studies: A Georgetown professor has been ridiculed for teaching a course on Jay-Z, but modern culture without hip-hop is unimaginable, writes Mychal Denzel Smith.

On the Guardian Teacher Network

Behaviour management guru Paul Dix gives 10 reasons not to send problem pupils out of school.

Education news on the web

• The Telegraph reports that ministers will announce the creation of 12 "studio schools" that are designed to act as a bridge to the workplace and cut the number of neets. They'll operate longer days and work outside standard academic terms. Pupils will be expected to spend between four hours and two days a week on work placements with businesses linked to the school and be assigned a personal coach to act as an academic "line manager".

• A private profit-making Swedish company has won a £21m contract to manage a proposed free school in Suffolk, the BBC reports.

• Children from low-to-middle income families start school with skills five months behind those of their more affluent peers, research reported in the Independent suggests. Child development experts Jane Waldfogel and Elizabeth Washbrook say wealthier parents can devote more time to reading with children and arranging visits to museums and libraries than LMI families earning between £24,000 and £42,000 a year.

• The THE reports that 30 higher education institutions are to offer a new teacher training programme in physics and mathematics, developed in partnership with the Training Development Agency for Schools, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Physics. The aim is to address the shortage of teachers in these subjects and it is hoped 306 trainees can be recruited.

• Cambridge University is "so desperate to avoid upsetting foreign students", the Telegraph reports, that it has cautioned its academics against automatically shaking their hands in case it causes offence. It quotes a spokesman as saying:

"It is not banning handshakes, it is just saying that best practice in some cases such as Muslim women who do not want to shake hands and certain people with disabilities."

• Feel in need of a Christmas chortle? Here's a nativity video guaranteed to get you ho-ho-hoing.

University Guide 2013

As we prepare the next Guardian University Guide, we invite universities and colleges to check that we are on the right track when it comes to matching subjects with cost centres and Jacs codes – the subject categories used by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa). Please enter your university's details via our dedicated website.

Education seminars from Guardian Professional

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

Preparing for inspection under the new Ofsted framework

Are you ready for the new Ofsted framework due to take effect in January 2012? Led by a highly experienced inspector, this seminar will explain the new framework in detail and provide step-by-step guidance to help you plan for the next inspectors' visit.

January 24 in Yorkshire. March 6 in London.

• For a full list visit the Guardian Teacher Network

The Guardian's education centre

The Guardian runs a range of free workshops for primary and secondary children as well as adult learners and further and higher education students. Visitors to the centre can become reporters and editors and will create their own newspaper. History workshops that draw upon the newspaper archive are also available, as well as science and environment lessons.

Our insight into journalism course focuses on all 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, video production and new platforms and channels. Throughout the day delegates will meet a range of journalists and editors as well as taking part in a hands on session where they will learn video editing skills.

The next course takes place on 10 February 2012, London