As the job market turns its back on them, 27% of this year's graduates will be relying on their parents to provide a roof over their heads. Ros Coward is a parent in exactly this situation:
"Just about everyone I know whose children are in this age group have one or two living at home. We grumble about dirty dishes and compete for the most outrageous story. I scored well this weekend, waking at 2am to hear what sounded like someone moving in. In the morning, I found this was indeed the case. My living room contained an unexplained chaise longue, several suitcases and theatre props. Oh, and an unknown person too."
All very sitcom. But in the long-term, frightening:
"If the two issues of student fees and youth unemployment are put together, the implications are deeply worrying for the Treasury. The budgetary implications of most universities adopting full fees (to be funded by government loans) and continued high demand for places, has begun to sink in. This will cost a lot of money. But in the context of escalating unemployment, the fact that no student will start paying back until they earn £21,000 makes this look critical.
Many of this new debt-saddled generation will be unemployed for long periods. If they eventually get jobs, they will progress more slowly, taking longer to reach payback levels. This is an economic black hole with a terrible human cost."
Still, at least they're not in China, which has to absorb 6 million graduates this year. The BBC's Martin Patience went to a jobs fair - and found some ambitious youngsters being offered the position of shoe-shiner.
The Guardian's guide for graduates is full of good advice - from cleaning up your digital footprint to making a strong impression at an interview. Check out our careers site too.
More education news from the Guardian
• Up to 300 schools will be rebuilt under private finance schemes with an "upfront cost" of around £2bn, says Michael Gove. The new school building scheme will be "rigorously policed" to ensure it does not incur the excessive costs of previous PFI projects. As Jeevan Vasagar points out, the government has been warned against PFI by its own spending watchdog, the national audit office.
• Making a social worker available fulltime to schools is an idea being piloted in Bristol, Rachel Williams reports. Teaching staff at 19 schools - all primaries and nurseries bar one secondary and one pupil referral unit - can call on him whenever they have a concern about a child but are unsure if it warrants a full referral to children's services.
• Imperial College, UCL, Wolverhampton and Portsmouth get top marks for gay-friendliness in Stonewall's university guide.
Education news from around the web
• Two 13-year-olds have been expelled from top private school Bedales after allegedly having sex in a sandpit, while a third was kicked out on suspicion of having nicked whisky from Waitrose, the Telegraph reports. Intriguingly, an anonymous teacher has reportedly sent a letter to parents, saying:
"As parents you need to ask who has lost their job over the scandal that occurred when 13-year-old children (it could be your child) took drugs, drank and had sex on the school premises and in school time.
The total lack of care is shocking and you should be asking questions about the safety of your children and why certain members of staff are constantly protected."
• Don't look to education for a sane haven in a crazy world, Susan Young (@susanyoung_) who blogs for the NAHT says:
"Fat chance of sanity here either, just now.
The latest outbreak of madness must be the boundlessly barmy marking of this year's SATs tests… Some schools are sending back all of the papers, with a formal complaint. Others found wine stains on the papers, crossings-out, marks added up wrongly and a wholesale downgrading of kids who should have got Level 5s."
• As we know the government has just accepted the recommendations of the Bew report on how 11-year-olds should be assessed, but @warwickmansell reckons a rethink will be on the cards as soon as the national curriculum has been redrawn.
• On the Local Schools Network (@localschools_uk), Janet Downs blogs about the government's selective use of education statistics.
• Love the playground photography on Alex's Class Blog. It's a brilliant blog about a year 4/5/6 special school class - full of ideas to inspire other schools. Follow their tweets on @alexsclass.
• And you've got to love today's offering from the year 2 class known as @ClassroomTweets:
"We are having a party today and we are eating cake and biscuites and having a good time in orage class and we dont want to go into year 3."
Tell the Guardian about your school's A-level and GCSE achievements
The Guardian would like to highlight your pupils' GCSE and A-level success this summer. We are asking schools to respond to a few quick questions about their pupils' results as soon as you receive them - on 18 August for A-levels and 25 August for GCSEs. Please take a note of the following web pages and return to them to fill in your results on those days:
We want to tell our readers how well your pupils have performed and are looking forward to mapping the success of young people across the country.
Education seminars from Guardian Professional
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.
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.
4-5 October, London.
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