Good week for ...
Teachers with top degrees. Almost three-quarters of new graduate teacher trainees have a 2:1 degree or better, and a higher proportion than ever have a first class degree, according to the Department for Education.
Engineering. More emphasis should be placed on the creative side of engineering to encourage young people to pursue a career in it, according to Sir John O’Reilly, a fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
Bad week for ...
Private schools came under fire from the shadow education minister, Tristram Hunt. If Labour win the next general election, independent schools could lose £700m in tax breaks unless they do more to help children from state schools.
Autonomy. The schools minister David Laws MP said that councils could regain powers to intervene in struggling academy schools under radical proposals. Laws said that responsibility for improvements should be handed to a “middle tier” of councils and academy chains backed by successful headteachers.
What you’re saying
You shared your views on the Labour shadow education minister Tristram Hunt’s comments on private schools not giving back to their communities. Tricia Kelleher, principal at Stephen Perse Foundation in Cambridge, argued that instead of restricting tax breaks on those who don’t pull their weight it would be more effective to make social responsibility part of an inspection. It sparked debate on Twitter.
@GuardianTeach all based on crass assumption of superior independent schools. Teaching much better in state schools. It has to be.
— CRichardson (@heworthsmoggy) November 26, 2014
Absolutely agree with @StephenPerse here - what partnership is all about (& it isn't compulsion/coercion): http://t.co/z5nuqyx2cZ @guardian
— Jill Berry (@jillberry102) November 26, 2014
@GuardianTeach patronising is exactly the right word for this approach. Mr Hunt should listen and learn
— Julie Ashworth (@broadreachltd) November 27, 2014
Photograph of the week
One school got creative this week in music class. They used bananas to create a keyboard using a MaKey MaKey invention kit. You load up a computer programme or webpage, but instead of using the computer keyboard buttons to play notes, hook up the makey makey kit to bananas. Find out more here.
The week in numbers
Children aged 11 to 15 prefer to watch television online, new research suggests. While adults watch two hours and 58 minutes per day of live TV, older children watch just one hour and 32 minutes, but spend six times longer on sites such as YouTube.
Divorce can have a damaging impact on children studying for exams, according to new research from the family lawyers’ association, Resolution. They found 65% of children with divorced parents thought their GCSE results had been adversely affected.
Budget cuts in Northern Ireland could mean one in 10 teachers lose their jobs, unions have warned. Up to 2,000 teachers face redundancy as the government tries to find £200m worth of savings.
Dates to remember
The beginning of December is not only the start of advent, it’s also World Aids Day on Monday 1 December. Around 34 million people globally have HIV and it is really important to communicate how the disease is transmitted and how it can be prevented. International Day for the Abolition of Slavery takes place on Tuesday 2 December – an opportunity to review the history of slave trade and its evolution.
Resources for you
• Understand more about HIV and Aids with this fact sheet.
• If you’re looking for ways to reflect during advent, have a look at this resource – there is a primary and secondary version.
• Take a look at how the 1807 and 1833 abolition acts affected the slave trade.
• Smartie the penguin receives a laptop for his birthday and comes across some tricky decisions when using it. It’s great way to introduce the importance of internet safety to younger pupils.
Blogs and comment
- The hidden price of more overseas students at British public schools
- Seven reasons teachers should blog
- Top apps for PE teachers
- How can Ofsted win over teachers?
- How to teach writing with the help of technology
Quote of the week
It’s been a week of politics so we thought this seemed a fitting quote.
@PrivateEyeNews Depressing future of Cameron's public sector pension heist. @GuardianTeach @GuardianEdu pic.twitter.com/K1pzjxNorU
— Marcus Owen (@Who_d_teach) November 25, 2014
