Follow this link to view the full version of Steve Besley's popular policy round-up - including an overview of all the important stories, his top headlines of the week, tweets and posts of note, the most memorable quotes, not-to-be-missed statistics and what to look out for next week. As your starter for ten, we've chosen three items from each phase below ...
GENERAL Pandemic impact. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IfS) examined how far changes to parents’ working lives caused by the pandemic affected children’s social and emotional development, suggesting in a new report that in nearly 50% of cases surveyed the instability that came from labour market changes at the time had a negative effect on children’s socio-emotional development. Recruitment outlook. The British Chambers of Commerce published its latest Quarterly Bulletin on recruitment showing many firms still experiencing difficulties in recruiting qualified staff with the construction and engineering, and hospitality sectors the hardest hit and investment in training remaining ‘stubbornly low.’ Science research. The SMF think tank pointed to declining research productivity and concerns about the trustworthiness of its findings as ‘two great challenges’ facing academic science, calling among other things for the creation of an Atlas Institute to map progress and encourage collaborative research.
SCHOOLS Industrial action. Members of the NEU, NAHT and NASUWT followed the ASCL in voting to accept the pay offer of 6.5% recommended by the Pay Review Body and agreed by the government, meaning that industrial action proposed for the autumn term will now be called off although NASUWT members reserved the right to take future action over workloads. Exams 2023. The TES looked ahead to this summer’s GCSE Results Day set for 24 August, running through likely trends to look out for (such as fewer top grades), how grading will operate this year (2019 style), how to appeal and when students should get their certificates. Progress 8. FFT Education Datalab examined recent Labour Party proposals for including creative and vocational subjects within Progress 8 concluding that it would likely boost the numbers taking such subjects but make ‘little difference’ to schools’ published scores.
FE/SKILLS Vocational and Technical Qualifications. Ofqual reported on its latest commissioned survey into views on vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) showing little change on previous years with learners broadly valuing such qualifications and using them to develop requisite skills, employers valuing relevance in such qualifications and early uncertainty about T levels. Qualification prices. City and Guilds penned an update on its qualification prices for this September saying that “some of our price increases will be above the rate of inflation, and some below” with details available on its site, as it pointed to cost pressures all round. Youth employment. Youth Employment UK published the Impact Report on its inaugural Youth Employment Week held at the start of July which reached out and supported 3,700 young people during the week, attracted the support of 18 MPs for its Youth Friendly MP Charter, and saw a range of activities and resources dedicated to supporting youth employment.
HE University Value. Universities UK published details from its recent research among UK graduates and businesses about the value of going to university pointing to a range of positives in terms of jobs, skills and social mobility with for instance 73% of graduates claiming it helped get them the job they wanted. Student loans. The government published a brief explainer about the new student loans known as Plan 5 that come into effect for this year’s undergraduates, bringing changes to the interest rate, length of the loan and to the threshold for repayments. Access to HE. The consultancy Public First called on interested parties to contribute their thoughts to a new review being undertaken by the organisation on behalf of the OfS looking into “collaborative support for improving equality of opportunity within access to higher education across England”.
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MONDAY 7 AUGUST On this day in 1606 the first performance of Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth was performed at Hampton Court Palace for King James I. On this day in 1959 the first US satellite Explorer 6 was launched to photograph the Earth. On this day in 1974 French high-wire artist Philippe Petit walked on a tightrope between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.
TUESDAY 8 AUGUST On this day in 1786 the US Congress unanimously chose the dollar as the monetary unit for the United States of America On this day in 1908 the Wright brothers publicly demonstrated their flying machine for the first time. On this day in 1975 the term 'global warming' appeared for the first time in print in the journal Science.
WEDNESDAY 9 AUGUST On this day in 1483 the first mass in the Sistine Chapel was celebrated on the Feast of the Assumption. On this day in 1898 Rudolf Diesel of Germany patented his internal combustion engine later known as the diesel engine. On this day in 1945 the United States dropped an atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Nagasaki.
THURSDAY 10 AUGUST On this day in 1675 King Charles II and John Flamsteed laid the foundation stone of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. On this day in 1793 the Louvre was opened as a public museum in Paris after more than two centuries as a royal palace. On this day in 1990 the Magellan space probe was inserted into orbit around Venus.
FRIDAY 11 AUGUST On this day in 1897 Enid Blyton, one of the world's most famous children's authors, was born in Dulwich, South London. On this day in 1948 the first Olympic Games after the 1938 Berlin Olympics opened in London. On this day in 1999 millions of people witnessed the last total solar eclipse of the millennium.
Awareness days from around the world
AUGUST IS UK: National Road Victim Month. WORLDWIDE: Psoriasis Awareness/Psoriasis Action Month, National Immunization Awareness Month, National Fishing Month, National Dog Month, National Hair Loss Awareness Month, National Wellness Month, MedicAlert Awareness Month, Children’s Eye Health And Safety Month, National Brownies At Brunch Month, Black Business Month, Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month, Motorsports Awareness Month, International Peace Month, Get Ready For Kindergarten Month, National Panini Month, National Goat Cheese Month, National Sandwich Month, Happiness Happens Month, National Back To School Month, National Crayon Collection Month, National Golf Month, National Eye Exam Month, National Catfish Month, National Water Quality Month, Romance Awareness Month, Family Fun Month, National Peach Month, National Inventors Month, National Anti-Frizz Month.
THIS WEEK IS UK: Afternoon Tea Week, National Allotments Week. WORLDWIDE: National Resurrect Romance Week, National Health Center Week, National Bargain Hunting Week.
MONDAY 7 AUGUST WORLDWIDE: Aged Care Employee Day, Purple Heart Day, National Raspberries N’ Cream Day, National Sea Serpent Day, National Lighthouse Day, Particularly Preposterous Packaging Day, Professional Speakers Day.
TUESDAY 8 AUGUST UK: Scottish Wildcat Day. WORLDWIDE: National CBD Day, International Cat Day, National Pickleball Day, National Mochi Day, National Whataburger Day, Global Sleep Under The Stars Night, International Infinity Day, National Dollar Day, National Frozen Custard Day, National Happiness Happens Day, Sneak Some Zucchini Into Your Neighbor’s Porch Day, Odie Day, National Bowling Day, Top 8 Challenge Day, Dying to Know Day.
WEDNESDAY 9 AUGUST UK: National Opportunity Day. WORLDWIDE: National Passion Fruit Day, International Coworking Day, World Calligraphy Day, International Day Of The World’s Indigenous People, National Veep Day, National Rice Pudding Day, National Book Lovers Day, National Women’s Day, Melon Day.
THURSDAY 10 AUGUST WORLDWIDE: Agent Orange Awareness Day, World Lion Day, National Connecticut Day, National Shapewear Day, National S’mores Day, National Lazy Day, Skyscraper Appreciation Day, Duran Duran Appreciation Day, Vlogging Day, National Spoil Your Dog Day.
FRIDAY 11 AUGUST UK: National Bakewell Tart Day. WORLDWIDE: Play In The Sand Day, Global Kinetic Sand Day, National Raspberry Bombe Day, National Son’s And Daughter’s Day, National Presidential Joke Day, Mountain Day, Ingersoll Day.
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