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: Budget lines. The CBI called on the government to use the forthcoming Budget ‘to put the country on a sustainable path to growth’ by among other things delivering the National Infrastructure Commission recommendations, establishing a Net Zero Investment Plan, and implementing the planned expansion of eligible funded childcare so that more people can go back to work. Economic Outlook. The OECD followed up last week’s IMF report on the global economy by setting out its own interim forecasts pointing likewise to slow growth amid global tensions and domestic policy tensions, with UK specific growth forecasts unchanged at 0.6% this year and 1.2% next year. UK Economic Outlook. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) issued its latest Economic Outlook suggesting that the UK hit recession in the second half of last year and that growth will remain ‘sluggish’ but that on the upside, inflation is set to fall by April and households should feel better off as the year progresses.
SCHOOLS: Teacher recruitment. The government announced funding for a pilot for a secondary maths teacher degree apprenticeship scheme, with providers invited to apply by 11 March to join the scheme, candidate recruitment to begin this autumn and programmes to begin from the autumn after. RAAC concerns. The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) raised concerns about the ongoing issues around RAAC in an open letter to the education secretary calling in particular for special arrangements to be applied for exam students, for Ofsted inspections for affected schools to be paused and for revenue budgets to be protected. RAAC update. The government updated the position on RAAC affected schools and colleges indicating that the identification programme had now been completed and the number of schools and colleges affected had been clarified with funding now being sorted out.
FE/SKILLS: Apprenticeship data. The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) published a range of data to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, indicating the programme for early years teachers as the most popular by starts last year with those for other public sector workers including care workers, police and nurses also in the top 20 and with the S.E. and N.W. the two regions in the country with the most starts generally. Skills barometer. The government published its latest Skills Horizon Barometer for SMEs, looking at the picture on skills and recruitment for the sector for the year ahead and finding some concerns about recruitment and running costs and staffing costs but with small businesses looking to continue to grow in 2024 especially in sectors such as finance and health care. EPAs. Ofqual published a guide for apprentices on end-point assessments (EPA,) what to expect, how to prepare for them and what to do if you have any concerns.
HE: Funding. The Consultancy London Economics published its analysis of funding for higher ed in each of the four nations of the UK, arguing that it remains a divisive issue, has left the sector widely under-funded and needs to be better understood, modelling instead a number of possible alternatives including for England lowering tuition fees and raising the teaching grant, and getting graduates to pay back more, each of which would bring winners and losers. HTQ outcomes. The Office for Students (OfS) reported on its recent consultation on how best to report student outcomes for those taking the new Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs,) confirming an intention to report the data separately through an ‘additional split indicator’ which will take effect from 2026/7. Missing out. The National Education Opportunities Network (NEON) called for better support, targeting and collaborative action for young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds as it published a new report showing that many were ‘missing out’ on opportunities to progress to HE and that things hadn’t changed much in the last ten years.
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MONDAY 12 FEBRUARY On this day in 1700 the Great Northern War began in Northern Europe between Denmark–Norway, Saxony and Russia and the Swedish Empire. On this day in 2002 the trial of former President of Yugoslavia and Serbia Slobodan Milošević on charges of genocide and war crimes began at The Hague. On this day in 2019 rare black panthers were spotted for the first time in nearly 100 years in Laikipia County, Kenya.
TUESDAY 13 FEBRUARY On this day in 1633 Galileo arrived in Rome to face charges of heresy for advocating Copernican theory which holds that the earth revolves around the sun. On this day in 1945 the German city of Dresden was destroyed in a bombing raid by Allied planes that lasted three days killing an estimated 25,000 people. On this day in 2000 the last 'Peanuts' comic strip was published in newspapers around the world following the death of its creator Charles M Schulz.
WEDNESDAY 14 FEBRUARY On this day in 1876 Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray applied separately for telephone patents; the Supreme Court eventually ruled Bell the rightful inventor. On this day in 1949 Israel's parliament, the Knesset, convened for the first time. On this day in 1984 Britain's Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean famously dominated the ice dancing at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics.
THURSDAY 15 FEBRUARY On this day in 399 BC the philosopher Socrates was sentenced to death by the city of Athens for impiety and corrupting the minds of the youth of the city. On this day in 2001 the first draft and initial analysis of the complete human genome was published in the journal 'Nature'. On this day in 2003 millions of people around the world took to the streets to protest against the impending invasion of Iraq.
FRIDAY 16 FEBRUARY On this day in 600 Pope Gregory the Great decreed saying 'God bless You' as the religiously correct response to a sneeze. On this day in 1923 English archaeologist Howard Carter entered the sealed burial chamber of the ancient Egyptian ruler King Tutankhamen. On this day in 2005 the Kyoto Protocol came into effect committing industrialized nations to limit and reduce greenhouse gases.
Awareness days from around the world
FEBRUARY IS UK: LGBT History Month, Raynaud’s Awareness Month. WORLDWIDE: National Children’s Dental Health Month, Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, Boost Your Self Esteem Month, LGBT History Month, National Self-Check Month, National Bird Feeding Month, National Cancer Prevention Month, Chinese New Year, National Fasting February, National Enrolled Agents Month, National Embroidery Month, National Weddings Month, National Hot Breakfast Month, National Cherry Month, National Bake for Family Fun Month, Great American Pies Month, National Self-Care Month, Creative Romance Month, National Canned Food Month, An Affair to Remember Month, Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, American Heart Month, National Grapefruit Month, National Library Lover's Month, Free and Open Source Software Month, National Snack Food Month.
THIS WEEK IS UK: Big Schools Birdwatch, You Can Care Week, Student Volunteering Week. WORLDWIDE: Chinese New Year, National Jell-O Week, National Kraut and Frankfurter Week, Have A Heart For Chained Dogs Week, Alzheimer's And Dementia Care Education Week, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Week, Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week, Great American Pizza Bake, National Secondhand Wardrobe Week, National Marriage Week, Random Acts of Kindness Week, Take Your Family to School Week, International Flirting Week, Children of Alcoholics Awareness Week, National Secondhand Wardrobe Week, National Cardiac Rehabilitation Week, Freelance Writers Appreciation Week, Carnival of Brazil.
MONDAY 12 FEBRUARY WORLDWIDE: National Freedom to Marry Day, International Epilepsy Day, National Plum Pudding Day, National Clean Out Your Computer Day, Darwin Day, Red Hand Day, National Lost Penny Day, National Clean Out Your Computer Day, National Football Hangover Day.
TUESDAY 13 FEBRUARY UK: Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Day. WORLDWIDE: National Tortellini Day, Get a Different Name Day, Galentine's Day, Fastnacht Day, Paczki Day, National Cheddar Day, Fat Tuesday, National Pancake Day, National Tortellini Day, World Radio Day, Black Love Day, International Condom Day, Kiss Day, Extraterrestrial Culture Day, Employee Legal Awareness Day, Self Love Day, Mardi Gras, International Natural Day, National Apology Day.
WEDNESDAY 14 FEBRUARY WORLDWIDE: Valentine's Day, International Book Giving Day, Ash Wednesday, National Cream-filled Chocolates Day, National Ferris Wheel Day, National Organ Donor Day, National Library Lover’s Day, Pet Theft Awareness Day.
THURSDAY 15 FEBRUARY UK: Helplines Awareness Day. WORLDWIDE: Susan B Anthony Day, Singles Awareness Day, National Wisconsin Day, National Gumdrop Day, Annoy Squidward Day, World Hippo Day.
FRIDAY 16 FEBRUARY WORLDWIDE: National Almond Day, Do a Grouch a Favor Day, Care Day, National No One Eats Alone Day, National Tartar Sauce Day, National Caregivers Day, Innovation Day, National Tim Tam Day.
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