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: Manifesto analysis. The IfS provided a comprehensive analysis of the various party manifestos, arguing via a series of briefings that when it comes to taxes, spending, debt and growth, we have been left ‘guessing,’ with the manifestos failing to answer the questions facing us over the next few years. Analysis of spending pledges. The NIESR undertook a macroeconomic analysis of the main parties’ election spending pledges suggesting that neither major party would end up meeting current fiscal targets, and that largely due to investment through its Green Prosperity Plan, Labour would increase real GDP by 0.1% over five years while Conservative plans would see it decrease by 0.1%. Workers’ survey. The consultancy PwC reported on its latest ‘Hopes and Fears’ survey covering 56,000+workers in 50 countries finding many positive about the future, about the possibilities emerging out of generative AI and about new ways of future working but less positive about the speed and extent of change currently, future skills needs, and some of the downsides of AI such as job security.
SCHOOLS: School Report 2024. Pearson published its latest major School Report based on a range of student and practitioner voices captured earlier this year and providing a mass of fascinating details from both sets (students and practitioners) on matters such as the role, challenges and perspectives facing teachers and teaching and the hopes and fears of the students themselves. Breakfast clubs. The IFS looked into Labour proposals for free breakfast clubs in all primary schools in England, noting that take-up under the current schemes has been patchy but that there can be benefits with the Party’s proposed £315m budget for these by 2028/29 certainly doable although much may depend on whether other items such as extra staff would be needed. Computer education. Researchers at King’s College and Reading University called for a review of GCSE Computer Science to incorporate wider digital skills and make it more appealing to wider groups of students as they published a new report pointing to a drop in the number of girls taking the qualification and the need to encompass changing digital skills.
FE/SKILLS: Lifelong learning. The Lifelong Education Institute examined what the main party manifestos had to say on lifelong learning against their three criteria of ‘People, Productivity, and Place,’ pointing to a number of gaps and arguing that effective lifelong learning needs among other things better access and guidance, more employer investment and local focus. Apprenticeship levy. The FT reported a fresh found of support from employer groups for Labour plans to reform the apprenticeship levy and to constitute it as a broader ‘growth and skills levy.’ International activity. The AoC called for the UK to rejoin the Erasmus+ programme and for a review of the current student visa policy as it reported on international activity across the sector over the past year, suggesting that it was ‘stabilising’ post Brexit but that many barriers, notably regulatory, remained.
HE: Loan forecasts. The government published latest forecast figures on student loans in England for 2023/24 showing that full-time undergraduates who started this year are expected to borrow £42,800 over the course of their studies with 65% expected to pay back in full. Manifesto commitments. The consultancy London Economics put together a detailed assessment of party manifesto commitments on fees and funding in HE in England, finding a lack of detail making precision difficult but suggesting that the Conservatives would likely continue the current funding model, Labour was keeping its powder dry, and neither major party appeared to be coming forward with plans to tackle the sector’s wider financial challenges. Candidate briefing. The HE Policy Institute published a helpful primer for election candidates on all things HE, including how universities are funded, the context around international students and issues around the cost-of-living for students.
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MONDAY 01 JULY On this day in 1916 the British Army suffered its worst day in World War I, losing 19,240 men on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. On this day in 1997 the United Kingdom returned Hong Kong and the New Territories to the People's Republic of China. On this day in 2005 the last Ford Thunderbird was produced at the Ford factory in Wixom, Michigan.
TUESDAY 02 JULY On this day in 1839 slaves aboard a Spanish schooner 'La Amistad' revolted to secure their freedom while being transported from one Cuban port to another. On this day in 1992 theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking broke British publishing records when his book 'A Brief History of Time' remained on the non-fiction bestseller list for three and a half years. On this day in 2001 American Robert L Tools became the first person to receive a self-contained artificial heart transplant called the 'AbioCor' in Louisville, Kentucky.
WEDNESDAY 03 JULY On this day in 1844 the last pair of Great Auks were killed off the coast of Iceland. On this day in 1863 the Battle of Gettysburg ended with a decisive Union victory. On this day in 1962 Algeria gained its independence from France after 132 years of French rule.
THURSDAY 04 JULY On this day in 1892 Western Samoa changed the International Date Line so that year the country experienced 367 days. On this day in 1934 Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard patented the chain-reaction design for the atomic bomb. On this day in 2012 the Higgs Boson particle discovery was announced by scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).
FRIDAY 05 JULY On this day in 1946 Louis Reard's design for a bikini swimsuit debuted at the Paris fashion show. On this day in 1954 the BBC broadcast its first television news bulletin. On this day in 1996 the world's first live cloned mammal Dolly the Sheep was born.
Awareness days from around the world
JULY IS UK: National Picnic Month, Plastic Free July, Good Care Month. WORLDWIDE: Group B Strep Support (GBSS) Awareness Month, Sarcoma Awareness Month, Global Enterprise Agility Month, Independent Retailer Month, SPANA’s World Tea Party, National Fragile X Awareness Month, National Hemp Month, National Contract Sewing Month, National Anti-Boredom Month, National Grilling Month, World Watercolor Month, National Peach Month, National Blueberry Month, National Ice Cream Month, National Hot Dog Month, National Horseradish Month, National Culinary Arts Month, National Cell Phone Courtesy Month, National Baked Bean Month, Lasagna Awareness Month, Wild About Wildlife Month, National Hemp Month, National Powersports Month, Bank Account Bonus Month, World Watercolor Month.
THIS WEEK IS UK: Children’s Art Week, Great British Pea Week. WORLDWIDE: Clean Beaches Week, Alcohol Awareness Week, Create Week, Be Nice To Jersey Week, Dyspraxia Awareness Week, Twins, Triplets and More Week.
MONDAY 01 JULY WORLDWIDE: Canada Day, International Reggae Day, Research Appreciation Day, National Gingersnap Day, National Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day, National US Postage Stamp Day, National Postal Worker Day, National Wrong Trousers Day, ZIP Code Day, National Baby-Led Weaning Day, Early Bird Day, Virgin Islands Day, National Television Heritage Day, National Financial Freedom Day, American Zoo Day, International Chicken Wing Day, International Joke Day, Second Half of the Year Day, National Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day.
TUESDAY 02 JULY WORLDWIDE: National Wildland Firefighter Day, National Anisette Day, National I Forgot Day, National Report Military Fraud Day, Made In The USA Day, Special Recreation for the Disabled Day, National Synesthesia Awareness Day, World UFO Day, World Tutors’ Day.
WEDNESDAY 03 JULY UK: National Bereaved Parents Day. WORLDWIDE: International Plastic Bag Free Day, National Fried Clam Day, National Chocolate Wafer Day, National Eat Your Beans Day, National Compliment Your Mirror Day, National Independent Beer Run Day, VI Emancipation Day, StartTheConversation Day, American Redneck Day, International Drop A Rock Day, National Stay Out of the Sun Day, Disobedience Day, Air Conditioning Appreciation Day.
THURSDAY 04 JULY WORLDWIDE: Independence Day, Alice In Wonderland Day, National Caesar Salad Day, National Barbecued Spareribs Day, Jackfruit Day, Sidewalk Egg Frying Day, Invisible Day, Filipino-American Friendship Day, National Hillbilly Day, Indivisible Day, Thirsty Thursday, Independence From Meat Day.
FRIDAY 05 JULY WORLDWIDE: National Hawaii Day, National Bikini Day, National Graham Cracker Day, National Apple Turnover Day, National Workaholics Day, Pet Remembrance Day, Work Without Your Hands Day, Comic Sans Day, Mechanical Pencil Day.
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