Steve Besley's Education Eye: week ending 01 December 2023

Welcome to Education Eye, a regular update detailing the policies and stories happening in UK education, compiled by Steve Besley.

What's happened this week?

Important stories across the board:

Another week of heady stories about AI and learning technology.

In the mix have been two interesting research reports into the potential impact of AI on jobs. One was from the Unit for Future Skills and the other from Pearson.

Both used skills mapping to conclude that, in the words of the Pearson report, ‘many white-collar jobs face a greater threat from generative AI than blue-collar jobs’, largely because a great chunk of the work is repetitive. Think for instance a PA or a bookkeeper versus a construction worker or a landscaper. Both reports list the most and least likely impacted jobs.

The results, as the Unit for Future Skills explained, need to be treated with caution, as they’re ‘based on a number of assumptions’, but provide food for thought. Not least, for instance, some levelling up implications with ‘workers in London and the South East having the highest exposure to AI, given the greater concentration of professional occupations in those areas’, according to the Unit.

Elsewhere on AI, the government reported on its earlier Call for Evidence from teachers about the use of AI. It received 567 responses, largely from teachers in secondary, but with a spread from HE and primary as well. In summary: 'Most respondents were optimistic about the use of GenAI in education in the future, and felt this technology has significant potential to improve education. However, there was widespread recognition of the challenges and risks GenAI presents for education'.

And the government even tried its own hand at a bit of AI application, using such techniques to synthesise data and themes from a range of local skill documents, with some success, but again with some caution. ‘Appropriate expert validation needed to ensure an accurate interpretation of results’, it suggested.

Nor has that been all on AI this week.

In other related news, the National Cyber Security Centre set out new guidelines for AI system development, marking what it called ‘a significant step in shaping a truly global, common understanding of the cyber risks and mitigation strategies around AI’. Ofcom reported on its usage in its latest online trends report. 'Four in five (79%) online teenagers aged 13-17 now use generative AI tools and services'. And UNESCO highlighted the impact of technology in its Global Education Monitoring Report on S.E. Asia.

And to round things off on this topic, many might be interested in the latest research this week from the Oxford Internet Institute which found no significant link between internet usage and wellbeing. “We looked very hard for a ‘smoking gun’ linking technology and well-being and we didn’t find it.” A link to the report is below.

Moving on to general news, one week on from the Autumn Statement, the government hosted its latest Global Investment Summit, hoping to at least double the £9bn pledged at the last Summit two years ago. In the event, over three times that figure was committed, with the PM hailing our ‘world-class education and skills system’ as one of the reasons to invest in this country.

And the CBI published its Business Manifesto – a shopping list of ambitions for the first 100 days and weeks of a new government. Reform of the apprenticeship levy is listed as an immediate priority for the first 100 days and the creation of an Independent Skills Commission for the first 100 weeks.

Turning to schools, this week saw the launch of government consultation on setting minimum service levels in the event of any future teacher strike action. It’s not gone down well, and ASCL’s Geoff Barton has suggested it may well end up in the High Court.

The consultation claims that 25m+ days were lost through recent industrial action, and in the words of the Education Secretary, “We cannot afford a repeat of that disruption – particularly as young people continue to catch up from the pandemic”. The consultation has two preferred two options, with an updated version allowing for ‘no preference’. Of the two options, one would prioritise attendance of key groups such as vulnerable children or exam groups, while the other would prioritise all primary children and key groups in secondary.

In FE this week, there was another major report on apprenticeships. It came from the Gatsby Foundation. ‘More must be done to rival the best in the world’, it argued pointing to three steps needed to get there, including making sure schemes lead to careers, not just skills and reinvigorating youth apprenticeships.

And like schools, FE faces minimum service levels being set in the event of industrial action by staff.

In HE, the OfS issued a response to the the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee, which had recently released a ‘must do better’ report on the Office, acknowledging many of the issues raised and setting out ‘a continuing programme of engagement’, with both providers and students for the future.

And a couple of reports this week looked at student finances.

The Student Loans Company outlined the bigger picture. "By end-October 2023, a total of 1.17 million undergraduates and postgraduates have been awarded/paid a total of £4.81 billion for academic year 2023/24”. This and much more in their latest report.

And the government published its latest commissioned research into student income and expenditure, in this case for 2021/22. Again, lots of interesting facts and figures on anything from loans, housing costs, the contribution of part-time work, hardship funds and so on. To take just one example, 'full-time students’ total median living costs in 2021 to 2022 were £5,841'. Apparently down on previous figures.

Links to most of these stories below, starting with the headlines.

The top headlines of the week:

‘300% rise in teacher training applicants from overseas’ (Monday).
‘Teachers use AI for planning and marking, says report’ (Tuesday).
‘New rules would require UK schools to stay open during teacher strikes’ (Wednesday).
‘New strike rules will spark High Court battle, heads warn' (Thursday).
‘Rise in GCSE resits reveals 'misery' of the policy' (Friday).

General:

PM’s Investment Summit speech. The Prime Minister addressed the Global Investment Summit 2023 where he pointed to the country’s low tax approach, its ’incredible’ culture of innovation and its skilled people as three reasons to invest in the UK and announced an increase in funding from leading investors.
Childcare. The government issued its response to the recent consultation on the extension of the early years funding entitlement, and confirmed the funding available for the rollout of its free childcare programme for eligible working parents of 2-year-olds who will be able to register from January.
Economic Forecast. The OECD published its latest Economic Outlook predicting a slight increase in GDP growth for the UK driven by some easing of price pressures but with core inflation remaining stubborn and unemployment edging up.
Growth and productivity. The Productivity Institute and partners called, as part of National Productivity Week, for further investment and the creation of a new body, the Growth and Productivity Institution, to help stabilise and strengthen policy and focus on UK productivity.
Young workers. The TUC called for greater employment protection for young people as it published new analysis showing that 16-24 yr olds are more likely to be employed on zero-hours contracts and to miss out on key employment rights.
Education and voting. The Social Market Foundation published an authored report looking into how far levels of education affect voting behaviour, suggesting a changing education divide, driven largely by a rising graduate cohort, as a key factor in both the EU referendum and the last two general elections and likely to remain so for future elections.
Business Manifesto. The CBI set out a manifesto for action for the next government’s first 100 days, 100 weeks and more, listing a range of ambitions to be tackled under five headings covering productivity, competitiveness, public services, technology and climate change.
Public Services. The Demos think tank called for a new vision for public services as it announced a high-level taskforce to lead development of such a vision and create a roadmap for reform in a report due to be published next summer.
Wellbeing and the Internet. The Oxford Internet Institute reported on new research, conducted into the effects of internet usage on individual wellbeing, suggesting from data collated from over 2m individuals across 168 countries that this was minimal, finding only ‘small and inconsistent associations.’
AI guidelines. The National Cyber Security Centre set out new recommended guidelines for AI system development, listing four key areas namely: secure design, secure development, secure deployment, and secure operation and maintenance.

More specifically ...

Schools:

Minimum service levels. The government launched consultation on setting minimum service levels in schools in the event of future industrial action by teachers, putting forward two proposals, one prioritising attendance for specific groups such as vulnerable children and exam groups, and the other prioritising all primary pupils and some key groups in secondary, with schools using rotas for extended strike action and heads deciding on staffing levels needed during strikes.
Gen AI in education. The government reported on its recent Call for Evidence on how GenAI was being used in education, finding that many teachers were using it to help with lesson planning, developing resources and with admin tasks and were keen to adopt its safe use, but that there were also concerns about its potential for misuse, privacy risks and how far it might replace face-to-face teaching.
Technology survey. The government published a commissioned survey report into the current use of technology in schools finding it increasingly being adopted in schools and with most schools now having a digital strategy in place to support this but with concerns about training, procurement, costs and the appreciation of wider benefits.
Gen AI in schools. Pearson Director Sharon Hague explained in a blog on the Schools Week site how the company was developing the potential of generative AI in three areas, namely the curriculum, teaching and learning, and assessment, and the speed with which schools were adapting to developments.
Attainment gap. The government published commissioned research into how trusts and schools tackled closing attainment gaps between different ethnic groups, reporting that there was no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach but that strategies such as having an ethos of high expectations for all pupils, and assessment and progress monitoring, can all help.
Mental health. The Education Policy Institute examined the latest data from NHS England on children’s mental health, noting that ‘the post-pandemic surge in metal health hasn’t gone away’ and appears most prevalent among older 16+ yr olds, especially girls, with household circumstances a key factor.
Summer borns.The government published further commissioned research on requests for delayed school admissions for summer born pupils, suggesting that the number of requests had levelled off with many authorities granting automatic approval although experiences varied by family.
Primary Science.The Education Endowment Foundation published new guidance for primary science teaching listing a number of practical recommendations including helping pupils develop their scientific vocabulary, work scientifically and relate to wider world contexts.
Behaviour Plan. The Scottish Education Secretary announced a 5-point plan to tackle behaviour in schools in Scotland, incorporating a national action plan, support for local councils, better training and reporting, and a clear response to tackling misogyny.

FE/Skills:

AI on LSIPs. The government reported on its trial use of AI techniques in simplifying the mass of data in Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs), finding that such techniques could help pull together themes and insights into a manageable form but that there were limitations to their use and validation was needed in many cases to ensure accuracy.
AI and jobs (1). The government published an initial report from the Unit for Future Skills looking into the potential impact of AI on the UK jobs market suggesting that those with higher level qualifications and in professional jobs such as in finance and insurance which are notably concentrated in London and the S.E. remain most susceptible to AI coverage.
AI and jobs (2). Pearson also looked into the impact of generative AI on jobs, based on how far automation could replace repetitive tasks, equally suggesting that in many countries AI exposure may have less impact on blue-collar roles such as painter and decorator which are often creative, than on more routine white-collar professional jobs.
MSL in FE. The government included colleges in its consultation on setting minimum service levels (MSL) for providers in the event of industrial action by teachers, and as with schools listed two main proposals which would see colleges required to provide for priority groups such as vulnerable learners as well as those facing assessments/exams although not apprentices, with college leaders determining staffing levels where necessary.
Apprenticeships. The Gatsby Foundation published a major report on apprenticeships, acknowledging the importance of recent reforms but arguing that more still needs to be done, pointing to three steps in particular, including ensuring an apprenticeship leads to a career not just immediate skills, clarifying the training offer, and reviving youth apprenticeships.
HTQs. The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) published guidance and resources for the next round of Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) with the application window opening next March.
10th birthday. The 10% Club celebrated its 10^th anniversary by announcing the creation of 10 Fellowships who will act as mentors and role models for others and help support the organisation into the future.

HE:

MSL in HE. The government included a call for evidence on the impact of recent strike action in HE in its consultation this week on minimum service levels (MSL) for schools and colleges, suggesting that it might yet consider whether similar legislation was needed for HE as well.
Report response. The Office for Students (OfS) responded to a recent Report from the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee which had raised a number of issues around the OfS, acknowledging the points raised, reinforcing the importance of their role and committing among other things to review its engagement with students and to enhance its relationship with providers.
Student finances. The government published its latest commissioned research into the income and expenditure of full and part-time students in England in 2021/22 with a range of data on such factors as levels of student debt (‘£43,000 for those in the final year of a three-year or longer course,’) savings (‘of the full-time students with savings, the median was £3,000 at the start of the year,) and housing cost (‘£4,820.)
Loans and grants. The Student Lons Company set out the latest picture on student loans and grants in England over the last ten years showing a decrease in funded support including tuition fee loans for the current year at a total of £4.81bn.
Mental health provision. The government published commissioned research into the provision of mental health services by HE providers finding an increase (‘from a half in 2019 to over two-thirds in 2022’) in the number now with distinct strategies and working with external agencies but a need for more training, guidance and clarity over partnership working generally.
Student mental health. The OfS published a commissioned report into the interim findings of a project looking into how HE and healthcare professionals could work together to support student mental health services, identifying five issues for future consideration including, better understanding of roles and responsibilities, acknowledging diverse needs and improving information sharing.
Quality code. The QAA reported on feedback so far on its proposed revised version of the UK Quality Code, pointing to a number of emerging themes including the need to align to European Standards and Guidelines and to adopt a UK wide rather than devolved model.

Tweets and posts of note:

“Is it cute or sad that a boy in my form and his mum got me and advent calendar and some socks in case no one got me an advent calendar?” | @HeroicMrT
“The DfE has said there is a strong case for around 3 in 4 pupils to remain in school receiving education during strikes, as part of its minimum service level plans” | @tes
“If you are charging schools for delivering CPD that basically involves you saying "teachers are amazing!" or "you are superheroes!" or "remember your why!", you aren't professionally developing anyone” | @JamesTheo
“Shout out to that one teacher at every school who leaves coloured paper in the photocopier then blames you for not checking it before you started printing” | @UnofficialOA
“A friend had four trays labelled ‘In’, ‘Out’, ‘Pending’ and ‘Too Difficult’. The last was to store items which solved themselves if left long enough. They either became out of date... or were dealt with by some smart aleck. I’ve tried it. It works." (Letter to The Times) | @TimHarford
“It’s that time of the year again where I have to warn my husband that there might be ‘a few parcels’ delivered. Code: he is now full time chief of staff at my personal Christmas/Hanukkah collection and sorting office” | @Joanna_Hardy

Memorable quotes

A selection of quotes that merit attention:

“The most competitive visa regime for highly skilled international talent is right here in the UK” – the PM makes a point at the Global Investment Summit 2023.
“Growth will remain stable but low” – the OECD sets out its economic forecast for the UK.
“We have significantly increased our engagement with institutions in response to feedback, and this will be an ongoing priority” – the Office for Students (OfS) responds to the Lords’ Committee Inquiry into its work.
“Labour will review the way that the whole landscape of tertiary education works and how the lifelong learning entitlement can provide opportunity to further and higher education systems” – Shadow HE minister Matt Western quoted in the Times Higher.
“One institution in Hunan reportedly said that when the first row of seats was not filled, the list of students who sat at the back would be reported to the course tutor” – the Times Higher reports on new rules on student engagement in Chinese universities.
“Keeping children in school is my number one priority” – the Education Secretary prepares to consult on minimum service levels in the event of strike action in schools.
“They want to come for the social, but they don’t want to go into their lessons” – headteachers worry about worsening pupil behaviour in schools.
“This year’s data also shows that mental health issues amongst teenagers remain higher than before the pandemic” – the Education Policy Institute reflects o the latest data on children’s mental health in England.
“Having one consistent child ID would also help national organisations to understand and address system-wide issues” – the children’s commissioner calls for better data sharing on children and families.

Important numbers

Not-to-be-missed numbers of the week:

0.7%. Forecast growth for the UK next year, according to latest figures from the OECD.
£29.5bn. The amount of money pledged by investors in new UK projects and capital as part of this year’s Global Investment Summit, according to the government.
£3,600. The average income from paid work for full-time students in 2021/22, according to latest research commissioned by the government.
21%. The amount of the DfE’s apprenticeship budget in 2021/22 devoted to degree apprenticeships, a figure that’s doubled in two years according to a report from the Gatsby Foundation.
1,818,480. Adult FE and skills participation in 2022/23, up 5.8% on the previous year according to latest government figures.
337,140. The number of apprenticeship starts for the period August 2022 to July 2023, down 3.5% mainly at lower levels on the previous year according to latest government figures.
35.7%. The number of teachers taking early retirement, the highest number for five years with many foregoing best pension benefits according to Wesleyan Financial Services.
23%. The increase in entries for this November’s GCSE English and maths exams, according to data from Ofqual.
0.7% of GDP. The amount of money spent on early years and childcare by high-income OECD countries, according to the charity TheirWorld.

Everything else you need to know ...

What to look out for next week:

Resolution Foundation launch ‘A New Economic Strategy for Britain’ (Monday 04 December).
Launch of the UK PISA 2022 Results (Tuesday 05 December).
Education Committee Accountability session with the Education Secretary (Wednesday 06 December).
UCAS End of Cycle data (Thursday 07 December).

Steve Besley

Disclaimer: Education Eye is intended to help colleagues keep up to date with national developments in the education sector. Information is correct at the time of writing and is offered in good faith. No liability is accepted by Steve Besley or EdCentral for decisions made on the basis of any information provided.