Steve Besley's Education Eye: week ending 06 March 2026

What's happened this week?

Important stories across the board:

Global headlines apart, the education week has seen the Chancellor provide a health check on the UK economy and the government launch what it claimed was ‘the world’s most ambitious consultation on social media’ usage for young people.

More specifically its been a week that has included World Book Day, secondary school offer day, the annual Colleges Week, National Careers Week and the timely Apprenticeship and Training Conference.

On top of all that, exam concerns, adult learning and study visas have been among the more topical headlines of the week.

So plenty to report on.

Let’s start with those two top core stories that set the context for education.

The Spring Statement first, where the Chancellor adopted a bullish tone in a 25-minute Statement to MPs that ran through the OBR’s latest economic forecasts and figures, before declaring that the government ‘has the right economic plan for the country.’

Borrowing down, growth slowing this year then picking up from 2027, unemployment peaking this year, inflation falling. A litany aimed at providing what commentators called ‘a stability premium’ at a time of global and domestic uncertainty.

Less highlighted were that taxes are set to rise in the coming years and unprotected depts face cuts.

The Opposition condemned the Statement for having nothing to say but that was rather the point. Indeed with the headlines full of global uncertainty, the IfS praised the Chancellor for making it ‘a non-event.’

Her vision for economic growth, for instance, is due to be set out in a major speech in a couple of weeks’ time.

There were some references to education.

In her speech, the Chancellor pointed to the government’s work on breakfast clubs, school buildings and FE while recognising the challenge of youth unemployment.

The Shadow Chancellor for his part promised to tackle student loans. The Lib Dems made a similar point.

The verdict from education unions was of wasted opportunity. ‘No solution to education’s problems,’ according to the NEU. “Betrayed the millions of graduates drowning in debt by refusing to lift a finger to help them,” the sharp line from the UCU.

The verdict from authoritative commentators was a cautious ‘OK but,’ with the but hinging on the impact of yet unclear global developments.

The IfS, for example, reckoned the Chancellor deserved credit for making it a non-event but concluded that “the UK’s fiscal challenges remain daunting.” The Resolution Foundation reinforced the point about missed opportunity. “There was a logic to keeping the Spring Forecast low key, but overall it has to rank as a missed opportunity.” The NIESR went for ‘Standing Still on Debt as Risks Mount’ while the Institute of Directors opted for ‘Still no plan for growth.’

In summary, the overriding concern remains just how robust the economy is in the face of growing challenges.

Second, social media usage for young people and the government’s ‘ambitious consultation,’ described as ‘a national conversation.’

Targeted at key groups including parents, young people and academics, the consultation/conversation “looks beyond a ban and covers a full range of options, from curfews, to the impact of chatbots and gaming.”

The aim of it all, according to the Tech Secretary who introduced it, is “to understand the relative merits of these different options, including the age any restrictions should apply to. We also want to understand more about the unintended consequences of restrictions.”

The consultation pointed to three main areas of interest: age-based restrictions, the role of enforcement, and what it called ‘the wider ecosystem’ in which all this is happening.

How far we’ll all be any clearer by 26 May 2026 when the consultation finishes, remains to be seen.

Although in fairness, the government described the consultation as just ‘the next step’ in keeping things under review, will concurrently run pilots to test out options and was keen to remind us that “keeping children safe online is a responsibility we all share.”

The debate no doubt will continue but as the NEU explained, ‘we need to move quickly from consultation to action.’

On to other news this week from across education.

In schools, The Guardian issued its verdict on last week’s Schools White Paper.

“SEND reforms aside, the government’s white paper lacks focus,” was its headline.

It praised the emphasis on levelling up and a self-improving system but argued that the government must avoid a scattergun approach.

Elsewhere, two Ofqual consultations have been in the news.

First, Ofqual consulted on extending the arrangements for students not needing to memorise formulae and equations in GCSE maths, physics and combined science, following the government’s request.

The short, eight question, consultation runs to 23 March 2026.

The Shadow Education Secretary wasn’t impressed, “Labour are hell-bent on dumbing down school standards in this country,” but others saw it as a sensible way forward.

Second, Ofqual’s consultation on regulating on-screen assessment closed this week with AQA calling on the regulator to be a bit bolder in its proposals.

“Rational caution is wise; excessive caution will restrain momentum and risks provoking public concern rather than allaying it.”

In particular it called for exam boards to be able to offer more than the suggested two sets of specs for on-screen assessment.

It reckoned it could deliver ‘more than half’ of such specs when accredited, although it recognised that not all boards may have the capacity and expertise yet and student entry numbers should be reduced.

And to round off on Ofqual, with the weather warming up and the exam/assessment season beckoning, the Chief Regulator highlighted two concerns he was particularly worried about this year in an open letter to exam board bosses.  

These included the growing cases of mobile devices being found in exam halls and the potential for misuse of AI in non-exam assessments.

“I ask that you write to me setting out the specific steps your organisation will take in response to my concerns, to protect confidence in high stakes qualification,” he wrote.

Elsewhere with secondary school offers for this September being released this week, the DfE outlined arrangements for families wishing to appeal.

The NFER highlighted the increasing demands on school support staff and concerns about low pay and low morale as it published its annual report into the school support staff workforce.

ASCL agreed. “They provide vital support in the classroom, not just for SEND pupils but to all learners, but unfortunately pay has not kept pace with these growing demands.” ‘Unsung heroes,’ as the NAHT described them.

And the Careers and Enterprise Company published its annual report for last year with evidence taken from over 330k young people along with schools, colleges and employers, and pointing to an ‘improving’ system of provision.

“Students have more information, more access to employers and apprenticeship providers, stronger curriculum links and more personal guidance.”

In FE, its been Colleges Week, a week to showcase the importance of colleges to students, staff and the community.

Adult education, often left out in the cold when it comes to funding and support, received a welcome boost this week with a cross-party group of parliamentarians announcing an inquiry into the area.

It’ll cover a number of key areas with sessions on policy, funding, skills, inclusion and health and wellbeing due to be held over the coming months and a report due this autumn.

The AoC which will provide the secretariat, said it was ‘delighted’ and was looking forward to what the group might propose.

And WorldSkills UK invited entries to its ‘prestigious WorldSkills UK National Competitions.’

In the words of one previous competitor, “Just do it. It’s a life-changing experience. It’s so beneficial for both your career growth and your personal development.”

In HE, the Home Secretary clamped down on study visas from four countries following reports of ‘widespread visa abuse.’

“Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused,” she said.

The so-called ‘emergency brake’ on such visas will come into force from the 26th of this month.

Universities UK and other bodies expressed concern and called for a meeting with the Home Office.

Student loans have remained at the forefront this week once again with the IPPR think tank adding its thoughts to those from the Lib Dems and the IfS last week.

In a word they saw it as a difficult set of trade-offs between reducing the interest rates on debts, increasing the thresholds at which the debt starts to be paid and/or reducing the repayment rate, slightly favouring one or other of the latter two options.

The student money website, Save the Student, published its latest annual survey into student accommodation conducted between November 2025 and the start of this year and showing a further rise for those that pay rent to an average cost of £575 a month. Higher in London.

Broadly 36% of students rent from a private landlord, 31% live in university accommodation and 13% live with parents and/or private halls respectively.

Among the surprising findings was the fact that over a third of respondents said they’d agreed to rent a property without ever looking at it with many feeling pressurised into accepting unfavourable conditions or agreements.

“[We weren't] allowed to view our property and we would never have said yes if we knew how bad it was. Also the landlord put the price up for our second year and told us at the end of November, so we had no alternatives.”

It’s not clear yet how far the Renters’ Rights Act which comes into force at the start of May will help in such circumstances.

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

The top headlines of the week:

• ’Ofqual warned of moving too slowly on digital assessments’ (Monday)
• ‘Schools in England sidelining dressing up for World Book Day, MPs hear’ (Tuesday)
• ‘Government to stop study visas from four countries due to abuse’ (Wednesday)
• ‘Support staff turnover hits record high as experts call for action’ (Thursday)
• ‘Vice-chancellor calls for review into student loans for those without A levels’ (Friday)

General:

• The Chancellor’s Spring Statement. The Chancellor reported on the UK economy in a set piece speech to MPs, highlighting figures from the OBR’s latest outlook report on growth, inflation, borrowing and unemployment to suggest that while global uncertainty remained challenging and forecasts uncertain, her economic plan was the right one.
• OBR Report. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published its latest ‘outlook’ report on the UK economy with five-year forecasts and figures to accompany the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, pointing to borrowing down and unemployment due to peak but listing concerns around welfare spending, pressures on depts and the current geopolitical situation.
• Spring Statement verdict (1.) The IfS put forward its assessment of the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, suggesting that partly because of global tensions and partly because of a forthcoming planned speech, it was largely a ‘holding exercise,’ but pointing to three risks, including rising unemployment, falling net migration and stock market volatility, likely to shape future Budget planning. 
• Spring Statement verdict (2). The Resolution Foundation published its perspective on the Chancellor’s Spring Statement acknowledging the thinking behind keeping it low key but arguing that with familiar challenges remaining she should have seized the opportunity to put forward some bold options.
• Consultation on social media use. The government launched a major three-month consultation on digital and social media use by young people with views sought on a range of matters including minimum age usage, age verification and tackling addictive features.
• Antisemitism Review. The government called on Sir David Bell to lead an independent review into “the policies, procedures and support available to schools and colleges in England when dealing with antisemitism,” with a call for evidence to be issued shortly and a final report due this autumn.
• Industrial policy. The EU outlined measures to boost ‘Made in EU’ and low-carbon products as part of a new Industrial Accelerator Act intended to support manufacturing, a shift towards cleaner, future-ready technologies and a strengthened EU industrial base generally.
• Children’s commissioner. The children’s commissioner reported on the work of her organisation over the past year and important work ahead as she headed into the final year in her role.

HE:

• Study visas. The Home Secretary announced an ‘emergency brake’ on study visas from four countries: Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, to come into force from 26 March this year following claims of ‘visa abuse’
• Creative HE Strategy. GuildHE launched a call for evidence as it looked to create a roadmap ‘to champion the transformative power of creative higher education’ as part of its Creative HE Strategy Project.
• Student accommodation. The Save the Student (money) website reported on its latest annual survey of student accommodation showing annual rental costs now up to £575 pcm with some 60% of those surveyed indicating they struggled to meet the costs and over 60% having issues with their accommodation.
• Student loans. The IPPR think tank added its thoughts to the continuing debate over the costs of student loans, especially those on Plan 2, calling for ‘targeted relief’ through either raising the threshold at which debts start to be repaid or reducing the repayment rate.

Tweets and posts of note:

• “As schools across the country celebrate World Book Day, our study last year found that 40% of Britons hadn't read a single book in the past 12 months - the median Briton had read 3 books in the preceding year” -@YouGov.
• “Couples who work from home at least one day a week are having more children & planning larger families, according to a new @Kingspol_econstudy, co-authored by Dr @cevatgirayaksoy” -@Kings CollegeLon.
• “My O levels in 1980 - maths. We had a formula sheet. And the English Lit exams were open book. I ‘think’ we did ok! The earth kept turning” -@timstirrup.
• “The weird thing about the plan to put exams on-screen is that it's so far behind the technological curve. 5 years ago I could have seen the benefits. But now, AI transcription is so good that you can keep handwritten exams & still get all the benefits of typed transcripts” -@daisychristo.
• “Group work usually ends with the student who knows the least learning nothing, and the student who knows the most doing everything” -@justinskycak.
• “Staffrooms are largely empty these days. Most work through breaks to keep their heads above water. A sad state of affairs” -@MsSammyMcHugh.
• “I get 20 minutes if I have not assigned lunch detentions to students (which seems to be the only consequence teachers can give for behaviour these days)” -@gurney_christy.
• “When I started teaching in 2000, heads were in the role for a long time. They really knew their communities. It feels like people move on so swiftly these days. Maybe I’m just old and misremembering. The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there” -@stoneman_claire.
• “One of the things I never truly understood until entering a teaching career is just how many people in the sector are violently opposed to children ever actually knowing anything” -@ClarkesLatin.
• “The electricity company phoned to "learn more about my customer experience" so I put them on hold for 40 minutes & played Mozart at them”-@MissAlly_01.
• “I don’t understand the news at the moment and my most politicised friends don’t either. I need John Craven in a nice jumper to explain things in simple terms” -@MsNottledim.

A selection of quotes that merit attention:

• “Since the election, I have been making the big choices that will bring about the deep, structural changes that our economy needs so that it works again for working people” – the Chancellor explains her economic plan in the Spring Statement.
• “The fiscal context for the next Budget will remain challenging” – the OBR sets the scene for the next Budget.
• “The music has stopped and we’re left holding the parcel,” – government figures reflect on the current student loans issue.
• “We know there are differences of opinion about a possible social media ban, overnight curfews, and other measures to protect children’s wellbeing” – the government launches consultation on social media usage among young people.
• “Dealing with antisemitism and other forms of hatred and prejudice is paramount and we want to teachers, lecturers, support staff and leaders to be supported to deal with it effectively,” – the government announces an independent review into tackling antisemitism in schools and colleges in England.
• “There’s a risk that moving too slowly and too rigidly will hinder progress and put us even further behind other countries that are already doing this well” – AQA responds to Ofqual’s consultation calling for it to be bolder in moving to on-screen assessment.
• “Over the past three years, almost half of the approximately 5,000 malpractice cases reported annually to Ofqual have involved students taking mobile phones or other communication devices into their exams” – the Chief Regulator calls on exam boards to provide plans on dealing with mobile devices in exam halls.
• “The Treasury has made itself a laughing stock by claiming there are still efficiencies to be made” – the NEU ballot for strike action over pay and workloads.
• “Teaching assistants and other support staff are worth their weight in gold” – ASCL responds to the latest report on school support staff.
• “But Miss, we’ve got TikTok, what’s the point?” – a teacher highlights to the Education Committee the challenges involved in getting children to read.

Everything else you need to know ...

What to look out for in the next couple of weeks: