BBC Education News

Tests 'damaging' to school system
The Sats tests being taken by 11-year-olds in England are damaging the balance of lessons, say MPs.

'Come clean' call on Diploma plan
MPs say the government should clarify its intentions on the future of Diplomas, GCSEs and A-levels.

Adults 'dropping out of learning'
A survey says large numbers of adults targeted by skills campaigns are dropping out of learning.

Heads warn of exam 'congestion'
Pupils about to take GCSE and AS-level exams are put under extra stress by timetabling problems, teachers warn.

Return of education's 'Cold War'
Mike Baker considers the pressures facing the independent sector over the public benefit test.

Reading skills' 'virtuous circle'
Ofsted inspectors say that schools and children are making progress with the teaching of phonics.

Catch-up scheme 'a success'
A government-backed reading scheme shows lasting results for struggling readers, research suggests.

Strike threat over academy plan
Teachers at a school in Derby are threatening strike action over plans to turn it into an academy.

Rugby to let in more poor pupils
Rugby School becomes the latest independent school to open its doors to more less well-off pupils.

Move to bolster school governors
The scale of governor shortage is revealed as ministers try to strengthen the management of schools.

Maths teacher gap 'to worsen'
The shortage of qualified maths teachers in England seems set to worsen, a survey suggests.

Row over 'paid for' schooling
An inquiry sees a heated exchange between a senior MP and the head of the Independent Schools Council.

Adults with autism to be audited
For the first time the government is to calculate the number of adults with autism in England.

Dyslexic focus in school review
An inquiry into what is taught in England's primary schools is to be widened to include children with dyslexia.

Dads 'need school reassurance'
Ed Balls says it can be intimidating for dads to enter a school environment dominated by women.

348,000 'persistent truant' risk
More than one in 20 pupils in England is on the margins of becoming a persistent truant, reveal official figures.

Children being 'dumped at school'
The leader of the National Association of Head Teachers accuses some parents of "dumping" children on schools.

Parents 'stop children cycling'
Cycling campaigners say over-anxious parents are stopping their children from riding on the roads.

'Superhead' school police probe
A school turned around by a "superhead" is probed over attendance figure "irregularities", police say.

Cocaine found at university bars
Drugs testing by students at the University of Bristol suggests cocaine is used at most of its bars.

'Emotions' urged in sex education
Childline is calling for advice on emotions and relationships to a compulsory part of sex education in schools.

Targets 'drive out head teachers'
Ofsted inspection pressures deter good candidates from becoming head teachers, research suggests.

School's out as teachers march
Thousands of teachers take to the streets to march over demands for a better pay deal.

Where learning strategy takes us
BBC News website education editor Gary Eason assesses which way the wind is blowing.

Can music aid in academic gains?
Can learning a musical instrument help your child's overall academic performance in school?

Guardian Education News

Doing what they do best
Which institutions have fared well in our rankings? Our writers pick out some of the top performers

The funding of Jewish faith schools
Yesodey Hatorah's head was criticised when it accepted state funding as an Orthodox secondary school but, says Riazat Butt, it is the pupils who benefit

Interview: Christine Blower
The Mail may dub her a loony leftist, but the NUT's current leader defies such crude categorisation. Peter Wilby reports

The role of UCST in education
A single academy sponsor is controlling millions of pounds of public assets. Is this right, asks Francis Beckett

Status of terrorism experts questioned
There are concerns about the quality and impartiality of some academic 'terrorologists', says John Crace

Arguments over anthropologists work for the military
Arguments rage in the US about whether anthropologists should be helping the military. Kurt Jacobsen reports

Expansion of higher education in Ethiopia
Ethiopia has a plan to produce thousands of PhDs, to teach and to spur on economic development. Linda Nordling reports

How plumbing killed off pilates
The cut in funding for adult education has affected all socio-economic groups, but worst hit are manual workers. Peter Kingston reports

The art of attending a seminar
Seminars can be a stimulating way of testing knowledge or they can be an excruciating test of how much silence it is possible for a group of people to bear before coughing, says Harriet Swain

Fiona Millar on new guidance on school admissions
The education bill brings us one step closer to making schools fairer, says Fiona Millar

David Latchman on the need to support part-time students
To get more graduates, support part-time students, says David Latchman

Geoff Mason on vocational skills upgrading
Training opportunities are sadly out of balance, says Geoff Mason

New talent, new scores
Sharpen your pencils and get ready for the 10th Young Composers' Competition. Peter Kingston reports

Getting social at university
Harriet Swain looks at how higher education is getting more out of the web

Duncan O'Leary on on the social value of learning English
The danger is of hitting the target but missing the point of teaching English, says Duncan O'Leary

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