A new code of conduct for teachers
December 22, 2008
Teachers getting drunk and behaving badly at weekends well could be subjected to disciplinary action, according to a new code of conduct, just published in draft. It states teachers if they damage ‘public confidence and trust’ in their profession, could face sanctions.
Chief executive, the General Teaching Council (GTC), Keith Bartley stated the watchdog body wanted teachers to ‘consider their place in society’. It wanted them to act as role models, he added. When asked what it would do if teachers were found drunk at the weekend, he remarked the GTC before deciding on disciplinary tribunals would consider each individual case.
Teachers did not have to act as exemplary citizens, Bartley said, every second. Nevertheless, their behaviour at times could be ‘lawful but still not acceptable’. A GTC spokeswoman stated, the watchdog would come into play if a school/ocal authority reported behaviour of a teacher as misconduct (following a dismissal), or if he or she was cautioned on the behavioural count.
The code comes into force next autumn. It states that teachers as well as trainees need to
“uphold the law and maintain standards of behaviour – both inside and outside school that are appropriate given their membership of an important and responsible profession”
Teach children how to lead healthy and happy lives
December 10, 2008
Primary school pupils in the UK should be told how to lead healthy and happy lives as part of a meaningful curriculum overhaul, states a government-commissioned study report. It also states that individual subjects should ideally be replaced by themed areas of learning.
The report prepared by Sir Jim Rose, former senior Ofsted inspector, suggests that lessons need to be more focused on thoroughly preparing children for challenging life outside school. It also seeks more advanced and thorough technology lessons for select pupils. The idea is to make them responsible citizens.
Sir Jim had been asked by the British government to conduct a ‘root-and-branch’ review of subjects taught in the country’s primary schools. The interim report is to be officially released later. It adds teaching pupils the various social skills and emotional well-being needs to be a compulsory aspect of the curriculum.
According to it, they should possess the personal, social, emotional qualities that are essential to their health and well-being. This will allow them to become a responsible citizen. The report is also seeking a far more flexible approach towards learning. It rightly underlines the importance of activity and play in children’s complete development.
More clarity needed for pupils opting for a ‘soft’ A-level subject
December 1, 2008
More needs to be done so as to warn pupils that opting for a ‘soft’ A-level subject could well limit their choices of university course, according to a report. Only two leading universities currently publish a ‘non-preferred’ subjects list, the Policy Exchange report observes.
The report states universities and schools should make things clearer. It adds only the London School of Economics and Cambridge University publish less-preferred subjects lists, whereas other universities give no clear advice regarding subjects that could go against students.
The Russell Group of leading research institutions had earlier warned state pupils could be more hampered by selecting ‘soft subjects’ at A-level. Cambridge list comprises of 20 A-levels that could be termed ‘less effective’ in applications like accounting, business, media studies, sports studies, travel and tourism, dance and ICT.
The report notes:
“The task facing schools in providing accurate and useful higher education advice is a daunting one. And considering the sheer number of undergraduate courses that are available in the UK, combined with subtle, ever-changing needs in admissions policies of universities, it is understandable some schools are falling behind.”
However, some schools were not providing even the most basic kind of advice, it added.
Delay in grants to Wales’ poor students
November 15, 2008
Nearly 7,500 of poor sixth form students in Wales are yet to receive grants that are given as an encouragement to them to carry on their studies. The Education Maintenance Allowance is worth up to £30 a week. It can be currently claimed by pupils (aged 16 to 18) in school or college, who are from lower-income families.
According to an education union, the delay was not good as the vulnerable pupils might end up leaving full-time education. However, the assembly government on its part insisted all those students who qualify for the allowance will get it. Those who are still awaiting their grants will be made to wait another month at least for their payments.
Students are eligible for an allowance of £10, £20 or £30 on weekly basis depending on their household income and if they maintain a ‘satisfactory’ attendance. They can qualify for periodic additional bonuses as well (£100), if certain learning objectives are met.
The Association of Teachers and Lecturers Cymru (ATL) diectior, Philip Dixon, pointed out that the delay could well undermine work being done so far to encourage poor youngsters to study and complete their education. It could put off the most vulnerable young people from entering Further Education this year.
Forty nine percent of Cambridge pupils flout the code
November 1, 2008
As per the students, intense workload is the reason for flouting the current code. It is unbelievable that nearly half of the students of prestigious Cambridge University ‘cheat’.
According to a report in the ‘Varsity’ newspaper, almost one in two or almost 49% of Cambridge students have plagiarised work, although this differed between subjects and colleges. Absurdly, law students were the culprits standing out, in the revelation of the survey. About 62 percent of them admitted in breaking the university rules. The archaeology and anthropology department was the second highest with an amazing 59% cheat-rate.
Robert Foely, a Professor in Biological Anthropology at King’s College, London, was quoted by the university’s student newspaper as saying, “It is a depressing set of statistics.” However, only 5 of the students who were part of the survey said they had been caught plagiarising.
Most of the students who engaged in cheating blamed intense workloads for their behaviour. A few were of the opinion that they did not understand university’s definition of plagiarism and hence were astonished to be figured in the list of ‘rule breaking students’.
Foreign students wishing to study in UK will face stricter rules
October 31, 2008
With the aim to clamp down on bogus students as well as protect the labour market and ensuring that only those who benefit Britain can continue to come, Britain has announced stricter rules for foreign students wishing to study in the country.
So far the Australian-style points system has not been introduced in England. The home office has confirmed that the student tier of the Australia-style points system will be introduced from March 2009. Earlier this year, Britain introduced a new point-based immigration system for non-European Union migrants in a major overhaul of its immigration system.
The points based system consists of five tiers – highly skilled migrants come under the first tier, Tier 2 is for skilled workers with a job offer, Tier 3 is for low-skilled workers, Tier 4 covers students, and Tier 5 is meant for temporary workers like musicians, sports persons and actors.
Foreign student’s contribution to the UK economy is about £2.5 billion annually by way of fees alone, while the overall estimated contribution is £8.5 billion every year, as per the official estimates. Now foreign students are allowed to work in UK for two years once they have achieved their degrees, for work experience.
The new rules will probably achieve the stated aims. All colleges, universities and any educational institutions which aim to recruit students from outside the European Economic Area are duty bound to be registered.
More pupils face repeat suspensions
October 25, 2008
Disruptive pupils are being subjected to repeat suspensions rather than permanently excluding them from schools, official figures indicate. The number of pupils who were suspended up to 10 times or more in an academic year more than doubled in three years from 2004, whereas permanent exclusions fell. The Tories say it is so because head teachers’ hands are literally tied over long-term exclusions. The government claims schools are gradually reducing low-level disruption.
According to the figures from ‘Department for Children, Schools and Families’, the permanent exclusions were down 13% to 8,680 from 9,990. The number of pupils handed repeat suspensions grew markedly at the same time. The number of those handed five or more fixed-term exclusions (in a year) went up by 50%.
Some 17,400 more pupils were suspended from school more than once in 2006-07 than in 2003-04, when a whopping 71,370 pupils got excluded for a fixed term. Nick Gibb, shadow schools minister, said: “Very often the appeal panels overturn such expulsions and these children return to the schools. The approach of the government to discipline in schools is (in) a complete mess. Repeatedly suspending disruptive children instead of excluding them, means they do not get the specialist help that they need.”
Britain’s Nottingham East academy plans to scrap homework
October 2, 2008
Nottingham East academy, which plans to have 3,570 pupils when it opens, will replace homework with an “extra lesson and after-school activities.” Barry Day who is set to become principal at the new academy, believes the move will help children from poorer or illiterate families or those whose parents do not speak English.
The Daily Telegraphed quoted a school’s spokesmen: “The reason for the biggest school in the UK, Nottingham East academy to do so (scrap homework) is that homework is unpopular among children and it would be more difficult for children from `disadvantaged homes` to do their assignments than those who come from good homes.”
Barry Day said: “If you ask most heads what detentions are for, they will inform you that it is for non-completion of homework. It causes enormous home conflict. It is often set because there is an expectation that it should be set. It does not help (with education) at all.”
For doing away with the homework without hampering the pupil’s study, Nottingham East will retain some for exam revision and coursework. Parents will be encouraged to read books in a relaxed way with their children and ask the pupils to report twice a term what they have read. Meanwhile, Fearing that homework was leaving pupils depressed, Tiffin boy’s school in Kingston Upon Tames, south-west London too decided to scale back homework schedules. Tiffin is one of the top-rated grammar school in England that has written to parents telling them it would limit homework to one 40 minute assignment, along with 20 minutes of independent study.
Play C-shock to acquaint with British way of life
September 29, 2008
To cope with their culture shock, international students arriving in Britain are playing an innovative new computer game developed at the University of Portsmouth. The online game C-Shock helps students from overseas adjust in the UK and prepare them for the culture changes they are likely to encounter like availability of alcohol and seeing people engaged in kissing in public.
Hundreds of students arrive in the UK to take up their university place in an unfamiliar surroundings and culture. Already 16, 000 hits are already recorded by the site proving its utility as a guide to overcome culture shock.
The computer game having separate sets of questions for men and women guides them in adapting to various options of how to behave in a particular situation. Maniar said: “When I arrived in Britain I found some aspects of British culture very different to what I was used to in India and it was hard to know how to react or behave appropriately. When I became a student ambassador I noticed overseas students struggling with the same concepts I had grappled with myself and as a member of staff I decided to use technology to help.”
Nine universities to promote bright students from poor backgrounds
September 24, 2008
Who says education is not for everyone? Nine universities in the UK stand united and support the cause that will allow bright students from less well-off backgrounds to get an education. Birmingham, Bristol, Leicester, King’s College London, Leeds, Warwick, Newcastle, Southampton and Exeter universities are getting together for this noble cause, and will allow students to start applying for degrees in the year 2010.
A change in the attitude of students over the last ten years from not wanting to go to university to wanting to pursue a higher education has prompted some of the top level institutions to adopt this policy, making it a brilliant move to promote higher education in the UK.
What these institutes are basically trying to do is recognise each other’s compact schemes and working together to provide opportunities to students with lack of funds. Compact schemes are plans that universities use to work with schools to issue summer schooling, master classes and visits for students.
There are far too many higher end universities that students from poorer backgrounds will refrain from applying to. This new scheme will ensure that everyone gets an equal chance to prove his or her skills in good universities. In reality, the A-level examinations are not sole indicators of a students performance, as a student with lower A-level grades might perform better in a university.
