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Post-16 qualifications taken with a pinch of salt

The Education Committee’s review of ‘The future of post-16 qualifications’ was released recently. It is comprehensive and it is taking time for the implications to sink in. It is highly critical of the government in promoting T-levels as an exclusive…

Observations from Agreement 25 conference in Belfast: no turning back

There is a slight detour this week to look at the political developments in Northern Ireland last week. On behalf of students today, TEFS asks the question, ‘What has the Good Friday Agreement done for us?’ The voices of reason…

Government policy sacrifices university education at the altar of public opinion

A recent article in the Guardian from Adrian Chiles appears to encapsulate and reinforce public opinion on universities with ‘English students spend a fortune to go to university. Shouldn’t that buy them more teaching and less partying?’ It appears that…

New advanced university planned in operation ’Future Shock’ UPDATE

UPDATE 1st April 2023 Today a Department for Education spokesperson has flatly denied that there are plans for a new university. In an official statement they made it clear that, “At first we were convinced this was a true story…

Budget 2023: Nothing for students to see here

If any students, or universities and their staff, were expecting some assistance from the government in the budget last week, they were sadly disappointed. Students and their living costs are not mentioned. Instead, some families can expect limited respite on…

The ticking time bomb of student hardship UPDATE

The worsening situation of increasing numbers of students coming under financial pressure and hardship is moving on fast.  The defensive campaign for help seems to be advancing slowly by crawling while under fire.  Yet advancing it is.  Two more reports…

The high price of losing BTECs

Removing BTECs from the qualification options for large numbers of students will have a profound and lasting effect on those hoping to strive for something better. The success of past BTEC students provides a ready reminder of what is already…

Labour, fees or a graduate tax and the elephant in the room

A keynote policy speech by Keir Starmer earlier today, and at the Scottish Labour Conference over the weekend, renewed the party toward electoral success across GB and especially in Scotland. There is an atmosphere of ‘cup fever’ as the inevitable…

Grammar schools still failing to boost number of poorer pupils – BBC News

Most have tried to improve their admissions policies but the impact is patchy, BBC analysis finds. Bit this is not surprising- surely that is the real point of grammar schools. — Read on http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-64714201

AI Bot becomes self-aware

It seems some strange things are happening with the new AI Bots as they are learning exponentially from the inquiries made. Maybe they are learning more about humans than we are learning from them. When paired with Microsoft’s Bing search…