Policy Watch

In a week which has seen significant industrial action across the rail network, the NEU issued a ballot threat for a strike later in the year. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi says such a strike in the wake of the disruption to schooling caused by the coronavirus pandemic would be “unforgivable”. Research published this week by National Foundation for Education Research investigates the impact of pay and conditions, as well as other government initiatives, on attracting new talent into the profession. It concludes that an adequate supply of teacher to 2025 is “unlikely”.

The Times Education Commission published its final report, calling for an education reset. The report entitled Bringing out the best: How to transform education and unleash the potential of every child, makes a number of recommendations for change across the education system, from early years through to university. Its recommendation for a British Baccalaureate at 18 and fewer exams at 16 is the latest contribution to the ongoing debate as to whether the current system of assessment is fit for purpose. However, the government is clear that it is not considering changes, having reformed exams under Michael Gove.

This week has seen a wealth of statistics published by the Department for Education, covering all parts of the education journey, including: the number of pupils in English schools hitting 9 million; a rise in those pupils receiving free school meals; 4,400 more full time teachers are in post; advanced apprenticeship accounting for 44% of starts in the first half of the academic year; a widening of the gap between the employment rates of working-age graduates and postgraduates and non-graduates (first time since 2013).