University white paper

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IET: Apprenticeships and professional training seen as better option than degree

London, 08th May 2012: With the cost of degrees set to rise this autumn, the route offered by apprenticeships is a worthwhile alternative career path for future engineers, according to a new report released today by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). Despite the admission that degrees are still generally held in higher regard, both are valid routes to professional engineering qualifications.

NUT: The fragmentation and privatisation of our education system is a disaster

Commenting after the debate on Motion 40 The Government, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers union said: "We are very obviously not all in this together."

IET: Open letter to the government about plan for downgrading the value of the existing Engineering Diploma

The engineering community is surprised and stunned at the Government’s plan for downgrading the value of the existing Engineering Diploma after so little time since it came into existence. Read why here.

ESRC: Eight international research funders announce the winners of the 2011 Digging into Data challenge

Analysing 600 years of music, drilling down into population databases, understanding social unrest through digitised newspapers – these are just some of the new lines of research that the winners of the second Digging into Data Challenge will now undertake as part of an international competition that promotes innovative humanities and social science research using large-scale data analysis.

NUT: Youth Unemployment Figures

Commenting on the latest jobless figures and the news that youth unemployment has crossed the one million mark, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, said:

NUT on Initial Teacher Training

Commenting on the Government’s Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Strategy Implementation Plan, published today, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union said the following:

Voice: Teacher training plans short-sighted and biased

Voice: the union for education professionals has criticised plans to offer higher levels of bursaries to teachers with first-class degrees in certain subjects.

NASUWT: Government's response to 16-19 report inadequate

Commenting on the publication of the Government’s response to the Education Select Committee’s Fourth Report on ‘Participation by 16 – 19 year olds in education and training’, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union, said:

ESRC: New approach for university and community engagement

Current policy pressures on universities to focus on improving their research excellence and to widen participation make it hard for them to engage meaningfully with excluded communities, according to research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

ESRC: South-East universities turn their knowledge into wealth

In these tough economic times, universities are under pressure to use their knowledge and discoveries to drive economic growth, but an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) study reveals that not all universities are equal.

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Creating competition in the higher education system in England is a key part of the university white paper which will be set out later today.

The aim is to give more consumer power to students by making universities compete for places with each other and the private sector.

Universities will also be held accountable on teaching standards via a requirement to publish figures on how many teaching hours they provide and lecture sizes along with how many students enter graduate jobs at the end of their course.

David Willets, universities minister, has said that the plans will "put students in the driving seat".

However student groups have reacted angrily to the news, questioning whether education is a commodity to be bought and sold.

UCU: Private companies interested in profit not education

NUS: Complete market chaos for majority

Willetts: Students deserve more information

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The Watson/Mensch love-in continues… sort of

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Special event coverage

Festival of Social Sciences: Celebrating the Social Sciences

Evidence-based policy should not be a radical concept. It needs to be celebrated.

Festival of Social Sciences: 2 languages: 2 brains, 2 minds, 2 cultures?

As part of the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences, the Deafness Cognition And Language Research Centre (DCAL) hosted an event exploring the powerful benefits of bilingualism in spoken and sign languages, for hearing and deaf people alike - benefits that reach hearing and deaf people alike.

Opinion Former Events

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Voice: Feeling stressed? Understand yourself? Now, move forward Conference

Application forms are now available for an exciting conference in Manchester. The fun-packed day will give you practical solutions and advice on managing stress and time to help you achieve a work/life balance.

BHA: The Marriage Debate - ‘This house would legalise same-sex marriage in England and Wales'

Two weeks before the Government’s consultation on same-sex marriage draws to a close, Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association is participating in a debate hosted by Catholic Voices on the motion, ‘This House Would Legalise Same-Sex Marriage’.

BSIA: Information Destruction Exhibition and Conference

This one-day event is targeted at professionals operating in the information destruction industry, and aims at keeping delegates updated on recent developments in their sector, providing an opportunity to network with fellow professionals, whilst offering access to an informative exhibition and a comprehensive conference programme.

University white paper

28/06/11

UCU: Private companies interested in profit not education

NUS: Complete market chaos for majority

Willetts: Students deserve more information

Opinion Formers

Latest News

Confirmed: Double-dip recession even worse than feared

No 10 unleashes Tory gay marriage opposition with free vote move

No eurozone answers as crisis drifts on

Must try harder: £35bn remains in uncollected tax

Leveson vs Paxman: 'You could become an irrelevance'

Cameron lashes out: Ed Balls branded a "muttering idiot"

Rees-Mogg: Coalition can't fix Britain

The Watson/Mensch love-in continues… sort of

Pseudo facts? New London Assembly gets off to a rocky start

Special event coverage

Festival of Social Sciences: Celebrating the Social Sciences

Festival of Social Sciences: 2 languages: 2 brains, 2 minds, 2 cultures?

Opinion Former Events

Voice: Feeling stressed? Understand yourself? Now, move forward Conference

BHA: The Marriage Debate - ‘This house would legalise same-sex marriage in England and Wales'

BSIA: Information Destruction Exhibition and Conference

ABI: The Future of Long-term Savings & Retirement Income - Automatic Enrolment and Beyond Conference

Take the Gold Challenge for St Dunstan's

TACT: 2013 Virgin London Marathon

28/06/11

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