More than 50,000 British researchers are ready to leave academia in unprecedented science outflux April 2, 2022 A new report from the University and College Union (UCU) warns that a vast majority of staff at high education institutions across Britain are demoralised and are considering to quite academia. Unsolved disputes about working conditions, pay and pension, with a range of strikes in recent months, have led to tens of thousands of researchers [...]
Government injects £23m to boost UK skills and diversity in AI jobs February 10, 2022 The government has pumped £23m into Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data conversion courses for young and underrepresented groups, as the UK aims to be the industry leader. There will be up to two thousand scholarships for masters AI conversion courses, and the aim is to create a new generation of experts in data science and [...]
Education watchdog to crack down on universities offering “poor quality” degrees January 20, 2022 The government’s university watchdog is planning to crack down on “poor quality” degree courses that fail to make graduates employable. The Office for Students (OfS) said universities and colleges that are not up to standard could face fines and restrictions on their access to funding in the form of student loans. The watchdog said courses [...]
Universities pay vice-chancellors more than £500,000 as generous packages include bonuses and benefits November 12, 2021 Three universities in England paid their vice-chancellors £500,000 or more in salary, bonuses and benefits last year, figures show. Data from the Office for Students (OfS) shows that 1.8% of university staff received a basic salary of £100,000 or more in the academic year 2019/20 – up slightly from 1.7% in 2018/19. But the proportion [...]
The Budget: Sunak returns pupil funding to “2010 levels” October 27, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that per pupil funding would return to “2010 levels” in real terms by 2024-25, making an extra £4.7bn available. Sunak makes £2.6bn available for new school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities in England, more than tripling current capital funding levels to over £900m by 2024-25. On the pandemic, Mr [...]
Euan Blair’s Multiverse education startup raises $130m to become a ‘soonicorn’ September 29, 2021 Multiverse, the apprenticeships startup co-founded by Tony’ Blair’s eldest son Euan Blair, has edged closer to a unicorn valuation after closing a fresh $130m (£95m) US investor-led funding round. In the largest EdTech (education tech) investment in the UK to date, the Series C fundraising round, which was led by US investment firms D1 Capital [...]
Slap £1.7bn in taxes on private schools to pay for state education, says Keir Starmer September 26, 2021 A Keir Starmer government would slap a £1.7bn tax burden on private schools in order to pay for state education, the Labour Leader has said. The opposition leader told the Sunday Mirror he wanted to see a “rethink” on education and said the pandemic has increased the gap between children of wealthy and poor families. [...]
Record high marks given to A-level students August 10, 2021 Almost half (44.8 per cent) of all A-Level grades handed out today were either A or A*, a record high in A-level history. Sixth-formers have received teacher predicted results today after exams were cancelled due to the pandemic. Concerns have been raised around inflated grades with pupils given results given by teachers for the second [...]
Three’s a party: Isle of Wight triplets all receive first-class degree in geography July 27, 2021 Three English brothers all received their first-class degrees in geography at the University of Portsmouth today. 21-year-old triplets – Charlie, Harry and Thomas White, from Wootton Bridge, Isle of Wight – all chose to study the same subject at the same university without discussing it with each other. “One of our school teachers was a [...]
Govt rejects idea Holocaust deniers can speak at universities under new free speech law July 12, 2021 Education secretary Gavin Williamson has rejected suggestions that Holocaust deniers will be allowed to speak at universities and elsewhere under new free speech legislation. Labour is seeking to block the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill at second reading, arguing it could provide “legal protection and financial recompense” to those seeking to engage in “harmful [...]