With the increasing number of immigrants becoming citizens of the United Kingdom, our education system has introduced classes to help them develop their understanding and knowledge of what it “means” to be British. These lessons were made compulsory 7 years ago, and in that time the results from the students in the classes have improved. However, there are still “gaps” in their knowledge.

Ofsted inspectors have said that in some secondary schools, there are “important gaps” in students knowledge. Their report was based up on 91 schools across the UK, and it says that just over half of the schools were, at least, “good” on the subject, but only one was rated “outstanding” and 10 were “inadequate”.

For such an important subject for the development of our citizens, one would assume that progress will be swift in coming.

It has only been 10 years or so since I sat my A levels, but my, how things have changed! In my GCSE day (oh how I hate to use that sentence!), we had to take the core subjects (English, Maths, all the Sciences) as well as History, Geography and a Technology (cookery for the “girls” and wood or metal work for the “boys”). And no matter what type of family you came from, you had to sit these subjects, and were encouraged by the school to give each one your all.

It appears that in most schools, they will select which subjects a pupil should sit, based on how well they perform, thus giving them a good excuse to not try harder at the basics.

This most definitely lulls our young adults into a false sense of security; all jobs will require some aspect of communication, thus making English skills a necessity, and most will require some capabilities with math. Our education system should not be promoting a false sense of achievement; it should be aimed at getting the next generation ready for the real world, and enabling them to be the best that they can be.

As a “nearly 30″ adult, I do speak fluent “text speak”, although reading through the message from my teenage cousins, I do not always follow their initial meaning, but I am confident enough in it that I can pick it up quickly.

I believe that text speak developed initially as a way of minimising the cost of text messages (we had to get across what we wanted to say in a minimum of 160 characters, or pay lots more), and became more and more the “language of technology users”. And I must confess I believed that this language became more and more commonly used because speakers didn’t have to learn to use appropriate spelling and grammar.

But recent studies show that pupils using this text speak “requires an awareness of how sounds relate to written English” and demonstrates their greater spelling ability. So don’t be so hasty in stopping your children from using this language.

With more and more attention being focused on kids performances at school, parents are increasing feeling the pressure to provide their kids with the best start, making sure they have the knowledge and skills to be able to excel in the classroom.

Studies have showed that by reading to your child from an early age, you are able to instil a love of books and desire to learn. And there have been many campaigns to try and encourage people to read with their children more. Despite a recession driven dip in sales last year, the numbers for childrens book sales appear to be on the up. And the driving force behind this sales increase appears to be the Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer having stepped firmly into JK Rowling’s shoes as favourite childrens author.

Annual figures from Nielson BookScan show children’s book sales in 2009 were up 4.9% in volume and picture book sales were up by 13% on 2008. The top ten children’s book were:

1. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series
2. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series
3. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series
4. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series
5. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series
6. Beano Annual 2010
7. Miles to go by Mylie Cyrus
8. Mr Gum in the Hound of Lamonic Bibber /Sephir the Storm Monster by Andy Stanton and Adam Blade
9. Peppa Pig official annual
10. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K Rowling

With hundreds of thousands of teenagers preparing to sit their first part A-levels this week, lots of them have been prevented from doing so because of the weather. And they will have to apply for special consideration in the May/June exams, they won’t just get it.

It’s been over a decade since my exams, and I remember the pressure all too clearly, but to be sat at home, worrying about getting in safely, and feeling that I should get in even if it is not safe, would have sent me into a panic. But those sitting at home won’t be faring any better, because they won’t be able to “re-sit” them until the summer, alongside all of their other exams.

I wouldn’t want to be a teenager again for all the tea in China.

Richmond Council has accepted Kunskapsskolan as sponsor of 2 schools set to become academies. Kunskapsskolan is a Swedish company already operating 30 secondary schools in Sweden. They are independently run from the state, but still state funded. Kunskapsskolan believes that one size does not fit all when it comes to education and uses an individual personalized based learning, and ensures that each pupil achieves the very best grade/qualification that they are possible of. All Kunskapsskolan schools are independently run from the government, but they are still the main funding partner for the schools. The Conservative party have been championing this style of education for some time and have used Kunskapsskolan as an example

Ed Balls, Children’s Secretary has been accused of by-passing parliament when naming the new head of Ofqual, the new watchdog overseeing schools qualifications. He has been accused of not allowing MP’s to quiz the new appointee before she was named.
Kathleen Tattersall was named chief regulator of Ofqual, she had previously been chairing the interim Ofqual since it began work as part of the Qualification and Curriculum Authority last spring.
The decision to not hold a pre appointment hearing was made back in February, when former Education minister Sarah McCarthy-Fry told parliament of the plans.

“The permanent secretary advised ministers that – since this is not a new appointment – it need not be subject to the pre-appointment hearing process.”

Said a DCSF Spokesman

After the Department of Education released there revised child safety rules, the authority safeguarding the system predict the safety vetting list will grow further past the initial 9m, so the database which is already the largest of its kind will cover even more of the population.

The revision which was leased last week, reduced the amount of workers and volunteers requiring to be vetted in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Under the new rules people who have regular and frequent access to children will have to register with the ISA. It will cost £64 to register although this fee will be waivered for volunteers.

Some Academy Schools have been accused of pushing some pupils down, what is seen as easier qualifications, generally the vocational ones to boost the number of high grades the schools achieve. Some of these vocational qualification are whole up to 4 A*-C GCSE grades.

The state funded but independently run schools are exempt from the Freedom of Information act and can hide behind this. Researchers from a Think Tank, Civitas, believe that some academies which have shown a fast rate of improvement were using this method of selecting qualifications to boost their league position.

In Scotland over the past year there has been a drop in the number of teachers. The figure has dropped by 1348, and Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop has blamed the councils for spending money, set aside for teachers on other areas. The councils reply was to state that maintaining the number of teachers in schools would be “economic suicide”.

Ultimately with less teachers, class sizes are only going to get bigger than they already are. This goes against the government’s manifesto of cutting class sizes to a maximum of 18 for the first three years of primary school.

Now that Fiona Hyslop has admitted this drop in figures is unacceptable many are calling upon her to resign. It is difficult to see how, with this next failure, Fiona Hyslop will keep her in her role as Education Secretary.