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Daily News Summary
18 October 2022

Research finds industrial action likely to be backed by 'most parents'
Italian study suggests girls get better grades due to 'teacher bias'
Letter: 'Scottish independent schools are part of the future'
A closer look at the benefits of creative activities
More children receiving incorrect Key Stage 2 SATs results, data shows
Prime minister indicates desire to review school PE requirement for girls
Social mobility tsar calls for ethnic minority pupils to be taught national anthem
Planning for an emergency - advice for staff and students

Research finds industrial action likely to be backed by 'most parents'

 

A survey carried out on behalf of the NASUWT by Savanta ComRes has found that 64 per cent of parents with children under the age of 18 would support teachers taking industrial action should they be offered a pay rise below inflation. By Matilda Martin, Tes.

 
Tes

Italian study suggests girls get better grades due to 'teacher bias'

 

According to research by the University of Trento, published in the British Journal of Sociology of Education, teachers have a tendency to give girls higher grades than boys because they find them to be 'better behaved, neater and easier to teach'. The data suggests that this is particularly true in mathematics. By Kaya Burgess, The Times.

 
The Times

Letter: 'Scottish independent schools are part of the future'

 

John Edward, director of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS), writes to The Herald responding to an article which warned that an independent education 'can seriously limit your career choices'. Mr Edward highlights the diversity of the independent sector in Scotland and its role in the Scottish Government's discussion on education, adding that pupils and their families are 'far more interested in the enriching experience of being at school than whatever might lie after'. The letter is published second on the page.

 
Herald

A closer look at the benefits of creative activities

 

Writing in Independent Schools Magazine, Christopher King, chief executive of the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS), talks about why creative activities are imperative to a child's education. Mr King refers to a study by IAPS and Dr Bettina Hohnen, a clinical psychologist, which showed that children who took part in a short art session felt 'more in control of their emotions'.

 
Independent Schools Magazine

More children receiving incorrect Key Stage 2 SATs results, data shows

 

Tes reports that there has been a 'significant rise' in the number of children receiving incorrect marks in Key Stage 2 SATs tests. By Matilda Martin.

 
Tes

Prime minister indicates desire to review school PE requirement for girls

 

The prime minister, Liz Truss, has signalled that that she would like to review the minimum number of hours of physical education (PE) that girls are offered in school, following a meeting with members of the England women’s football team. There is presently no minimum requirement, meaning schools can decide how much PE to include on the curriculum. By Molly Hudson, The Times.

 
The Times

Social mobility tsar calls for ethnic minority pupils to be taught national anthem

 

The Government's social mobility tsar, Katharine Birbalsingh, has called for all pupils to be taught the national anthem in order to encourage a feeling of belonging, even if white teachers "feel uncomfortable" teaching it. By Gabriella Swerling, The Telegraph.

 
The Telegraph

Planning for an emergency - advice for staff and students

 

Writing in Tes, Rob Ford, director of Heritage International School in Chisinau, Moldova, explains why it is so important that staff and students in the UK and abroad know what to do in an emergency. The article mentions the Council of British International Schools (COBIS).

 
Tes

 

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