GCSEs to be Replaced by More Rigorous O-Level Style Qualifications, Education Secretary Confirms
Education Secretary Michael Gove has confirmed that a qualification similar to O-levels is proposed to replace GCSEs. The proposal came after Mr Gove admitted that students who had taken the latest GCSEs this summer were treated ‘unfairly’ and that it reinforces the need for reform in the GCSE exams system. O-levels were previously in force […]
London Metropolitan University Licence to Educate Non-EU Students Revoked: What Happens Next?
In a decision that sparked widespread reaction across many sectors concerned with higher education, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) had the London Metropolitan University’s licence to teach and recruit students from outside the EU revoked. This directly affects around 2,700 international students who are already studying at the university or planning to go there, with […]
Bilingual Schools Begin to Rise in England
This September, a state-funded bilingual primary school is set to open in Brighton. It will teach the national curriculum using both Spanish and English. Whilst it is not the first English bilingual school, schools of this type are still considered rare in England. According to the National Centre for Languages, more than 850,000 children spoke […]
English GCSE Marks Lowered Due to Grade Boundary Changes, Exam Boards May Face Legal Action
A survey of 800 schools by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) found that 87% had complaints about the GCSE English results, which saw a huge majority of secondary school students unable to get C grade passes due to last minute changes to the English GCSE grade boundaries. The strong reaction was due […]
Employers Express Concern Over School Leavers’ Lack of Basic Skills
In the first year of tuition fees reaching an all-time high of £9,000, some students in the UK who have gained GCSE qualifications choose to take a job, training scheme or apprenticeship instead of continuing formal education at sixth-form or college and gaining A levels. However, a common complaint from managers involves taking extra time […]
A-level Results Released, Top Marks Drop for First Time in Over Two Decades
The 16th August marks A-level results day this year as approximately 300,000 sixth-formers all over the country finally determine whether their grades are good enough for admission to the university and course of their choice. Figures show that 26.6% of exams were awarded an A or A* this year, down from last year’s 27 per […]
University Applications Drop in the First Year of Tripling Tuition Fees
Even before the start of term in September, there are already early indications which suggest that the tripling of university tuition fees is discouraging students from pursuing university. This autumn marks the start of tuition fees being hiked to a maximum of £9,000 a year at English universities. According to the Independent Commission on Fees, […]
Thousands of UK Students Found to Have Overpaid Student Loans
Sixty-three thousand former British students were found to have been overcharged tens of millions of pounds in student loan collection, having to pay additional loan repayments to the Student Loans Company, which collects them on behalf of the British government. The excess collection happened as graduates continued on repaying from their salary after graduation the […]
2012 London Olympics Begins – Students Amongst Those to be Given Free Seating
“The Greatest Show on Earth” which is happening this year in London kick-started with a three-hour opening ceremony on 27 July characterised by history, pageantry and even comedy. The list of prestigious attendees included no less than the UK’s Queen Elizabeth in a first-ever film cameo role, appearing together with popular British film character James […]
Average Tuition Fees in England to Rise Next Year
University entrants next year can expect to pay higher tuition fees of over £8,500 on average, greater than the latest estimate of £8,385 for 2012/13. In addition a third of English institutions will be charging the £9,000 maximum amount as standard for a degree. Around three in four will also charge the top rate for […]
Government Supports Calls for Students to be Excluded from Net Migration Statistics
A cross-party group of MPs released a report earlier this week saying that foreign students should be exempted from wider targets on immigration, which the UK government introduced to stop the influx of people who apply for student visas as a front to live and work in Britain. This will make it possible for the […]
2012 University Clearing Period Offers Greater Choices for High Achievers
Following the recent drop in UK university applications, students with top grades who do proceed to apply this September through UCAS stand to gain from the Clearing period beginning August 16—the A-level results day—until August 31. This comes as a result of the government’s decision to lift restrictions on the number of students universities can […]
University Applications Drop in the Wake of Higher Tuition Fees
According to the latest figures released by UCAS, the number of applications universities received for students who are looking to start a degree course this September has dropped significantly in just 12 months’ time. Overall applications to all British universities, both from students at home and abroad are down 7.7 per cent. This September marks […]
MPs Call for Reforms to Exam Boards to Prevent a Decline in Standards
The Education Select Committee recently published a report calling for exam boards to be removed of their right to decide the content of examinations sat by students aged 15 to 19. This is to prevent a decline in standards as boards are said to be competing to offer the easiest tests, as schools are looking […]
Home Office Minister Invites Foreign Students to Study in the UK
“Please come, we have got some of the world’s best universities,” Home Office Minister Damian Green tells international students. Mr Green says the invite is part of a ‘global charm offensive’ aimed at convincing foreign students that the UK does not oppose immigration. Business and university chiefs worry that these visa rule changes, accompanied by […]
Report Shows Mismatch Between Skills Training for Students and Available Jobs
New research by the Local Government Association reveals that colleges provide popular courses that teach skills for jobs that are nonexistent. The LGA says that as many as 17% of vacant jobs in England can be directly traced to the shortage of skills. The association believes that despite the economic downturn, the jobs sector needs […]
Smaller Specialist Institutions Now Eligible for University Status
The government has recently introduced new rules that will define how the university title is used. Prior to this, institutions needed at least 4,000 students to be awarded a university status. With the change, this limit will be reduced to 1,000—thus doing away with an arbitrary piece of legislation that was keeping smaller institutions with […]
UK Economy Benefits from Students with A Level and Degree Qualifications, Study Finds
Research published on 9 June 2012 by the Institute for Public Policy Research on behalf of the University and College Union suggests that the UK economy gains over two hundred thousand pounds from students who have earned A level qualifications and university degrees. For degree holders, this is almost 10 times what the state spends […]
Minister Rebuts Claim that Student Visa Restrictions Will Deter Foreign Students from Enrolling in UK Universities
In a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron, a group of 68 senior education experts composed of chancellors, governors and university presidents warned that British universities could lose out on around £8bn in annual tuition fees generated from one in 10 foreign students who study outside their home country, with the figure expected to more […]
Higher Tuition Fees May Cause Mature Students to Quit, Study Warns
A report compiled by the National Union of Students and Million+ based on a survey of almost 4,000 mature students has found that withdrawing state support for higher education, which will result in higher university tuition fees of up to £9,000 a year starting this autumn, may hinder mature students from attending university. Current HE […]
