Lip Service

Vocational courses double in popularity

More than three million vocational qualifications were awarded last year and the number of schools offering them has doubled in 12 months

Deprived white boys inspired by ripping yarns

White, working-class boys need action-packed stories about danger or sport to inspire them in the classroom, says Ofsted

Ed Balls refuses to intervene over marking debacle

The Schools Secretary faced a barrage of questions on the national tests marking fiasco but he refused to intervene or apologise

Poor white boys need adventure say inspectors

White boys from deprived backgrounds need action-packed stories about danger or sport to inspire them in lessons, Ofsted said today

Debt-ridden students get reality pay check

Graduates are over-estimating their first salaries by as much as two thousand pounds new research shows

Adult literacy is a ‘school for scandal’

Phil Beadle was so shocked by government reading lessons for grown-ups, he invented his own

Full scale of Sats fiasco revealed

Head teachers warn that as many as one in four pupils could have their test scores reviewed because of the marking fiasco

US exam firm to get the sack after fiasco

The firm responsible for marking fiasco could lose its £156m contract, potentially leaving taxpayers with a huge bill

Deadline for appeals over SATs results extended

The National Assessment Agency has agreed to push back the deadline for appeals until September 10

Spanish children on cultural exchange attacked

The exchange students, aged 13-17, were chased before taking refuge in the Heritage Park Special School, Sheffield

Jewish schools should join state sector says report

Orthodox Jewish schools should join the state sector to get public funding, but be exempt from part of the national admissions code for five years

Degree classifications not fit for purpose says watchdog

The system for marking degrees has reached the end of its sell-by date, an influential committee of MPs was told

British citizenship lessons for young Muslims

The Government will train mosque elders to teach Muslim children citizenship lessons to keep them away from extremism

More young people are saying no to drugs

One in four 11 to 15 year-olds have tried drugs, according to an NHS survey - but the numbers are falling

Deal with ETS was example of ‘best practice’

Head of government agency responsible for test-marking fiasco was pleased with 'diligent' way in which contract was awarded

SATs: error strewn entry beat immaculate paper

A head teacher is refusing to publish the results of some national curriculum tests after discovering poor marking

University applications rise

But the figures also suggest that young men are being left behind in the drive to educate more young people to degree level

A-Level students given chance to swap university

Students who do better than expected in their A levels will be given five days to trade up to a better university from next year

Government refuses to apologise over SATs

Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, was called to account before MPs about the delays to more than a million exam results