Jim Dickinson

1 week ago | wonkhe.com | Jim Dickinson |Mark Leach

One of the most alarming things about the Department for Education (DfE) commissioned National review of higher education student suicide deaths is the apparant role of academic pressure. Well over a third of the serious incidents reviewed made explicit reference to academic problems or pressures – often tied to exams or exam results. Other pressures included anxiety about falling behind, upcoming deadlines, perceived pressure to perform, and involvement in “support to study” procedures.

2 weeks ago | wonkhe.com | Ed Marsh |Jim Dickinson |Mark Leach |Nic Beech

Our schools and universities are experiencing difficult circumstances. One particularly worrying challenge – which is happening at the intersection of both – is the decline in widening participation. Recent research from the Education Policy Institute shows that widening participation in higher education in England has stalled.

2 weeks ago | wonkhe.com | Jim Dickinson |Mark Leach

For years, bereaved families have fought for answers – and change – after losing their children to suicide at university. Arguably the most high-profile have been Bob and Margaret Abrahart, who led this charge after their daughter Natasha died in April 2018 at the University of Bristol.

2 weeks ago | wonkhe.com | Jim Dickinson |Mark Leach

24 hours after it promised to, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has launched a consultation on updates to its statutory Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations, following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the meaning of “woman” in the Equality Act. As a reminder, the kernel of the ruling was that the definition of sex in the Equality Act 2010 (the Act) should be interpreted as “biological” sex only.

2 weeks ago | wonkhe.com | Jim Dickinson |Mark Leach

As I type, a UK-EU “reset” summit is due to be held in 24 hours’ time, and in the face of “Brexit betrayal” and “surrender summit” commentary from the likes of former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, the government is out on the media rounds talking up Europe. As such, it could probably have done without our Eurovision entry getting the dreaded “nul points” from televoters across the continent on Saturday night.