Sally Weale

6 days ago | theguardian.com | Sally Weale

The mundane tasks of everyday life, such as homework after school and household chores at the weekend, may not have changed in the past 80 years, but societal attitudes towards them could not be more different. A study by the Policy Institute at King’s College London (KCL), comparing public attitudes now and in the 1930s and 40s, reveals how significantly views on everyday life in Britain have shifted over the decades.

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Sally Weale

A classical education, once the preserve of Eton, Oxbridge and the likes of Boris Johnson, is being made available to inmates serving time in prisons. In a break from the kind of curriculum usually on offer inside – lessons in literacy, numeracy, tiling and decorating – a small number of prisoners are being offered the opportunity to learn life skills from the ancient philosophers. Aristotle and his work on ethics and rhetoric are the main focus.

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Sally Weale

A ruling by the higher education regulator for England on freedom of speech breaches at the University of Sussex has sparked anxiety in the sector, as vice-chancellors scramble to review their policies to avoid potential violations. Two weeks after the Office for Students (OfS) handed out a record £585,000 fine, many university leaders are still not clear what it means in practice.

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Sally Weale

Half of secondary schools in England have been forced to cut staff this year due to financial pressures that are pushing many “towards breaking point”, according to polling. As well as cuts to teaching and support personnel, there has been a marked increase in the proportion of secondary school leaders having to reduce subject choice at GCSE to save money, while extracurricular activities, school trips and investment in IT have also been hit.

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Sally Weale

England’s higher education regulator has said it is writing to institutions that have transgender equality policies similar to the University of Sussex, which was handed a record £585,000 fine last month for failing to uphold freedom of speech. The Office for Students (OfS) said it would not yet name the vice-chancellors being contacted, “but we will be writing to a handful of providers where we have identified that they have – on the face of it – similar policies in this area to Sussex”.