Education

Vince Cable has ignored the advice of the Commons’ Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and appointed Professor Les Ebdon as director of fair access to higher education.

After nearly 22 months, the Commons select committees’ first elected chairs have had plenty of time to size up their Whitehall counterparts. Joshua Chambers asked them how the departments they watch have been performing

Departmental select committee chairs have provided mixed reviews of the departments they scrutinise for a Civil Service World Special Report, which has found that 40 per cent of them are dissatisfied with departments’ responses to their reports.

Leadership development in schools could be improved, says this teacher, and workloads must be tackled.

A PE teaching coordinator laments the changes to school sport which he believes have undermined an effective network.

Since the election, education secretary Michael Gove has driven his department at breakneck pace. And the DfE is already producing results, permanent secretary David Bell tells Matt Ross – despite the odd stumble on the way.

A university lecturer discusses the importance of good decision-making and a holistic education

A college business manager complains that government endlessly changes the rules

Tuition fee and student visa policies are creating dangerous uncertainty, a lecturer argues

A sixth form modern languages teacher thinks that schools and teachers should be given more powers to shape their curricula.

This week, an architect explains why school design matters – and warns that current policies will damage pupils’ education.