Local commissioners should be appointed to spot failing schools and sack incompetent headteachers, England's new chief education inspector has said. Sir Michael Wilshaw, the incoming head of Ofsted, told the Times newspaper more schools would become independent academies under government reforms. Identifying failing schools should not fall on his shoulders alone, he said. The Department for Education said it welcomedRead more

The Municipal Council of Sharjah has announced that local authorities will soon launch a safety awareness campaign as a first step towards protecting children in high-rise buildings. The move is a much needed one after a tragic spate of accidents in November and December left four children dead in Sharjah after falls from balconies and windows. Up until now, theRead more

Girls do better at university if they are taught in single-sex classes, according to new research. Students at Essex University were randomly split into three groups, male only, female only and mixed. At the end of the year, the marks of the girls-only class were eight per cent higher than either of the other groups. The split, though, had noRead more

History came to life as children got a taste of ancient Greece. Toga-clad Year 4 children at Hackbridge Primary School solved Greek-themed puzzles and tackled a quiz before sampling a feast including olives, feta and pitta bread. The class has been studying Greek history, geography, legends and art all term, and is even planning to hold a mini-Olympics to exploreRead more

A tripartite committee has come up with the recommendations to close 22 public schools for boys and girls in Jeddah because of lack of safety standards. Director General of Education in the Jeddah Governorate Abdullah Al-Thaqfi said that the committee came up with this proposal after inspecting the schools. The committee is made up of members from the Education Department,Read more

Spending more time at school may increase intelligence, according to a study of Norwegian men. The research, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggested that an extra year in the classroom could boost IQ by nearly four points. The authors said that extra schooling had a "sizeable effect" on IQ in early adulthood. But they do not knowRead more

Seven states that were runners-up in last year's $4 billion Race to the Top competition will share a $200 million consolation prize that will fund small pieces of their original plans, with many choosing to focus on implementing common standards and improving teacher evaluation systems. The seven winners are: Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Their grantsRead more

Saboteurs have today targeted Al-Shurooq Girls' Secondary School in Saar, trying to deface its main façade. This is the sixteenth act of sabotage to date targeting educational establishments since the start of the school year.  Read more

Support is being focused on targeting priority subjects and the recruitment of high calibre candidates:- priority incentives will be available for new eligible students starting postgraduate ITT courses in the 2012/13 academic year in mathematics, physics, chemistry, modern foreign languages and Welsh these incentives will be variable depending on degree qualifications.  Eligible postgraduate students with a first class degree willRead more

Students are being told which acts of which of the playwright’s works they would be questioned on up to six months in advance. The disclosures, which were published this year, have led to accusations that GCSE standards are slipping. Educationalists said specifying which acts of the plays would appear would encourage “Shakespeare-lite” being taught in “bite-sized chunks”. The development comesRead more