9 h. ago Boris Johnson says DfE failed to plan for school closures during Covid crisis

Former PM tells inquiry that children ‘were paying a huge, huge price to protect the rest of society’Boris Johnson laid blame on the Department for Education (DfE) over its lack of preparation for school closures at the outbreak of the pandemic, telling the Covid-19 inquiry that he assumed detailed planning was going on behind the scenes.“We were focused on trying to delay the peak of the pandemic and we thought that the closure of schools, if it had to be used at all, would be a measure of last resort,” the former prime minister said. He added: “It was my impression that the work was being done. I certainly, let me put it this way, I certainly assumed that the work was being done.” Continue reading...

Events

11 h. ago The US refugee program changed my life. Trump’s possible overhaul would be disastrous | Bahati Kanyamanza

I fled war at 14 and decades later became a US citizen. Now I fear racism and exclusion could become official policyLast week, leaked documents from the Trump administration reportedly revealed plans to gut the US refugee program, not only capping refugee resettlement at a record low of 7,500, but also transforming it from a life-saving humanitarian system into one that favors white South Africans and Europeans over the world’s most vulnerable people. As a refugee who found safety and belonging in this country, I broke into a sweat reading the news. Memories of my own journey rushed back, now mixed with a deeper fear that racism and exclusion are not just social undercurrents, but official policy.I was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and fled war at 14, spending nearly two decades in a refugee camp in Uganda before finally being resettled in the United States. Here, I reunited with my family, built a new life, and became a citizen. My story is one of patience, resilience an...

Events

12 h. ago ‘Homicidal’ Johnson considered sacking Williamson over 2020 exam results fiasco

The Department for Education was forced into a U-turn after its algorithm intended to prevent grade inflation saw 40% of predicted results downgraded.

Politics

34 h. ago Nation’s nuclear weapon watchdog gutted to just 400 workers from nearly 2,000 as Trump shutdown layoffs hit agency

National Nuclear Security Administration is tasked with safeguarding U.S.’s nuclear stockpile. ‘These are not employees that you want to go home,’ one congressman said

Events

3 d. ago Labour cracks down on toddlers eating birthday cake and advises schools and nurseries to consider fruit platters instead to 'promote healthy eating habits'

Guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) recommends parents are discouraged from bringing in sweet treats to mark their child's big day. Pictured: File photo

Culture

5 d. ago Wealthy pay a heavy price: Reeves's failure to cut the benefits bill is costing Britain dear, says ALEX BRUMMER

Rachel Reeves may only be attending her second annual meeting of the top IMF and G7 finance ministers. But the Chancellor already is a veteran.

Economics

5 d. ago NYC schools sue US education officials over $47M grant cuts tied to transgender policies

New York City schools have sued federal education officials over the U.S. Education Department's decision to discontinue grants worth millions of dollars because of school policies supporting transgender students

Politics

5 d. ago Trump guts Education Department and special needs students pay the price: ‘I’m more heartbroken for the students’

Employees tell reporter Eric Garcia that they fear that students with disabilities will go without vital services after Trump’s recent layoffs in the federal government

Politics

6 d. ago Panic as US federal workers scramble to find out if they’ve been fired: ‘I don’t have email access’

Education department staff say they can’t access work emails amid the shutdown to check for layoff noticesFederal workers are scrambling to figure out if they still have a job after the Trump administration launched a fresh wave of layoffs amid a federal government shutdown, prompting widespread confusion and panic.A hearing is scheduled to take place today after labor unions sued to block the latest firings, setting the stage for another legal battle over Donald Trump’s efforts to drastically cut back the federal workforce. Continue reading...

Events

7 d. ago More than half of teachers say misogyny in schools has worsened – poll

A YouGov survey found more than three in four teachers said misogyny is a big problem.

Politics

8 d. ago Third of parents relying on social media to find parenting tips – survey

The Department for Education is launching new guidance to help parents find evidence-backed advice.

Politics

8 d. ago Education Department layoffs hit offices that oversee special education and civil rights enforcement

A new round of layoffs at the Education Department is depleting an agency that was already hit hard in the Trump administration’s previous mass firings, threatening new disruption to the nation’s students and schools

Events

8 d. ago Staff overseeing $15 billion in special education funding is gutted by Trump’s shutdown layoffs: report

An estimated 7.5 million students with disabilities will be impacted by the latest move

Economics

9 d. ago Keir Starmer says Gaza peace summit 'crucial phase in ending war' as he jets to Egypt

Keir Starmer is expected to be joined by Donald Trump, Egypt's Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, UN Secretary General António Guterres and French President Emmanuel Macron

Politics

9 d. ago Trump officials reportedly consider selling student loan debt to private investors

Experts say the move could eliminate the federal government’s power to cancel educational loansOfficials in the Trump administration are reportedly weighing the possibility of selling portions of the federal government’s $1.6tn student loan portfolio to private investors, which experts say could carry risks for both taxpayers and borrowers – potentially reshaping the student loan landscape in unpredictable ways.Senior officials at the education and treasury departments have been engaged in internal conversations about offloading select, high-performing segments of the government’s student debt holdings, according to a Politico report this week. These loans are part of the larger portfolio owed by roughly 45 million borrowers nationwide. Continue reading...

Economics

1 week ago Fury of Hamas bomb victim's brother as Israel set to release 2,000 Palestinians in new hostage deal

Distraught families who lost loved ones to terrorists that will now be freed from Israeli prisons have said 'no other country would pay such a price for peace'.

Events

1 week ago ‘Substantial’ federal layoffs begin as Congress remains deadlocked over funding to end shutdown – live

No official numbers have been announced but treasury, HHS, DHS and education departments among agencies confirming cuts White House announces federal worker layoffs as government shutdown nears third weekAs the shutdown enters its 10th day, and both chambers are out of session today, House speaker Mike Johnson has defended not passing a separate bill that would keep members of the military paid throughout the shutdown.“Republicans have voted to OPEN the government and get our troops, Border Patrol, TSA, and veterans PAID,” Johnson said, before blaming Democratic leadership for refusing to pass the House-passed continuing resolution. “Chuck Schumer is terrified of a challenge from the Marxist left – so he and the Democrats voted to CLOSE the government-and to STOP PAYCHECKS from being issued.” Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Universities have made cuts ‘equivalent to 15,000 jobs in last year’ – union

The UCU is set to ballot members over strike action.

Politics

1 week ago The council tax house price lottery: How some homes worth MILLIONS pay just 0.03% of their value

The system, based on house prices from 1991, has long been criticised because residents of some wealthy areas pay far less proportionally than those in more deprived ones.

Economics

1 week ago Katie Price ordered to cut 'extravagant' spending as she's set to lose half her monthly income

Katie Price faced more financial woes as she was told to pay almost half her earnings to creditors after being declared bankrupt for a second time last year

Economics