Cribsheet 27.04.11

A visit to blogland raises this question: do libraries need shushers?

Quietish day except for Alison Wolf, author of a recent review of vocational education, giving evidence to MPs on the cross-party education select committee. She's against the idea of a "tech bacc" - too socially divisive - we hear. Nick Gibb will appear in front of the MPs after Wolf.

So let's look to blogland for some entertainment.

Warwick Mansell, in a thought-provoking NAHT blog, asks: what's the point of having national assessments?

"The enduring central mystery, for many teachers and parents, I think, about national curriculum tests has been whether they are supposed to be mainly a test of the pupil, or of the school.

The largely unstated answer must be that their main use is to evaluate schools and teachers, rather than children, since one could certainly think of assessments which would be of more use, in terms of genuinely helping a child progress, than a one-off series of tests occurring just as the pupil is about to move from one school, and one set of teachers, to another. But this has never, quite, been said officially, as far as I am aware."

There's a good piece on TheUniversityBlog responding to the Guardian story about new students having problems with essay writing. Martin Hughes, aka @universityboy, comes up with practical advice for tackling the task, and adds:

"Gaps in your understanding are not weaknesses, they are merely challenges. Even academics with years of research have to overcome gaps in understanding. That's why they are academics. If those gaps didn't exist, there would be nothing left to learn."

And more student advice - this time on library etiquette - from Birmingham's student paper, Redbrick.

"The maximum time for whispering is five minutes and if you get death stares from anyone sat in the vicinity you move on, sharpish.

Also if you're a shusher then that's great - there needs to be at least one in each area."

(Thanks @taylor_rosie and onestowatchmedia.com for this one.)

Education news from the Guardian

• Alfie Meadows, the student who had to have brain surgery after he was allegedly hit by a truncheon during the tuition fees protests in London in December is among 11 males aged between 15 and 25 charged in connection with the event. He faces a charge of violent disorder.

• The number of students applying for universities has reached a new record high, but as Jessica Shepherd reports, the latest Ucas figures show that the pattern of big rises each year has slowed right down to 2.1%. The figures also show a marked preference for vocational subjects, such as engineering and nursing.

A Guardian editorial comments:

"Slowly but surely, the demand for university continues to grow. Amid tales of woe from unemployed graduates, and even while a demographic dip is making 18-year-olds something of a rare species, new figures from the clearing house Ucas reveal that applications have, once again, crept up.

But hopes may rise and be dashed if the means to fulfil them do not keep pace. Record numbers who have bought the university dream - youngsters prepared to work hard and be saddled with debts - could be disappointed."

In a survey of 12,658 undergraduates, more than half say they wouldn't have gone to university if tuition fees had been £9,000 a year.

• We're keen to know what creative use your school is making of the royal wedding extravaganza - and have heard tales so far of making clothes dressing up, song-writing, lessons on the monarchy and cake-baking. Pop your examples and links in the comments below the article or alert me @judyfriedberg on Twitter.

Education news from around the web

• The BBC has footage of the NUT general secretary Christine Blower telling delegates on the final day of their conference yesterday that they must continue to protest against the government's planned education cuts. Resistance is a duty, she says.

The NUT has also written to Michael Gove to complain about "£21m wasted on consultancies", the Independent reports. Blower says:

"Why, at a time when school budgets are being squeezed, has the DfE made £21m in payments to private consultants? Why, at a time when the DfE is cutting staff, are almost 100 DfE staff employed on 'free school' policy - equivalent to 4% per cent of all junior posts in the DfE and costing the taxpayer £4m?"

• Middle class students will pay thousands to subsidise poorer peers' university fees, the Telegraph claims. It says students from middle-income families will pay at least £2,700 more in university tuition fees to subsidise those from low-income families - even if they go on to earn much less in later life.

• Katharine Birbalsingh blogs in the Telegraph on why she thinks most heads don't deserve their salaries:

"There are a handful of heads and executive heads who are worth every penny. They are extraordinarily talented, run outstanding schools, and do what most ordinary teachers can only dream about. But there are others, and I include deputies and assistants, who aren't even worth that ordinary teacher's salary."

• The Texas House of Representatives has passed a budget bill that would require any state university with a centre for gay and lesbian students to provide equal funding to create new centres to promote "traditional values", writes Inside Higher Ed's Scott Jaschik in the THE.

He explains that many universities in Texas, as elsewhere, have centres within student affairs departments that "refer students who need counselling or support groups, and serve as advocates for gay and lesbian students on their campuses."

And he adds:

"Representative Wayne Christian, a Republican, proposed the amendment, which would apply to any public colleges with a centre 'for students focused on gay, lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, transsexual, transgender, gender-questioning, or other gender identity issues'.

According to The Dallas Morning News, lawmakers 'cracked jokes and guffawed' during debate, with one representative asking Christian what 'pansexual' means. Christian urged the lawmaker to visit the centres at the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University to find out."

• The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams criticised library closures during his Easter sermon at the weekend, the bookseller.com reports. He reflected on a recent visit to a local library on a "rather devastated" Manchester council estate, which "revealed a lively group of teenagers who were regular users, welcomed by staff, glad of a place to do homework, gossip and feel secure". (Thanks to @Literacy_Trust for link.)

Education seminars from Guardian Professional

Getting the best education for children in care

The Guardian's one-day seminar in association with Tact (the UK's largest fostering and adoption charity) will provide an overview of the UK education system and strategies for dealing with the challenges faced by looked-after children and their carers.

26 May, London.

Making the most of media opportunities to enhance your school's profile

Whether it's sharing good news or handling a crisis, headteachers and school management teams need to be able to handle the media in all of its forms. This one-day seminar in association with the NAHT is essential for new and aspiring heads as well as established school leaders who wish to update their knowledge. It includes a session on social media.

13 June, Birmingham and 20 September, London.

Distinctiveness and branding in higher education

Higher education institutions will struggle in the marketplace unless they stand out from competitors and make sense to stakeholders. The Guardian's half-day seminar in partnership with the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education will explore what it takes to develop and maintain a distinctive brand that attracts students, staff and funders. Participants will hear from experts, examine case studies and have the opportunity to network with peers.

28 June, London.