Cribsheet 13.05.11

The importance of the three Rs

Two more years of school for you. That's Michael Gove's message to pupils who fail English and maths GCSEs, in a bid to cut the numbers leaving school without a good grasp of basic subjects.

Jessica Shepherd writes:

Gove said the government wanted to ensure that all young people studied maths and English until they got a good qualification. Ideally, that would be a C or better at GCSE, but high-quality alternatives will be identified following a consultation this summer.

Last summer, 45% of 16-year-olds missed a C grade in the subjects – so a lot more schoolwork could be needed to get basic skills up to scratch.

Gove's remarks came as he accepted the findings of Professor Alison Wolf's review for the government in March into vocational qualifications. Wolf also found that up to 400,000 teenagers were wasting their time on college courses that did not lead to jobs or further training.

His announcement to MPs also said a host of vocational courses would no longer count in school league tables.

Education news from the Guardian

• Private schools send in the debt collectors. Demands have been issued for millions in unpaid fees as heads talk of schools 'clinging on by fingertips' to stay open.

• On former Downing Street aide Peter Hyman's plans to open a free school in Newham: Blairite sell-out, or a genuine desire to make a radical policy work?

• Yesterday, we asked you to take part in our Cutswatch campaign by reporting cuts across the UK. The Guardian's online Cutswatch tool lets readers map public spending cuts in their area, so we're calling for your help.

Already the sobering reports are flowing in. Here's news from a sixth form college in Thames Ditton:

One million is being cut in real terms from our eight million budget due to the governments new way of calculating the cost of each student and each a level. We are solely a sixth form college, which is popular in this area. We are over-subscribed. Next year we are teaching more lessons, and whispers around the staffroom say we are having our management points progression frozen next year to reduce the likelihood of redundancies. It's looking pretty grim.

And another reader tells us Glasgow university has announced £20m of cuts to non business-orientated courses and departments, including nursing, adult education and anthropology.

You can help us to map the cost of the cuts and to tell the stories of those affected. Patrick Butler explains how the campaign works here.

• Tory backbench MPs are pushing for amendments to the education bill to increase the number of selective schools in England.

• And finally, classes and schools are invited to participate in a new competition run by the Migration Museum and the Guardian to assemble 100 images associated with stories of migration. Images and stories can be uploaded via the project site, and winning entries will feature in Weekend Guardian.

On the Guardian Higher Education Network

UK universities are getting more students from abroad and offering online degrees overseas. Join our panel from 1pm today, Friday 13 May, to find out the benefits and drawbacks of the internationalisation of UK education.

Education news from around the web

• Not surprisingly, David Willetts' latest helpful suggestion on university fees – that applicants should hold out for a last-minute discount – has got many cages rattling furiously.

David Green, vice-chancellor of the University of Worcester, told the Independent:

"It would mean turning university education into a retail commodity and university education just isn't like that. The proposition is based on ignorance and I think it has been made because the Government has made such a mess of tuition fees already."

Shadow universities minister Gareth Thomas told the Daily Mail: "You can't treat university like a lastminute.com holiday."

@meganknight sums up the disbelief when she tweeted:

Willetts is blagging it worse than a hungover undergrad who forgot there was an exam.

It's charming, then, to know that the universities minister is also fighting the students' corner over receiving ample tuition. Contact time for UK students is below the average for France and Germany - where, incidentally, fees are very low (last-minute discounts or not).

• The exam standards watchdog is to probe claims that GCSEs and A levels too easy, the BBC reports.

• Scientists have suggested a link that those with lower education qualifications are prone to faster aging. According to the Medical Research Council's Stephen Holgate:

"The key implication of this study backs up one of the main messages to have come out of long-term studies ... that your experiences early in life can have important influences on your health."

• Now here's a bright idea. A solar energy company is offering to pay the tuition fees for farmers' children in return for having a solar power installation fitted on the barn roof. EOS Energy will fund up to £4,000 for a year in agricultural college fees to farming families, letting renewable energy take the heat out of paying for a degree in agriculture, animal care or environmental management.

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.