Cribsheet 22.06.11

Teenagers turn their backs on universities

How is the prospect of higher university fees affecting the plans of teenagers about to leave school? We already know their parents are baffled by the new arrangements. Now a City & Guilds survey suggests that nearly half of young people (47%) are less likely to apply to university following the increase in fees.

More than a quarter (29%) are considering alternative education, such as vocational qualifications and apprenticeships, another quarter (24%) will go straight into employment, and nearly a fifth (16%) will look for work experience or take a gap year.

The survey of over 1,000 pupils, aged between 14 and 19, shows careers advice in schools is still failing to highlight alternatives to university. While three quarters (75%) were told about their university options, fewer than half (49%) received information about vocational qualifications.

City & Guilds CEO Chris Jones says:

"University is still seen as superior, even though many are suited to - and therefore should pursue - more hands-on learning. Practical, work-based learning provides a valuable career progression route and gives learners the skills and confidence to succeed."

Meanwhile the head of Virgin Trains, Tony Collins, is calling for A-levels and degrees to be taught at work rather than in schools. That'd work. They could do a coffee round between lessons.

Education news from the Guardian

• BPP, the private university, has launched an aggressive expansion plan to jointly run at least 10 of its publicly funded counterparts, Jessica Shepherd tells us. It's in talks about managing the business side of the universities' campuses, and talks with three are at a "serious stage".

• AQA has been forced to apologise after some GCSE students were given a paper containing questions from an old exam, the latest in a series of mistakes to affect pupils this summer. The Independent speculates that pupils could sue the exam boards for ruining their chances of academic success. Michael Gove is reportedly very angry - here's a pic of that.

• The Guardian cartoon series Ripped Off Britain takes a view on why students arrive at university with poor maths skills.

• Coming soon: Jessica Shepherd on the rise in the number of parents appealing for the school place of their choice.

Education news from around the web

• The Welsh education minister says the University of Wales has let down higher education and brought Wales into disrepute, following a QAA report into its overseas operations, the BBC says.

• Hundreds of academics, staff and students are holding mass strikes and demonstrations at London Met today, over decisions to cut jobs and almost two thirds of the courses on offer from next year. Picket lines are being set up on the same day as a board of governors meeting, the Independent reports.

@benfolley tweets:

"Unison and UCU on strike against cuts at #LondonMet today - good to see multiple picket lines down Holloway Road."

• Lucky old University of Sydney. A rarely seen painting by Pablo Picasso, Jeune Fille Endormie (1935), has been sold for almost £13.5m at Christie's auction house in London, exceeding expectations. The money goes to the university, under the condition, set by the anonymous donor, that it be used for scientific research. Would Picasso have approved of that?

• Michael Gove's remarks about top jobs at the BBC being filled by a public school elite are reported in the Mail, as is the story that despite her expensive public school education, the Duchess of Cambridge (that's Kate Middleton, keep up) made two spelling mistakes in a handwritten letter to the All England Club.

• Good article on resilient kids from oecdinsights.org:

"In just about every place that takes part in Pisa, a proportion of kids from poorer families buck the trend - they do much better in school than might be predicted based on their family circumstances. Such kids even have a name - resilient students. Across OECD countries, about three out of 10 kids from poorer families are resilient, according to results from the latest round."

(Thanks to @informed_edu for retweeting.)

Education and the social media

• There's been an interesting responses to Harriet Swain's piece about how universities are dealing with nasty or inaccurate comments about them made by students on Facebook, Twitter or the Student Room. First, while there've only been seven comments on it, it's been tweeted 351 times and shared on Facebook 85 times. And second, David Colquhoun, UCL scientist and an avid blogger and tweeter (@david_colquhoun), is one of the commenters, and he is infuriated by university PR departments getting in on the social media act:

"The power of the web to allow individuals to express opinions, and sometimes to influence policies, is one of the healthiest developments in my lifetime. But like any other development, it can be corrupted. The idea that "reputation management" could justify placing a "primed" student in a discussion group shows the noxious dishonesty of much PR. It's on a par with drug companies masquerading as patients in medical discussion groups, to plug the company's product."

• Here's a useful guide from @creativeedu for teachers who want to tweet but aren't quite sure how to get started - loads of good advice for any new tweeter really, about who to follow and how to project yourself.

Guardian Education Centre seminars for teachers

Reading for Pleasure

This half-day conference for primary school teachers will help you inspire students to read with pleasure and maintain the reading habit. Andy Stanton, author of the Mr Gum series, will be joined by Julia Eccleshare, Guardian children's books editor, and reading development experts.

Time: 1 July, 9.15-12.45.

Cost: £48, including refreshments and resources.

Insight into Journalism: investigative and features journalism

This seminar, part of our popular Insight into Journalism series, gives secondary school teachers and college tutors the chance to spend a day at the Guardian. You'll meet specialist journalists from the investigations team, find out from writers what makes a good features article and learn about commissioning, editing and interview techniques.

Time: 8 July, 9.15-4.30.

Cost: £72, including lunch and resources.

Education seminars from Guardian Professional

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.

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.

20 September, London.