Schools face inquiry into racism and BNP's role

The Government is launching an investigation into racism in education, Schools Secretary Ed Balls has announced.
He told the Labour Party conference he wanted to make sure there were powers to tackle racism and BNP activity in schools. There was "no place in a civilised society" for any form of bullying in schools, the Normanton MP told delegates.

He said: "Teachers play a hugely important role of leadership and trust in our communities for our children.

"And that is why, it is really important to me that, I am working closely with our teachers to say there is no place in a civilised society for bullying of any kind, whether that is on the ground of race, or disability, or sexual orientation.

"And it is also true that there is no place in our schools for racism either. That is why I have asked the former chief inspector of schools Maurice Smith to look at the evidence, to make recommendations.

"I want us to know that we have all the powers we need to stamp out racism and BNP activity in all of our schools." continues here

Paedophile fears are 'driving male teachers from primary schools'

More than a quarter of state primary schools have no male teachers, partly because they have been deterred from working with young children for fear of being labelled paedophiles, an expert claims.

The result is that thousands of boys are being taught solely by women and have no educational male role models.

The trend is fuelling concerns that a generation of boys is growing up without an authoritative male figure in their lives.



Teaching remains a predominantly female profession, data published today by the General Teaching Council of England confirms.

Only 123,827, or 25 per cent, of the 490,981 registered working teachers are men, with the majority in secondary schools and further education.

Male teachers make up just 13 per cent of state primary teachers (25,491) and three per cent of state nursery school staff (43). Of 16,892 state primary schools in England, 4,550 have no male teachers - around 27 per cent.

Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, said the figures were concerning.

'It's a sad comment on society that more men aren't attracted into teaching in primary schools. In part, this is due to concerns in society about paedophilia. Men are receiving the signal that it's more appropriate for them to teach in secondary schools than primary schools.'

The 'feminisation' of the curriculum, which includes an emphasis on coursework rather than 'sudden death' exams, is already believed to be responsible for a widening gender gap at secondary level.

Professor Smithers said: 'There's a danger that boys could grow up thinking that education is sissy.

'When it comes to reading, they might be offered what appeals to the female teachers whereas male teachers often have different interests in reading.

'Similarly, in interpreting what's been read, there are distinct male and female points of view. Both these views need to be offered to boys.'

GTC chief executive Keith Bartley said: 'We should focus on attracting the best recruits to teaching, regardless of gender.

'If men do not believe that teaching is a worthwhile career option for them, or worse still, if their interest in teaching is viewed with suspicion, then children potentially miss out on a huge pool of talent.'

Only two men under the age of 25 work in state-run nurseries in England, according to the GTC register. One of them, 22-year-old Jamie Wilson, from Merseyside, insists that children need to be taught by male and female teachers.

He said: 'I am firmly of the belief that gender should not be an issue when it comes to early years and primary teachers. Why should it matter?

'However, I have found that it has been an issue in my own experience. Even within my first week I encountered anxiety from a parent who was reluctant to leave their three-year-old in my care because I am a male in a female-dominated environment.' continues here

POLICE ESCORTING PUPILS FROM SCHOOL

Thousands of pupils are receiving police escorts from school as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

Officers are travelling on buses, waiting in potential anti-social "hotspots" and accompanying children as young as five walking home from school in "after school patrols".

The patrols have been targeted in areas which are known to have problems with anti-social behaviour.

To date, 65 local authorities in England have carried out 15,292 patrols, covering 1,632 primary and secondary schools, according to figures from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).

Some 64,017 pupils have been spoken to by officers, the figures show, and 2,497 have been referred to other services, including drug and alcohol services, or activities in their area.

As about 5,000 schools already have a dedicated police officer linked to them, it means many children are effectively being policed from the start of the school day, until evening.

The DCSF said it advocated after-school patrols as an effective way to tackle anti-social behaviour at the end of the school day.

Under the Youth Crime Action Plan, 69 areas are receiving funding totalling £765,000 between 2008/11 for a range of measures to combat anti-social behaviour. continues here

English-speaking pupils are a minority in inner-city London primary schools

Children who speak English as their first language are now a minority in inner-city London primary schools, official figures showed yesterday.

Youngsters with a different mother tongue form a majority in primaries in 13 out of 33 London boroughs and in nearby Slough.

In inner London, 54 per cent of primary pupils and 48.5 per cent in secondary institutions do not speak English as their first language. This amounts to an astonishing 159,340 children.

Across the country, English is a foreign language to more than one in seven primary youngsters - almost half a million.

The figures from the Department for Children, Schools and Families point to the major demographic changes over the past few decades. Around a fifth of pupils are from ethnic minorities - up from 11 per cent in 1997.

There are concerns that school finances are under strain as growing numbers of youngsters require help with English.

Heads' leaders have urged the Government to fund schools adequately and give fair treatment during inspections to those with large concentrations of non-English speakers.

The figures show there are 14 council areas in which primary children with English as their second language are in the majority - 13 London boroughs and Slough.

In Tower Hamlets almost four out of five youngsters do not have English as their mother tongue. In other areas, including Leicester, Luton and Bradford the proportion is approaching 50 per cent.

For primaries overall, 15.2 per cent are non-native English speakers - up from 14.4 per cent last year.
Enlarge

The figures indicate that many recent migrants have settled in London. The lowest populations of youngsters with English as a second language are in the South West and North East.

Sir Andrew Green, of the Migrationwatch think-tank, said: 'These figures confirm the huge impact immigration is having on our society.

When Government funds are as tight as they are, this is bound to have a negative impact as children with English as an additional language will need extra tuition.'

He added: 'In inner London it's hard to know who immigrant children are supposed to integrate with since they heavily outnumber local children.'

The figures reflect a five-fold increase in immigration since Labour came to power. Net immigration has increased from 48,000 in 1997 to 237,000 in 2007 continues here

Do you consider the actions of both this government and others, to be genocide against the indigenous people?

NOW PRIMARY SCHOOLS FACE CRISIS OVER PLACES

THOUSANDS of children will not get into their first-choice primary school this autumn because of a severe shortage of places, research revealed yesterday.


Many children face being told there is no place for them in any school.

Critics last night blamed the Government for underestimating the pressure on the education system caused by population growth, largely driven by rising immigration.

Competition is said to be so intense in the worst-hit urban areas that many families will have to accept their second, third or even fourth choice school.

It could mean that youngsters will have to travel several miles to get to school.

Almost a third of councils across England say they are struggling to cope with demand, with many having to create more places by building temporary classrooms.

The Tories reacted angrily to the study yesterday. Shadow Schools Secretary Michael Gove said: “The Government must ensure that there are enough places for primary school pupils in September.

“It would be a tragedy if their policy of reducing surplus places led to children missing out on their first years of schooling. Ministers urgently need to assess whether there is enough provision available.”

The problem has been blamed on rising birth rates and, in some areas, sharp increases in the immigrant population.

The recession has also forced a number of hard-pressed middle-class parents to take their children out of private schools and send them to state schools.

Population growth think tank Migrationwatch said that mass immigration was having an increasing impact on the schools system.

Population figures show the national birth rate has increased by 17 per cent since 2001, partly due to higher birth rates in immigrant communities.

Migrationwatch chairman Sir Andrew Green said:

“Nearly a quarter of all births in England and Wales are to mothers born overseas. In Greater London it is nearly 50 per cent.

“Obviously, immigration is a significant factor in pressure on schools.”

A total of 130 out of 150 English education authorities responded to the survey about the availability of primary school places in September.

Of those 53 said applications were higher this year than they were in 2008 and 38 of those were concerned about the high demand. Many were attempting to respond to the pressure by building temporary classrooms.

In Bristol, about 300 children were left without a place at any of their preferred primary schools when the first round of offers was made in February. However most have now been found a place.

Councils in London recently reported a shortage of 2,250 places for this September, a figure predicted to exceed 5,000 next year. Some 25 out of 33 boroughs face a shortage.

James Kempton, Liberal Democrat leader of Islington Council in north London, said: “Boroughs are doing their best with temporary classrooms, putting more than 30 pupils in classes with extra staff.

“Contingency plans are as good as we can get them but we can’t guarantee they will cover every child. They are not going to go away and it becomes progressively harder.”

A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: “Local authorities have a duty to make sure that every child of compulsory school age has a suitable school place. continues here

Bogus foreign students free to flout new laws

Home Office fails to vet hundreds of colleges

Thousands of bogus students remain free to enter Britain despite new laws aimed at tightening controls on immigration. The Times has learnt that hundreds of colleges recently approved by the Home Office to accept non-EU students have not been inspected by its officers. 

Weaknesses in the student visa system have emerged following the arrest of 12 terror suspects last week. Ten of the men entered this country from Pakistan on student visas. 

It has also emerged that the vast majority of non-EU students will not be interviewed by the Home Office but admitted on the basis of written applications and evidence of sponsorship, educational qualifications and bank statements. 

Chris Grayling, the Shadow Home Secretary, said: “The more we learn about the way the Government has managed our student visa system, the more question marks there are.”

John Tincey, the chairman of the Immigration Service Union, said that the failure to include interviews could be exploited by terrorists. 

Under the system, universities, colleges and schools must register with the Home Office to accept students from outside the EU. They must agree to alert the Home Office if a student fails to register, stops attending classes or if a course is shortened and keep copies of the students’ passports as well as up-to-date contact addresses. 

The new regime came in two weeks ago and is intended to end a scam in which thousands of foreigners enrolled at bogus colleges to work here. So far, 2,100 establishments have been registered and 400 rejected. There are 14,000 establishments on an earlier database that need to register. 

Today The Times highlights the abuses under the old regime, described by the Immigration Minister as the Achilles’ heel of the system. 

At one college in Manchester that claims to have more than 100 students — most of them from North West Frontier Province in Pakistan — only two turned up for classes yesterday.  continues here

Schools are 'employing bouncers'

Schools are employing bouncers to "crowd control" classes in teachers' absence, a union conference has heard.

A London teacher told the National Union of Teachers annual conference he knew of a school that had gone to an agency to recruit two bouncers.

One left after a month after falling out with staff but the other was still employed, he said - the school wanting someone "stern and loud".

The government said cover staff should only be used as a short-term solution.

The union wants all lessons to be taken by qualified teachers but says there are likely to be more cover supervisors taking lessons in future.

Talking to journalists, the teacher, Andrew Baisley declined to name the school involved. But he said the bouncers had been taken on as permanent members of staff.

"I think it's the idea that it's about crowd control and child minding, and if you are stern and loud that's what is necessary to do the job," he said.

The school was paying them £20,000 a year, about half as much as it would have to spend on supply teachers to cover lessons when their regular teachers were not there.

Interaction

The bouncers had not been trained, he claimed. They were supervising work prepared by qualified teachers.

Mr Baisley stressed he had no complaint about people from any walk of life retraining to be teachers. That was not the issue.

"If a member of staff is away you don't want just any teacher, you want someone from that subject who can interact with the children and advise them and so on."

He added: "You regularly see adverts which say, 'Would suit people with military or police experience'.

"I have absolutely no problem with that, in fact I know of teachers who have come from that background.

"I just think there's something questionable about thinking that that sort of skill is appropriate in a school."

'Firm but fair'

A recruitment agency, Aspire People, advertised vacancies for "Hard Core Cover Supervisors".

"You might be an ex-marine, prison officer, bouncer, policeman, fireman, sportsman, actor or you might be an overseas teacher looking to get some experience in the classroom.

"Which ever it is we need someone who thinks they can get involved in a school environment and control the kids in schools throughout the midlands."

Experience working with children was a requirement, along with "a good sense of humour, a firm but fair approach, a willingness to go that extra mile".

The role involved helping with every aspect of school including administrative work, "taking kids on trips or helping to cover lessons when the work is set".

Demands

The NUT conference noted that the use of cover supervisors in England and Wales had increased significantly since changes to teachers' working practices in 2003.

In many cases they were employed on a casual basis and on low wages, with little or no career progression, officials said.

"They are doing a teacher's job for a cleaner's wage," said West Sussex teacher Derek McMillan.

The conference resolved to work with other unions representing many cover supervisors to ensure they were:

• Appropriately qualified

• Trained in school policies

• On a proper contract with decent pay and career prospects

• Used for no more than three days' absence in secondary schools and one day in primaries

A spokesman for England's Department for Children, Schools and Families said: "We're clear that cover supervision should only be used as a short-term solution, to provide continuity when the regular teacher is unavailable.

"Pupils should continue their learning through pre-prepared lessons and exercises supervised by support staff with appropriate skills and training."

Some people think having bouncers in schools would be a good idea, in light of widely reported discipline problems.

The writer and family rights campaigner Lynette Burrows has argued that in pubs and clubs these "large and implacable figures … keep order with a remarkable degree of success". continues here

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Schools face funding cuts crisis

Ministers are facing mounting questions about a financial crisis that is threatening the education of tens of thousands of teenagers.

Schools and colleges said sixth-formers could be turned away from courses in the autumn after Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, forced a last-minute cut in funding.

The Daily Telegraph established that the funding gap was nearly £200 million, more than three times the original estimate. It came about despite rising demand for places at schools and colleges from teenagers, who found that the recession reduced the number of jobs available.

At the same time, millions of pounds was spent on Gordon Brown's flagship apprenticeship scheme.

Ministers said the funding gap arose because of a surprise jump in the number of children being allocated places in schools and colleges for the next school year. Yet the Tories said government documents showed that officials knew six months ago that applications were surging well above the expected level.

Michael Gove, the Conservative education spokesman, said Mr Balls had "some serious explaining to do" over his account of how the crisis developed. Mr Balls accused Mr Gove of talking "utter nonsense" and misleading people.

Hundreds of schools and colleges were facing financial hardship after the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) told them last week that funds allocated weeks previously were reduced, some by hundreds of thousands of pounds.

On March 2, the LSC told heads it was able to fund an extra 30,000 school and college places because it had won "nearly £200 million of new money". But after that letter was sent, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) informed the LSC that the extra money would not be forthcoming. As a result, the quango wrote back to heads last week telling them that their allocations had been cut.

Details of the letter were released last Thursday, the day that attention was focused on the G20 summit in London.

Jim Knight, the Schools Minister, said last week that the squeeze arose because "we are now seeing an even greater surge in demand for places than we have budgeted for." But documents seen by the Tories appeared to show that senior LSC officials knew as long ago as last autumn that many more children than they had expected were choosing to attend schools and colleges.

Minutes of a meeting of its National Council on Nov 5, which was attended by a DCSF official, recorded a "strong growth in young people's participation, which stood at several percentage points above the plan".

"It was evident from the figures that young people were choosing the school and college route, which could have an impact on apprenticeships," it added.

The document also recorded that the LSC was already overspending its budget.

Mr Balls conceded that some children would be denied places in September unless ministers could find £200 million. He was under pressure to explain what role his department played in the LSC's decision to award "final" allocations on March 2 before cutting those allocations on March 31.

Government sources suggested that ministers were not aware of the LSC's first letter until the second note was sent but the LSC said Mr Balls's department was kept aware of what the quango was doing throughout. The letters sent to head teachers warning them of cuts included a note saying that the DCSF was "involved throughout and approved the changes".

A department spokesman claimed last night that the discussion in November referred to children starting courses last September. He said they were "working across government on the extra financial support we need to provide for the new learners that are coming forward".  Continues here

No British jobs British workers and no school place for British learners, over subscribed in all areas, our infrastructure shaky and still they will not relent, still the flood, so resource conflict will escalate, prices will rise, resentment will grow and you the taxpayer will pay, a sorry, sorry state of affairs.

Set texts

It is not the Government's job to hand out reading lists

When he launched the National Year of Reading, Ed Balls, the Children's Secretary, was pictured engrossed in a book called Keeping Pet Chickens. Now that the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill contains a clause that would permit the secretary of state to decide which books children must be examined on at GCSE and A level, it may not be long before Keeping Pet Chickens is mandatory.

”permit the secretary of state to decide which books children must be examined on at GCSE and A level...”

Ministers insist that the power would be exercised only as a last resort, in the unlikely event, for example, that Shakespeare had stopped cropping up in examinations. The reasons for using the power would need to be stated in a published memorandum between the department and the regulator. The secretary of state can already intervene in the curriculum because the relevant authority answers to him. The new clause refers, strictly speaking, to examinations. But nobody can be examined on books that they have not studied so it also refers, in effect, to the curriculum.

It is not that there is anything wrong with Mr Balls's taste in books. He has listed his favourite books as a child: Enid Blyton's Famous Five adventures, Malcolm Saville detective stories called the Lone Pine Adventures, The Wind in the Willows and, his professed favourite, Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome.

But there is no need to mandate specific reading from the centre. There is no need for this new power to be taken.  continues here

White working class boys are schools' worst performing ethnic group by age of 11

White boys from working-class homes are worse performers in English tests than all other groups by age 11, new figures revealed today.

Ethnic minority pupils from similar backgrounds are not only ahead but are improving more quickly - even though thousands do not speak English at home.

Poor white boys are also among the worst performers in maths and science, according to figures published by the Department for Childen, Schools and Families.

The figures will renew concerns over the prospects of white boys from poor homes amid fears many will be shut out of university and top jobs.



Christine Gilbert, the chief inspector of schools and head of Ofsted, warned last year their futures are 'blighted' by low attainment as other groups forge ahead.

The education watchdog called on schools to provide father figures for working-class boys who lack them at home.

The new figures also confirmed fears that the number of pupils gaining top grades in their SATs - a higher level than the Government's expected standard - is declining.

'For all the promises the Government have made, standards are still too low, and all too often it is pupils from the poorest backgrounds who suffer most,' said Shadow Schools Minister Nick Gibb.

The figures released today showed that just over half of white boys on free school meals - 56 per cent - achieved the expected 'level four' in English SATs last year.

For black African boys from similar backgrounds, the pass rate was 60 per cent and for black Caribbean boys it was 62 per cent.

Pakistani boys gained a pass rate of 63 per cent, 68 per cent for Bangladeshi, 74 per cent for Indian and 76 per cent for Chinese.

For youngsters from mixed backgrounds, the figure was 59 per cent.

Most groups, including Indian, Pakistani, black and Chinese pupils, improved their results more quickly than white boys.

Similar disparities are also apparent among girls, though the trend is not as marked.

The proportion of high-achieving pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds is either stalling or falling back in all three core subjects.'

Ministers put the best face on the figures, insisting that pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds were, as a group, catching up with their wealthier peers, and improving at a quicker rate than last year.

But opposition politicians described the stats as 'shameful'.

The figures also confirmed that the proportion of pupils achieving the higher 'level five' is declining, from 33 per cent to 29 per cent in English, and 32 per cent to 31 per cent in maths.

Mr Gibb added: 'These figures flag up a worrying new trend. The proportion of high-achieving pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds is either stalling or falling back in all three core subjects.'

Schools Minister Sarah McCarthy-Fry said: 'It is encouraging to see that children on free school meals are catching up with their peers who are not on free school meals at twice the rate they were in 2007.

'We are working hard to accelerate this rate of progress through programmes such as Every Child Counts, which has seen pupils make a year’s progress in just three months when given intensive support and Every Child a Reader which ensures early intervention and provide targeted support to children in danger of falling behind.' continues here

Is it any wonder, any wonder that white boys see no point in study, what have you left them to work towards, what future have you created, service jobs need little in educational aptitude, little in the way of intellect. You have destroyed us, killed all we were and taken our futures, will exam results change that, will educational attainment ever truly now, make a difference. In any case there has been a “dumbing down”, perhaps to meet certain needs, to aid certain others, everywhere we hear, “exams are easier”, yet even so, they gain our children little, our male children least of all.

Headteachers should 'high-five' pupils to improve exam results

Trainee head teachers are being told to give pupils in tough areas high-fives in an effort to improve exam results. 

A Government-backed training scheme is urging would-be heads to give pupils the U.S-style welcome to help forge 'positive relationships'.

Sir Iain Hall, training director for the scheme called Future Leaders, is passing on the advice at intensive residential courses after visiting schools in the U.S. 

He is also recommending a technique which involves pupils gathering in a circle and applauding one of their number, with the head saying the pupils name and 'we appreciate you' and the children cheering that child.

But his suggestions brought claims that heads were being asked to 'ingratiate' themselves with pupils, undermining their authority. 

Under Sir Iain's approach, heads would greet children at classroom doors by giving them high-fives - slapping their palms with arms extended - or shaking their hands. 

'When your children come into the classroom, how do you greet them?' he asked a meeting of prospective heads, the Times Educational Supplement reported. 

'Whether it is a high-five, it is touching a child's hand, it is shaking their hands, we teach our Future Leaders to stand at the classroom door and greet every kid who comes through it. It's about establishing positive relationships all the time, shaking the hands of kids that go past, giving those high-fives.' 

Sir Iain, a 'superhead' who was knighted in 2002 for services to education, revealed he had been inspired by visits to schools in tough parts of America.

He was recommending the circle and applauding technique after seeing it at a New York school. 'It is getting that positive relationship where children can relax and think "somebody believes in me",' he said. 

Asked whether English pupils would respond to high-fives, he said: 'If I believe it will work with every student, then it will.' 

But Anastasia de Waal, of the social policy think-tank Civitas, warned that high-fiving by senior staff could hamper attempts to impose discipline. 'We are struggling to assert authority in schools. 

'I fear this is just going to look ridiculous and actually some pupils are going to be moderately insulted by it. 'I don't think they will see it as cool and in fact will see it as deeply uncool so it will backfire.' 

She added: 'This is characteristic of much about secondary schools these days, that everything should be relevant to pupils and fun,' she added. 

'But what makes things relevant is when children understand their work and can apply it to the real world.'

She said some primary schools in Finland invited pupils to shake hands with teachers at the end of lessons.

'This is more about showing teachers respect,' she said.

'We are approaching this completely the wrong way round. We should be trying to generate respect for teachers rather than encouraging them to ingratiate themselves with pupils.'  continues here

Every school to get Holocaust specialist under anti-racism initiative

Every secondary school is to get a Holocaust specialist to ensure that the subject is taught comprehensively and sensitively. 

One teacher from every school will be offered a place on a Holocaust education training course to combat racism and intolerance. 

One in ten of those who take the course will also be able to take a master’s degree module in Holocaust education, as part of a £1.5 million scheme run by the Institute of Education. 

Teachers will discuss parts of the subject that they find difficult to teach and work on lesson plans with experts on how to broach the issue.   

Stuart Foster, director of the project, said: “There are increasing concerns in society about intolerance and racism. The BNP is coming to the forefront, and there’s increased anti-Semitism.” 

The initiative is designed to maintain awareness of the Nazi’s systematic massacre of the Jews during the Second World War as survivor numbers dwindle, Times Educational Supplement reports. 

The project will launch on Sunday, the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht — the night in 1938 when 91 Jews were killed, 30,000 were arrested and 191 synagogues were destroyed marking the beginning of the Nazi’s genocide of the Jewish people. 

Ruth-Anne Lenga, education consultant at the Jewish Museum, said that the Holocaust was often covered very briefly by schools despite being on the school curriculum. “It could be the emotiveness of the subject worries teachers, or it raises difficult moral challenges and questions. We want to ensure there’s support.” 

The project will coincide with a survey testing teachers’ knowledge of the subject and their teaching methods. It will ask teachers for their definition of “Holocaust” and whether they think teaching children about it is important. continues here

Dimming down: How the brainpower of today's 14-year-olds has slipped 'radically' in just one generation

Bright teenagers are a disappearing breed, an alarming new study has revealed. 

The intellectual ability of the country's cleverest youngsters has declined radically, almost certainly due to the rise of TV and computer games and over-testing in schools. 

The 'high-level thinking' skills of 14-year-olds are now on a par with those of 12-year-olds in 1976. 

The findings contradict national results which have shown a growth in top grades in SATs at 14, GCSEs and A-levels.  

But Michael Shayer, the professor of applied psychology who led the study, believes that is the result of exam standards 'edging down'. 

His team of researchers at London's King's College tested 800 13 and 14-year-olds and compared the results with a similar exercise in 1976.  

The tests were intended to measure understanding of abstract scientific concepts such as volume, density, quantity and weight, which set pupils up for success not only in maths and science but also in English and history. 
 

One test asked pupils to study a pendulum swinging on a string and investigate the factors that cause it to change speed. A second involved weights on a beam. 

In the pendulum test, average achievement was much the same as in 1976. 

But the proportion of teenagers reaching top grades, demanding a 'higher level of thinking', slumped dramatically. 

Just over one in ten were at that level, down from one in four in 1976.

In the second test, assessing mathematical thinking skills, just one in 20 pupils were achieving the high grades - down from one in five in 1976. 

Professor Shayer said: 'The pendulum test does not require any knowledge of science at all. 

'It looks at how people can deal with complex information and sort it out for themselves.' 

He believes most of the downturn has occurred over the last ten to 15 years. 

It may have been hastened by the introduction of national curriculum testing and accompanying targets, which have cut the time available for teaching which develops more advanced skills. 

Critics say schools concentrate instead on drilling children for the tests. 

'The moment you introduce targets, people will find the most economical strategies to achieve them,' said Professor Shayer.

'In the case of education, I'm sure this has had an effect on driving schools away from developing higher levels of understanding.' 

He added that while the numeracy hour in primary schools appears to have led to some gains, it has 'squeezed out a lot of things teachers might otherwise be doing'. 

Professor Shayer believes the decline in brainpower is also linked to changes in children's leisure activities. 

The advent of multi-channel TV has encouraged passive viewing while computer games, particularly for boys, are feared to have supplanted time spent playing with tools, gadgets and other mechanisms. 

Professor Shayer warned that without the development of higher-order thinking skills, 
the future supply of scientists will be compromised. 

'We don't even have enough scientists now,' he said. 

Previous research by Professor Shayer has shown that 11-year-olds' grasp of concepts such as volume, density, quantity and weight appears to have declined over the last 30 years. 

Their mental abilities were up to three years behind youngsters tested in in 1975. 

His latest findings, due to appear in the British Journal of Educational Psychology, come in the wake of a report by Dr Aric Sigman which linked the decline in intellectual ability to a shift away from art and craft skills in both schools and the home.



Dr Sigman said practical activities such as building models and sandcastles, making dens, using tools, playing with building blocks, knitting, sewing and woodwork were being neglected.  continues here

Headteacher forced to use sign language at school where pupils are from 24 different countries

A headteacher has had to resort to using sign language to communicate at a school where pupils are from 24 different countries.

Damian Jordan uses a signing system called Makaton to speak to youngsters at Fairlight Primary school in Brighton.

The headteacher, who has only just taken up his post, realised he would have to come up with a new way of communication when he found out 55 youngsters at the school speak languages ranging from Spanish, Polish, Arabic and Mandarin.



Mr Jordan has been learning Makaton - a version of sign language which is used specifically in schools.

The 36-year-old has also been learning the basics in several other languages so he can communicate with his pupil's parents as well.

But he said the major advantage in using Makaton was that it helped children be more readily understood while they grasp English.

'I have been training in Makaton, which has been designed for use in schools, he said.

'It means that at times when children might get frustrated that they can't make themselves understood, you can still communicate with them.'

Mr Jordan, who at 36 is one of Brighton and Hove's youngest headteachers, said he and all his staff at Fairlight Primary School were learning both Makaton alongside the children.

He said:

'We think the international nature of the school and the languages are something to celebrate.

Continues here

British Schools Accused Of Racism

Black Caribbean pupils are being held back by institutional racism in schools, according to a new study.

A report by Warwick University claims that teachers are making assumptions about behavioural problems and therefore compromising black pupils' education.

The Tabernacle School in West London has 45 pupils, the majority of whom are black. The school prides itself on being the kind of environment in which black pupils can excel.

Generally, parents choose to send their children here because they lack confidence in state school teaching standards. The report's author, Dr Steve Strand, claims they should also fear racism and discrimination.

The school has a warm yet disciplined atmosphere. A class consisting of a mere five pupils say poor performance can't solely be blamed on teachers.

Fifteen-year-old Cameron tells me: "There are some kids that just don't want to learn. It's their peer group that's stopping them. They just go around causing mayhem."

Tammy, 14, agrees: "You can't say that all teachers are racist. Some may be but not across the board. It's down to the individual and whether they really want to learn."
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There were stereotypes that I have to battle against. There was an assumption that the 'big, black boys' would cause trouble.
Matthew Charlery-Smith on the stereotyping of black school children.

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Matthew Charlery-Smith, a 24-year-old banker, is a former Tabernacle pupil. Before the age of 14 he attended a mainstream school.

"There were stereotypes that I have to battle against. There was an assumption that the 'big, black boys' would cause trouble.

"It was assumed that I smoked weed (which I didn't) and hung around with a particular group. It was hard for me to break away from that."

The Tabernacle school gave him the right environment in which to achieve. But are those young black Caribbeans in mainstream schools really the victims of institutional racism? continues here