QCA resignations
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority this week accepted the resignations of Ken Boston, its former chief executive, and David Gee, managing director of the now disbanded National Assessment Agency. The decisions followed an internal inquiry into last summer’s national test marking debacle. Neither will be required to work their notice periods, but will not receive their latest bonuses or any special severance payments. Dr Boston resigned in December after the critical Sutherland report, but was suspended while the authority reached its own conclusion.
No autism training
More than half of Britain’s school teachers have never received specialist training to help them support children with autism, despite the fact that around one in three classrooms contain a child with the condition, a new study has found. Only 10 per cent have received training in the past 12 months, according to new research from TreeHouse, a national charity for autism education. Around 62 per cent of teachers contacted for the research said they thought children with autism do not receive the right support due to lack of resources and training in the education system.
Reforms fuel pay deal
Educational psychologists and school improvement officers dealing with new initiatives such as National Challenge, coasting schools and the 14-to-19 reforms will get an above-inflation pay increase after complaining they were overburdened by the government initiatives. They will get an extra 0.5 per cent on top of a 2.45 per cent deal agreed in principle last September after the Association of Educational Psychologists and Aspect, which represents school improvement officers, went back to the pay negotiating table. The rise will be back-dated from last September, amounting to a 2.75 per cent increase overall.
Award for campaigner
The deputy general secretary of teachers’ union NASUWT, Jerry Bartlett, has received a top international award in recognition of his international campaigning for free public education and human rights for teachers. Mr Bartlett was given the Thirtieth Anniversary Medal of the Confederacion General de Trabajadores de la Educacion de Nicaragua at a ceremony in Brussels.
