Computerised exams should replace pen and paper tests for a generation used to digital learning, the head of England’s exams watchdog has said. Ofqual chief executive Isabel Nisbet said the current reliance on handwritten papers “cannot go on”. Only a few sections of existing exams can be taken on computers. Two exam boards welcomed her comments, but heads said resources would be a problem for a computerised system.
Bursary axe like `turning off taps’
The axing of bursaries for most trainee teachers in England will “turn off the taps” of new entrants to the profession, unions and academics have warned. Education Secretary Michael Gove’s decision means bursaries in religious studies, music, PE, art, business studies, citizenship, history, dance and drama, worth pound;4,000-pound;6,000, have now been axed. Only those studying physics, chemistry, engineering and maths will get the full pound;9,000 bursaries.
Royal Society’s brainy idea
Teachers should be taught how children’s brains develop as part of their training before they enter the classroom, according to a report by the Royal Society. Neuroscience is not included in many teacher training courses. But the report, The Brain Waves Module 2, says it could “support and enhance” teachers’ work. Teachers of children with special educational needs should also learn about “the neurobiological basis” of learning difficulties such as dyslexia and ADHD.
