THIS WEEK
21-27 SEPTEMBER 2013SATURDAY
Last call
BlackBerry’s messaging service was blamed for fuelling the London riots two years ago - is that where it all went wrong? The once- mighty smartphone company announced it was laying off 40 per cent of its workers.
SUNDAY
Hic town
Beware the girl at the back of the class with hiccups: Jennifer Mee, 22, whose uncontrollable hiccupping won her fame as a 15-year-old in 2007, was convicted of first-degree murder at a court in Florida.
MONDAY
Boarding pass
The average boarding school fee in the UK is now #163;27,600 a year, pushing it above the average wage for the first time, an analysis by The Good Schools Guide revealed. Looks like it’s time to explore day school options.
TUESDAY
Syria’s business
One for the school debating society: nearly 200 countries were represented this week at a United Nations General Assembly debate in New York, where the crisis in Syria was set to be a key topic.
WEDNESDAY
Bonjour la classe
UK charity Speak to the Future launched a campaign encouraging schools to help staff, students and parents to learn 1,000 words in another language. How do you say “worryingly long vocabulary list” in Russian?
THURSDAY
Under the hammer
Auction house Christie’s was due to hold its first ever auction in China today. Lots included fine art and rare collectibles from both East and West. Just watch that priceless Ming vase on your way out.
FRIDAY
Leaders of tomorrow
Girls will be arriving for the Young Leaders’ Conference run by the Girls’ Day School Trust. The three-day programme in south-west England aims to teach teamwork, problem-solving and financial management.
NEXT WEEK
28 SEPTEMBER - 4 OCTOBER 2013
SATURDAY
Atlantic crossing
Howdy y’all, how about you Limeys studyin’ in the US? At USA College Day in London more than 150 representatives from American universities will attempt to lure Britain’s best students across the pond.
SUNDAY
Gone fission
Watch out, there’s a Higgs boson about. Science teachers mad on the mysteries of particle physics will be at the open weekend at the Large Hadron Collider at Cern, on the Franco-Swiss border.
MONDAY
Heads together
The leaders of some of the world’s most famous schools gather in London this week for the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference. The event aims to put delegates in their students’ shoes, apparently.
TUESDAY
Bursting bubbles
Education is sure to be on the agenda as the Conservative Party conference enters its third day. Expect lots of politicians desperately trying not to be photographed drinking champagne.
WEDNESDAY
More education, vicar?
Thinktank Theos is due to launch a report on the role of faith in education. The debate, it will say, is based on rhetoric rather than research. It hopes to answer the question “Are faith schools divisive?”
THURSDAY
Milk, two sugars
On this day in 1952, there was an audible sigh of relief from the staffrooms of Britain as tea rationing ended, and for the first time in 12 years the population could enjoy unlimited access to their beloved cuppas.
FRIDAY
Hawks and doves
History teachers take note: today is the 20th anniversary of the Battle of Mogadishu. The bloody stand-off between Somali militiamen and US forces was dramatised in the Ridley Scott film Black Hawk Down.
