THIS WEEK
3-9 NOVEMBER 2012
SATURDAY
Privileged? not a bit of it
Multimillionaire Sir Peter Lampl said senior Tories hadn’t adopted his scheme to put poor children in private schools because: “They’re worried it will link them with privilege and selection.” Bit late to worry about that, surely?
SUNDAY
Baby boon for scrabble champ
Young Belfast solicitor Paul Gallen, 26, won the UK Scrabble final with the 72-point word “neonates”. He insisted he didn’t know the meaning of some of the words he played. “It is really a game of maths,” he claimed.
MONDAY
Practise what you preach
Former schools minister Andrew Adonis criticised the government for not taking on enough apprentices. Perhaps education secretary Michael Gove should find one to finesse his policies.
TUESDAY
And the winner is ...
“Ninety-nine problems but Mitt ain’t one,” sang Obama supporter Jay-Z, somewhat confidently. From Kentucky to Hawaii, Americans went to the polls today. But would the Mitt-heads win out over the Obamistas?
WEDNESDAY
Oxford bops to k-pop
“Bami omyeon shimjangi tteugeowojineun yeoja.” The Oxford Union welcomed South Korean pop sensation PSY. But was the Gangnam Style singer’s visit a sign of dumbing down? Not now we can all speak Korean.
THURSDAY
Pleasure and pain
Class 4 giving you a headache? Why not pay a visit to London’s Science Museum, which has launched its exhibition on pain relief? The show, called Pain Less, asks whether the eradication of pain would be a good thing.
FRIDAY
Top tips you can count on
Just how do we get kids to add up? The National Education Trust hosts a conference on maths, featuring education minister Elizabeth Truss. The event in Norfolk will include top tips on teaching sticky concepts.
NEXT WEEK
10-16 NOVEMBER 2012
SATURDAY
Age of empires
Dusty manuscripts and exotic paintings from the Mughal Empire will go on show at the British Library in London. About 200 artefacts from the dynasty will appear in Mughal India: Art, Culture and Empire until April.
SUNDAY
A day of remembrance
Ceremonies around the country will mark Remembrance Sunday. At Wellington College, 707 current pupils will lie still and silent for two minutes to commemorate former students lost in the Great War.
MONDAY
Sweet smell of success
Colleges Week focuses on employability. The Association of Colleges also wants to make young people more aware of their options. Plumbing or accountancy, young man? Or how about a career in aromatherapy?
TUESDAY
Sucking the life and sole
Fishy goings-on at the Royal Geographical Society. A debate entitled “A Future for Fish” will tackle the problems of overfishing in the world’s seas. But will swapping cod for pollack be enough to stop the rot?
WEDNESDAY
Exams of tomorrow
The education secretary and the illustrious editor of TES join the star line-up at the Independent Academies Association conference in London. They will chew over the future of the exam system.
THURSDAY
Going in for the skill
And the prize for best floor tiler goes to... The Skills Show kicks off in Birmingham and trainees will compete in the WorldSkills UK competition for awards from best reflexologist to best Afro-Caribbean hairdresser.
FRIDAY
It’s a bean bath
Pudsey Bear is back as BBC Children in Need arrives again. Teachers will be bathing in baked beans, pupils will sell cupcakes and the headmaster might just shave his head. Go on Sir, it’s all for charidee.
