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The World News Headlines This Week Erdogan slams protestors
Turkish police have entered Gezi Park in Istanbul, hours after the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for protesters there to disperse and following similar action in nearby Taksim Square. Dozens of riot police gathered on Tuesday on the fringes on the park, where environmental protests two weeks ago over a proposed redevelopment ballooned into nationwide anti-government demonstrations.
Suicide bombs kill 14 Syrians
The anti-poverty campaign, popularly known as IF, reached Prime Minister David Cameron’s home, when he was visited by pupils from London Islamic School, among others
London Islamic School pupils visit PM
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upils from London Islamic School in east London joined ‘Enough Food for Everyone IF’ supporter David Walliams for a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet Prime Minister David Cameron last week and call for action to tackle global hunger. The Prime Minister was presented with specially crafted plates from each of the children, representing more than 30,000 plates that have been decorated by school children across the UK. The plea came ahead of the G8 meeting in Northern Ireland later in the month and the Nutrition for Growth Summit that the UK Government will host in London on Saturday, 8 June. David Walliams joined the children, chosen as one of 21 schools, in support of the ‘Enough Food for Everyone IF’ campaign, to show
the Prime Minister that they are calling for action to tackle the global hunger crisis that is responsible for almost half of child deaths every year. Around the world one in eight people do not have enough food to eat and nearly one in 4 children under the age
of 5 are also affected by poor nutrition, leaving them unable to reach their full potential. Eleven-year-old Sheikh Hammad Hamidi from London Islamic School was one of the lucky pupils to make the trip to the capital. He said: “It was a very interesting experience as
‘This was a fantastic opportunity for our school, it has truly opened our eyes to see other communities playing a great part in such a noble campaign’
I took part in something which I can remember for the rest of my life. I hope other young children get the opportunity to do what I have done today. My future generation will always be part of the IF campaign.” Mohammad Yaser, Creative and Aesthetic teacher at London Islamic School added: “This was a fantastic opportunity for our school, it has truly opened our eyes to see other communities playing a great part in such a noble campaign. As Muslims we should be taking a leading role and I saw something different today. “We are proud to be part of the IF campaign alongside other communities, and we hope we will go down in history by ending hunger.” Monowara Gani, Development Education Manager at MADE in Europe and a member of the Enough Food For
Everyone IF campaign said: “Alhamdulillah it was wonderful working with London Islamic School, the teachers are very open and understanding about the importance of learning about global development topics such as hunger, and it is through their involvement in the teacher training and class room learning that resulted in the invitation to Downing Street. “The pupils were fantastic and were a great representation for Islam and Muslims; they were confident, well mannered and even got a 1-2-1 conversation with David Walliams who also attended the hand in. We look forward to working with LIS on other development topics in the future.” Over the next ten days the IF Campaign is asking G8 leaders to tackle the causes of hunger, all of which are well within the G8’s grasp.
Rushanara Ali MP nails Prime Minister on ‘economic failure’
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ushanara Ali MP opened Prime Minister’s Questions by slamming the Conservative-led Government’s economic failure and its broken promises on borrowing. In 2010, the independent Office for Budget Responsibility had forecast that the Government would be borrowing £18 billion in 2015-16, yet these forecasts have been revised fol-
lowing the Government’s failure to generate economic growth. It has now forecast borrowing of £96 billion in 2015-16, meaning that the Government will be borrowing £78 billion more than planned. Rushanara asked the Prime Minister: “Three years ago, the Prime Minister promised that borrowing would fall to £18 billion in 2015. Will he confirm that
the failure to get growth going means that he will now borrow £96 billion instead—yes or no?” Following Prime Minister’s Questions, Rushanara added: “The Prime Minister is in complete denial. His government’s economic policies over the last three years have badly failed – on jobs, growth, living standards and even the deficit. “David Cameron and George
Osborne are making a terrible mistake in ploughing on with their failing plan: increasing the price that families are paying now and in the future for this failure. A Labour Government would have a clear and balanced plan to support growth and jobs, alongside a clear timetable to get the deficit and the debt down – finishing the job where this government has failed.”
Rushanara Ali MP… ‘yes or no?’
Two suicide bombers have struck the heart of the Syrian capital Damascus, killing at least 14 people and wounding at least 31 others, pro-government television channel al-Ikhbariya has reported. The TV channel says at least 14 people were killed in the attacks, which come as Gulf states pledge sanctions against Hezbollah.
Morsi warns Ethiopia on Nile
Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi has warned Ethiopia that “all options are open” in dealing with its construction of a Nile dam that threatens to leave Egypt with a dangerous water shortage. Morsi said Egypt was not calling for war, but it is willing to confront any threats to its water security. “If it loses one drop, our blood is the alternative,” he said to a raucous crowd of largely Islamist supporters that erupted into a standing ovation.
Bangladesh offers aid
Bangladesh has pledged $50,000 to the development fund for Palestine, reiterating its ‘unstinted support’ for a fully sovereign Palestine. Foreign Minister Dipu Moni made the announcement at the ‘the OIC Foreign Ministers’ Donor Conference on Strategic Plan for Development of Al-Quds and Al-Sharif’ being held in the Baku, the Azerbaijan capital.
Primark pays compensation
Primark has is paying compensation to thousands of workers and their families who were involved in the Rana Plaza factory disaster, as campaigners said retailers must do more to protect workers’ rights. The high-street clothes chain’s supplier Simple Approach occupied the second floor of the eight-storey Rana Plaza building that collapsed in April, killing 1,200 people.
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News EDL fascist denies attacking Muslims
This Week China launches space rocket
A Chinese spaceship blasted off Tuesday from a launch center in the Gobi Desert, carrying three astronauts on what is expected to be the Asian giant’s longest crewed mission yet. Propelled by a Long March-2F rocket, the Shenzhou 10 craft is scheduled to dock with the Tiangong-1 space module where the crew will transfer supplies to the space lab, which has been in orbit since September 2011.
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Police raid London building
Police in riot gear raided a building in central London related to the anti-Group of Eight protests planned for Tuesday, police said. Britain is hosting the G8 world leaders at a summit next week in Northern Ireland. A “Carnival Against Capitalism” has been planned by demonstrators ahead of the summit.
Mandela’s security increased Authorities increased security around a Pretoria hospital where former South African leader Nelson Mandela remained in intensive care, three days after being rushed there with a recurring lung infection. Police set up gates and fences around entrances to the facility on Tuesday, closely checking vehicles trying to access the compound.
Two exit Iran elections
Two of the eight candidates running in Iran’s upcoming presidential election have dropped out of the race ahead of Friday’s election – offering up cryptic reasons for doing so. Mohammad Reza Aref announced his decision to withdraw Monday on his campaign website. Hours earlier, another candidate, Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, also said he wouldn’t be contesting.
Iran decides to keep stoning
Taliban militants beheaded two children in southern Afghanistan, according to a press release from a provincial governor’s office. But the Taliban denied any involvement in the beheadings, according to spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi. He said Taliban fighters would never do such a thing, but said the group would investigate. The beheadings occurred in Kandahar. One of those slain was a 10-year-old boy. The other was age 16.
Thousands demonstrate at Hyde Park against hunger worldwide L ondon 2012 Artistic Director and Oscar winner Danny Boyle made an impassioned plea for G8 leaders to end world hunger at the Big IF London today (Saturday 8th June). The film director was joined on stage by philanthropist Bill Gates as 45,000 people descended on Hyde Park to demand G8 leaders tackle the causes of hunger. The mass demonstration of public support, organised by Enough Food For Everyone IF (a coalition of over 200 UK organisations), marks the start of a 10 day countdown to the G8 summit in Northern Ireland, 17-18th June. The former Archbishop of Canterbury and Chair of Christian Aid Rowan Williams also addressed the 45,000
strong crowd, as did a number of activists from developing countries and high profile supporters including actor David Harewood and broadcaster Natasha Kaplinksy. The event was hosted by Myleene Klass and Gethin Jones and specially recorded messages from David Beckham, John Bishop, Miranda Hart and Eddie Izzard were also broadcast to the crowd. There were also musical performances from Grammy Award winning singer Angelique Kidjo and Lucy Rose. Celebrities and the public alike helped to create a huge
‘The great travesty of our time is that one in eight people do not have enough to eat’
Palestinian football film launched
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By Emdad Rahman n the autumn of 2011 Philosophy Football met Honey Thalijeh, then captain of Palestine Women’s Football team. Inspired by her words on what football meant to her country, Philosophy Football promised that when Euro 2013 opened in Israel they would be in Palestine. From 5-18 June Israel hosts the second biggest international team tournament in European football, the Euro 2013 Under 21s Championship. It’s the biggest international sporting event ever held in Israel.
visual petition at the event to demonstrate the scale of public support for the IF campaign. The petition was made up of 250,000 spinning flowers, their petals representing the millions of children who die because of malnutrition each year – lives that can be saved if world leaders take action at the G8. Danny Boyle addressed the crowd with: “Anyone who says that we can’t crack the hunger crisis is wrong. This is my dream – it’s a passionate dream – that in Olympics to come there will be no-one dying of hunger in any of the countries whose wonderful flags wave in
But on the other side of the wall Israel built football is played and watched in Palestine under the most abnormal of conditions. The problems Palestine faces are well known, yet on the football pitch, as recognised by FIFA, Palestine plays football as a nation. The film, shot over the past few days, will help to break this silence. On Tuesday it was premiered in Ramallah at the HQ of the Palestine Olympic Association and simultaneously released on YouTube. The link to the film is here: youtube.com/ watch?v=HSgqErDOAwI
the wind. And it is a fight that will be won. We expect our government and other world leaders to fight with all the energy and cunning and determination of Chris Hoy and Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis and Bradley Wiggins – to fight and fight and fight to end Hunger until they win.” Bill Gates, who spoke at the event, said: “The great travesty of our time is that one in eight people do not have enough to eat. If babies do not get the right nutrition in the first 1000 days of their life, they will never be able to achieve their full potential. “Providing developing countries with the means to feed their people is a vital part of lifting these communities out of the cycle of hunger and poverty. This is particularly critical as we await the G8 later this month.”
he leader of the English Defence League Tommy Robinson has denied claims his group had firebombed an Islamic community centre in London, where the letters EDL were sprayed on the building. He told the BBC the graffiti could have been placed there to make it look as if the group was responsible. Mr Robinson was speaking after six men were jailed for planning to bomb an EDL rally in West Yorkshire. The men, who all lived in or near Birmingham, were each jailed for more than 18 years. Their bomb plot failed because they arrived two hours after last year’s rally in Dewsbury had finished. Mr Robinson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he condemned all acts of violence by EDL members and the group was about peaceful protest. He denied his group was behind the blaze in Muswell Hill last week. “If something was set fire and someone wrote David Cameron on the side of it, does it mean he did it?” he said. “If I’m honest, I’m completely sceptical that it is even nonMuslims that have done that.”
Robunsen… blames Muslims
Extremism debated at youth seminar
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cores of youth and community members attended the youth seminar on ‘Far right extremism – a threat to society’.. It was organised as a response to the growing concerns from the youth of Tower Hamlets after a surge of threats, destruction to property and assaults on the Muslim community by the EDL and other far right groups since the Horrific murder in Woolwich nearly two weeks ago. At the seminar participants heard from Tower Hamlets Borough Commander Dave Stringer, Mayor Lutfur Rahman, Rev Alan Green, ‘Tell Mama’ and
Abul Khayar Ali and Osmani Trust Director Shafiur Rahman. Mayor Lutfur Rahman reassured the participants that he will listen to the concerns of the young people and will do his best to ensure that groups such as EDL are not allowed to come and disrupt the harmony in Tower Hamlets.
Borough Commander Dave stringer took feedback from the audience and reassured that there is enough police to deal with EDL and swift action will be taken against any attacks. Muhinur Choudhury, Manager of the Aasha project, said: “Empowering the youth to solve their own problems through positive action is far better than leaving them to their own devices. Young people need guidance on how to deal with issues, Projects like Aasha are best placed to work with young people on a grassroots level and motivate them towards positive solutions.”
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News Qureshi calls on Asians to fight global hunger
Less ‘av a butcher’s me ol’ China
Celebrating old cockney culture
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he East End’s first borough-wide festival celebrating Cockney language and culture will be taking place on July 18-27. Organised by the Cockney Heritage Trust and Tower Hamlets Council the festival launches at Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives on Thursday 18 July. Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman said: “I am delighted to present a prestigious line up of activities celebrating the East End’s Cockney heritage. “This July the council in partnership with the Cockney Heritage Trust and a range of community partners has programmed a diverse range of events with something to interest everyone.” Cllr Rania Khan, cabinet member for Culture added: “This is a fantastic way to pay tribute to the East End’s fascinating Cockney culture and heritage. “Why not try your hand at Cockney rhyming or enjoy a traditional Cockney fare such as pie and mash and jellied eels.”
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abour MP Yasmin Qureshi (pictured) has called on British Asians to help fight global hunger during an event at the House of Commons to raise of the Enough Food For Everyone IF campaign. Along with Ms Qureshi, the event Sir Tony Cunningham, Shadow International Development Minister Labour, who spoke for the need for communities to raise awareness of hunger. Yasmin Qureshi MP, said,”“I am pleased to be raising awareness of this work and to support the progressive steps the campaign is taking to address the pressing issue of world hunger. Despite the Millennium Development Goal target of halving the prevalence of undernourishment in the developing world by 2015 the number of hungry people in the world remains unacceptably high. “The Dalai Lama reminded us that every individual has a responsibility to help guide our global family in the right direction. Good wishes are not sufficient; we must become actively engaged. That is engaged in the development of Land, Tax, Transparency and Aid policy to eradicating the scandal that is global hunger. “I urge the government and the Prime Minister to use the UK’s G8 presidency in 2013 to take action on the root causes
Gearing up for Deaf Run 2013
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fter the celebrated success of Deaf Run 2012, Al Isharah are another similar event this year. Entitled Deaf Run 2013 – Take on the Challenge, the event will take place on the 9th of June 2013, at Mile End Park, East London. “This is people’s chance to be part of a truly historic deaf-friendly event that aims to unite all communities, charities, organisations and businesses together in one fun run and help raise funds for a local Deaf education based charity,” said Aminul Hoque,
events manager for Al Ishara. New to this year will be a series of inflatable challenges aimed to give even the most ardent of competitors a run for their money. Other attractions include, the ‘Super-spicy hot-wings challenge’ and a Bazaar and information zone hosting national Deaf organisations alongside others. “I urge people to go to our website for more information – alisharah.com, and join the fun and take on the challenge on Sunday 9 June,” said Aminul.
This Week CIA whistle blower missing
An ex-CIA employee who leaked details of US topsecret phone and internet surveillance has disappeared from his hotel in Hong Kong. Edward Snowden, 29, checked out from his hotel on Monday. His whereabouts are unknown, but he is believed to be still in Hong Kong.
PS4 cheaper than Xbox
of the hunger crisis in the poorest countries. As Asians and Africans living in the Diaspora, we have a unique perspective on this issue and our contributions are vital and will go a long way in helping the IF Campaign yield the necessary result.” The Enough Food For Everyone campaign is urging that food be put at the top of the G8 agenda on 17-18 June to save millions of lives. It welcomes the UK government’s intention to give development a significant place on this year’s G8 agenda and to use the opportunity to host a Hunger Summit, and a Tax,
Trade and Transparency Summit, before the G8 Summit itself. It enabled the diaspora and policymakers to explore innovative, practical and effective ways of enhancing development in Asia. The four policy asks of the IF Campaign are around Land, Tax, Transparency and Aid. A number of initiatives will be taking place ahead of the G8, members of the African and Asian diasporas are going to Number 10 on Friday 7th June to hand in a letter to the UK Prime Minister. The letter outlines views of the diaspora organisations on what Mr Cameron
‘Asian diaspora communities in the UK play a vital, but unappreciated role in the development of their countries of heritage’
should focus on at the upcoming G8 summit in relation to the IF campaign. On the 8th June, thousands will attend the Big IF rally at Hyde Park to demand concrete action on nutrition, tax havens, unfair land deals and support for poor producers. Sandra Kabir, a founder director of the Diaspora Volunteering Alliance said “Asian diaspora communities in the UK play a vital, but unappreciated role in the development of their countries of heritage. This includes remittances, generous donations to international charities for poverty and hunger alleviation, investment in trade and enterprise, advocacy to promote transparency, eradicate corruption and demand full payment of taxes by foreign companies.” Visit the IF Campaign website at enoughfoodif.org
Labour praises Mayor’s schools policy
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abour has welcomed Mayor Lutfur’s Rahman’s decision to change primary schools policy. The old policy saw many children denied a place at their local school. Labour’s Spokesperson for Children, Schools and Families, Cllr Amy Whitelock, said: “The Mayor’s decision to change his policy on school admissions is very welcome. “It will be a great relief to all those parents who rightly worried that in some cases the current system was preventing some children from getting
Sony is set to sell the PlayStation 4 for a cheaper price than Microsoft’s rival Xbox One. The Japanese firm announced at the E3 trade show that its machine would be sold for £349 in the UK, $399 in the US and 399 euros across Europe.
Drivers want improvements The rising cost of driving and the “pitiful” state of Britain’s roads should prompt a review of the way motorists are taxed, the RAC has said. More than three quarters of the 1,542 drivers who took part in the motoring group’s annual survey said the UK’s roads were deteriorating.
Body in mortuary alive
A probe has been launched after a body taken to a hospital mortuary showed “potential signs of life”. The man had fallen from the Kessock Bridge at Inverness on Friday and, after attempts to resuscitate him, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Victims to be protected
The youngest and most vulnerable victims of crime are to be protected from the trauma of appearing in court under new government proposals. The plans, being piloted for use in England and Wales, will mean witnesses can be questioned on video by defence barristers before cases are in court.
Bank switching to be easier
into schools only streets away from their homes, particularly near Chisenhale school. “We also know the issue affected families in other areas, so we urge the Mayor to ensure the impact of the policy is kept under close review to ensure all
children can get into a school place near home. What we need now is a real focus from the Mayor to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again and to get to grips with the increasing challenges presented by the borough’s school place shortage.”
A plan to allow current account customers to switch their bank or building society within seven working days has moved a step closer. The Payments Council said the overhaul was still on track to start in September, as it unveiled a trustmark and guarantee that will outline customers’ rights.
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Features Coach says Ashraful will be ‘huge loss’
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angladesh coach Shane Jurgensen has said that it will be a “huge loss” for the team if Mohammad Ashraful was banned from cricket for his involvement in match-fixing. Jurgensen said there was some “disbelief” when the news about Ashraful’s confession emerged, but he did not comment on any other aspects of the controversy. Jurgensen, who returned to Dhaka on Monday from Brisbane, had to face several questions about the issue, but the Bangladesh team management is trying its best to shift the focus back to cricket, before a fitness camp begins in Mirpur on June 13. Ashraful will not be a part of the camp because he has been suspended by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) until the ICC’s AntiCorruption and Security Unit (ACSU) report is submitted. Given his confession, there is doubt whether he will play for Bangladesh in the near future. “If he is banned, it is a huge loss in the batting order for us,” Jurgensen said. “But that’s all I am really going to say. I don’t know the findings of the investigations. He’s batting well and if he’s banned, we will miss him. There was a little bit of disbelief there, but I am not going to comment any further.” Jurgensen said it was imperative that everyone concerned with the cricket team returned to the game rather than dwell on the controversy. “It is important [to shift focus]. It has to be business as usual as far as cricket is concerned,” he said. “We have some really important cricket coming up. We have all had a really nice break after a long international and domestic season. Now we have to focus on what’s coming up.”
Cricket hero Mohammad Ashraful
Alan Duncan, the UK’s Minister of State for International Development, arrived in Dhaka a couple of weeks ago to discuss challenges facing workers and businesses in the garment industry. The minister planned to call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and the Leader of the Opposition Begum Khaleda Zia. With the UK the third largest single destination for exports from Bangladesh and amid growing concern among UK consumers, Mr Duncan says he is keen to explore how working conditions and worker safety can be improved in the garment industry in the wake of the Rana Plaza collapse. He will meet many of those involved in the garment supply chain, including retail buyers and workers, as the UK encourages parties to agree a way forward. During this visit, his third in as many years, the Minister will also assess the latest progress made by UK aid towards promoting economic prosperity and development in Bangladesh. The UK supports the Government of Bangladesh’s aim to achieve middle income status within the next decade and backs this up by being the largest bilateral grant donor in the country, with an aid programme which will directly help millions of the poorest people. It is the UK’s fourth largest country development programme. Recent incidents however have highlighted a number of risks to the pace of development. As well as meeting top politicians – including the PM – Alan Duncan met with farmers and people in the villages
Duncan pledges £18m aid to Bangladesh
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he UK is to donate £18m to help train Bangladeshi garment workers, following the collapse of a factory in Dhaka that killed more than 1,100 people. Minister Alan Duncan announced the aid as he visited those injured when the Rana Plaza building collapsed in April. He also called on British clothes retailers to “assume responsibility” for the way their products are made. Mr Duncan said the collapse had been a “wake-up” call and safety standards in Bangladesh needed to be strengthened. The Rana Plaza collapse was one of the world’s worst industrial disasters and sparked global outrage. The authorities say 1,130 people died, about 2,500 people were injured and 2,437 people were rescued after the disaster. It highlighted working conditions, low wages and safety standards in the country’s
‘The industry has been built from nothing in the past 30 years and now needs to be turned into a long-term development success, which means that urgent action is needed across the sector’
The UK Minister for International Development has promised £18 million in aid to Bangladesh after a recent visit to the country
garment sector; the building housed many operations producing low-cost garments for Western companies. International Development Minister Mr Duncan visited survivors at a Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed, supported by UK aid, in Savar, the district where the collapse took place. He said: “The Rana Plaza factory collapse was devastating in its scale and, along with factory fires, must be taken as a wake-up call to all of us. The industry has been built from nothing in the past 30 years and now needs to be turned into a long-term development success. Safety and standards must be made to catch up with the rapid growth in the garment sector, which is a massive success story and must not be allowed to go sour.” Mr Duncan said the UK would provide £18m for safety and skills training for thousands of low-skilled garment workers. Existing UK aid will be spent on the enforcing building standards and making factories themselves fit for purpose. Britain will also provide a team of experts to review the country’s building inspection system. Mr Duncan added: “The industry has been built from nothing in the past 30 years and now needs to be turned into a long-term development success, which means that urgent action is needed across the sector. Our own high street brands must assume responsibility for their products, from the store right back to the sewing machine, and the UK is ready to help make this happen.” He said the Department for International Development was ready to commit funding towards initiatives that saw buyers, manufacturers, workers, non-governmental organisations and the government of Bangladesh work together to agree a set of common compliance standards. During his visit Mr Duncan toured the Babylon factory, which produces clothes for Tesco and other UK buyers, and raised the issue of garment workers’ conditions at a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
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Radical change to GCSE system In a radical shake-up to the British educational system, new-look GCSEs for schools in England are to be unveiled, with exams graded from eight to one rather than A* to G
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Key changes from autumn 2015 lG rading by numbers 8-1 rather than by the current letters A*-G lN o more modular courses, instead full exams taken at the end of two years lC ontrolled assessments (coursework done under exam conditions) will be scrapped lE xams to be based on a more stretching, essaybased system lP ass mark to be pushed higher
rom 2015, GCSEs will move from coursework and continuous assessment to exams at the end of two years. Pupils will face more rigorous content, with those studying English, for example, having to read a 19th-Century novel and a whole Shakespeare play. The National Union of Teachers (NUT) accused the government of not consulting properly on the changes. Wales and Northern Ireland are keeping GCSEs, but so far are not adopting the changes proposed for England. There is no sign of a change in name to I-level for the English exams – as had been suggested. The format, though, may be familiar to anyone who once took O-levels. The changes to GCSEs in England will be presented on Tuesday in two reports. Exam regulator Ofqual will explain how the exams will be structured and ministers will give details of the course content. The reforms will initially apply to a group of core subjects English language and literature, maths, physics, chemistry, biology, combined science, history and geography. Hundreds of thousands of pupils will begin studying these revised GCSEs from autumn 2015 and the first candidates to take the exams will be in summer 2017. Apart from exceptions such as practical experiments in science, there will be a strong push towards exams being taken at the end of two years, rather than in individual units during the course. Grading will be by numbers rather than letters - with eight at the top and one at the bottom. The pass mark will be pushed higher, with claims that it will be pitched at the level of the highest-performing school systems, such as Finland and Shanghai, which have topped international rankings. The new GCSEs will represent a push for a more stretching, essay-based exam system, reminiscent of O-levels, taken by pupils until the late 1980s.
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Features In history there will be more essays and fewer short-form questions, and the removal of a controlled assessment. In English, responding to concerns that pupils were only reading chunks of books, there will be a requirement to read whole works and an expectation that pupils will study a wider range of of writing from different eras. Maths will promote the idea of developing independent problemsolving skills, rather than setting types of questions that can be rehearsed. This is the latest stage in Education Secretary Michael Gove’s drive to reconfigure the exam system. Education Minister Elizabeth Truss said: “We are taking steps with the existing exams to make them as good as possible. But we do need to start competing against those top performing countries in the world because for too long we’ve pretended that students results are getting better when all that’s been happening is the exams have been getting easier and it’s been a race to the bottom between the exam boards and we need to stop that happening now. Conservative MP and former schools minister Nick Gibb said the changes would end the “culture of resits” in which pupils were “taking exam after exam to bank grades”. Mr Gibb said the changes were being made to “eliminate grade inflation” and would create a new focus on essay writing. “It has to happen. There’s been concern for many years about grade inflation in the GCSE exam and with the proliferation of resits and modular exams in GCSEs there’s been a real concern about standards. It’s a concern shared right across the political spectrum.” Last year, Mr Gove announced plans for the scrapping of GCSEs and their replacement with English Baccalaureate Certificates, with each subject to be set by a single exam board. This re-branding was scrapped, with GCSEs to be retained but reformed instead. Christine Blower, head of the NUT, said the the government’s approach was “rushed”. “If you did this by consensus, by actually talking to the profession and understanding how best to examine things, we would be in a much better position than this highlypoliticised approach that the current government has. We all want children and young people to be extraordinarily well taught and to do the very best that they can but you don’t just do that by, in a rapid way, changing the whole basis of the system. “ The latest plans will be put out to consultation over the summer, with a timetable that will see the exam boards preparing to produce courses that can be accredited by Ofqual to be taught in schools from autumn 2015. These changes are for exams in England. The prospect of different forms of GCSEs in Wales and Northern Ireland has raised the question of how they will be distinguished from each other. It had been suggested that in England the exam could be rebranded as I-levels, but this is not expected to be adopted and it is believed that so far no name change has been decided. Meanwhile, MPs on the Commons Education Select Committee warned the plans showed relations between ministers in England and Wales were “clearly under strain”, and called for the continuation of “three-country qualifications and regulation”. Chairman Graham Stuart said members were “concerned that there is a rush towards separate exam systems for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, without careful reflection on what might be lost, or consensus that this is the right thing to do”. “The turmoil surrounding last summer’s GCSE English results highlights the importance of carefully developing new sets of exams,” he stressed. “A series of avoidable errors were made when the current GCSE English was being designed under the previous government.” Labour’s shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg attacked the proposals. “Pupils and parents will be concerned by the uncertainty that Michael Gove has created around GCSEs. Having first talked down their value and then failed in his attempt to scrap them, the education secretary is having another go at setting out his plans.” Mr Twigg went on: “We need changes to assessments in schools that will strengthen rigour and reflect the best ways of testing skills and knowledge. Encouraging more shallow learning of facts alone will not help young people to be prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.” But a senior Department for Education source said: “We are reversing the devaluation of the exam system that Labour and the unions encouraged. GCSEs will again be exams at the end of two years instead of being broken up into low quality modules. Coursework, corrupted by cheating, will be limited. Exams will test higher level skills - such as more essay writing, problem-solving and mathematical modelling - that universities and businesses desperately need.”
UK pay down by 10% in places
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otal pay in some parts of the UK has shrunk by more than 10% since the start of the downturn in 2007, says the Trades Union Congress. The TUC said north-west and south-west England had seen the sharpest cuts: 10.6% and 10.1% respectively. It blamed wages failing to keep pace with inflation, reduced hours and changes in employment, such as more part-time working. The TUC analysis of official figures suggested that on the eve of the recession, workers across the UK were earning a total of £690bn. Last year the overall pay packet was £638bn – £52bn (7.5%) lower. The North West saw the sharpest cut in its pay packet between 2007 and 2012 – a fall of 10.6% or £7bn last year. The West Midlands and Scotland saw cuts of 9.7%, it said. Wales saw a reduction of 8.1%, Northern Ireland 4.8% and London 3.9%, the smallest cut. The TUC analysed figures from the Office for National Statistics’ annual survey of hours and earnings and its labour force survey. A modest increase in employment had failed to offset a “sharp” cut in wages in recent years, said the TUC. General secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Over the last five years, people have taken a massive hit in their pay packets, while millions more have had to reduce their hours or take lower paid work. Many people have lost their jobs altogether.” He said that shrinking wages were hitting living standards, holding back businesses and damaging growth prospects. “While economic growth is the key challenge facing the UK today, the years running up to the crash taught us that growth without wage gains just creates more unsustainable debt,” he said. “Employers and both local and central governments need to recognise the importance of decent wages in delivering sustainable economic growth. They can start by becoming living wage employers and being more transparent about their pay systems.”