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The Guardian view on a supersized El Niño: a natural phenomenon and human folly are a lethal combination | Editorial
Source: The Guardian
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The Guardian
The Guardian view on vocational GCSEs: why now? | Editorial
Ministers’ commitment to cutting youth unemployment is admirable, but how new qualifications will help is unclear The first question that should be asked about plans to launch a batch of vocational GCSEs is: how will these differ from the roughly 50 similar courses that already exist? Is this primarily a rebadging exercise, aimed at boosting the qualifications’ status and name recognition, while signalling how seriously non-academic education is taken by Andy Burnham and his education secretary, Lucy Powell? Or is there something the matter with the existing courses that they want to put right? The independent curriculum review completed last year recommended a moratorium on new technical awards, except where there is an “exceptionally compelling” case for change. It also proposed that the Department for Education analyse existing ones, including how well they prepare pupils for 16-19 ed
BBC Politics
Ministers reject dog ownership licence scheme
A taskforce had suggested new legal requirements could help promote dog control and reduce attacks.
BBC Politics
Glasgow City Council to fire and rehire over 23,000 employees
It says redundancy notices will be withdrawn if the three unions agree to ballot their members on the pay offer.
The Guardian
Londoners get £3bn a year subsidy because structure of council tax biased against north, says thinktank – UK politics live
Resolution Foundation says households outside London are paying hundreds of pounds a year more in council tax than they would be under a fair system Tim Shipman has written about what will be coming up at the Labour conference next week in his cover story for the Spectator. He says: Labour special advisers summoned last week to the pillared state room on the first floor of No. 10 to hear the plan for conference from Burnham’s political secretary, Hayden Munro, left in no doubt that the PM wants to be a transformational figure. The conference ‘narrative’ these advisers were urged to push includes the telling line: ‘This Labour government will bring forward the biggest change to Britain in 40 years, with a new political and economic model.’ On the specifics, Burnham will pledge: ‘We will make the choices that are needed to end rough sleeping, solve the social care crisis and get more young
The Guardian
What really happened in the room with Burnham and Trump – podcast
Pippa Crerar had a front row seat for the PM’s first meeting with Donald Trump. What really happened during that 12-minute press conference? And as the Labour conference kicks off this weekend, she and Kiran Stacey discuss the ethics of journalist-politician karaoke Please keep sending your comments and questions to Pippa and Kiran on politicsweeklyuk@theguardian.com Watch this episode and subscribe to our YouTube channel here Continue reading...
BBC Politics
Teenagers to be offered new vocational GCSE subjects in school
New GCSE subjects could include child development and building and construction as vocational courses are being introduced.