Raab clings on after revelations foreign secretary ‘nobbled’ PM to stay on his luxury holiday as Taliban took Kabul

Dominic Raab’s tenure as foreign secretary is under increasing threat after it emerged he “nobbled” the prime minister into letting him stay in Crete despite being told by advisors to return and deal with the Afghan crisis. It has transpired that not only was the foreign secretary sunning himself on the Greek island, but the […]

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£700m ‘catch-up fund’ will benefit better-off pupils most

Pupils from better-off families are set to benefit most from the £700 million pound catch-up programme announced by the government. Education secretary Gavin Williamson laid out details of the fund at today’s (Tuesday) Downing Street briefing and stated that no pupil’s prospects should be “blighted by the pandemic”. Williamson confirmed that all schools in England […]

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UK on track for record levels of child poverty, warns Children’s Commissioner, yet education secretary’s focus is a culture war

The Children’s Commissioner for England has used her final speech to excoriate the people employed and paid to educate, look after and protect the children of this country, while simultaneously condemning the silence around their collective failings. Anne Longfield, whose six year tenure ends this month, delivered a devastating final report on how far children […]

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1.8m children need devices for remote learning – ‘alternative is unacceptable’ says Children’s Commissioner

Almost two million children in the UK do not have access to a laptop, desktop computer or tablet at home, with warnings that the digital divide will lead to more inequality and further damage children’s education. The Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield wants pupils who do not have access to remote learning equipment, to be designated […]

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Parliamentary authority accused of ‘censorship’ over non-Covid patients’ petition

A patients’ charity has accused parliamentary authorities of censorship following the rejection of a petition highlighting the reduced level of NHS care for non-Covid patients during the pandemic. Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) – a widely respected charity for patient safety and justice – submitted the petition two months ago and said lives have been […]

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School closed after Covid outbreak; Scottish schools to heed WHO advice on masks, but England won’t

A Scottish school in Dundee has closed following an outbreak of coronavirus that has so far led to 27 positive cases. In separate developments the Scottish government has confirmed pupils may have to wear face coverings in school corridors and communal areas – a move the UK education secretary has ruled out for English pupils. […]

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