Education

Fact checks about schools, teacher supply, childcare universities and qualifications

12 November 2012

Higher education: how does the UK rank internationally?

Public spending on education has been cut and tuition fees have trebled. So how does the UK compare to the rest of the world? We look at claims made by …

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9 November 2012

Will banning calculators raise maths performance?

Last month we learned how some MPs struggle with relatively simple maths problems. According to the Government this morning, the same problem is becoming increasingly prevalent among England's 11-14 year-olds. …

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3 October 2012

Statistics watchdog 'concerned' by Department for Education claim

Andrew Dilnot, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, has today expressed 'concern' about claims made by the Department for Education (DfE) on the UK's supposed slump in international school achievement …

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28 September 2012

'Inconvenient truths'? How big is the public sector debt?

Is the growing size of the government's debt placing the restraints on Liberal Democrat ambitions that Nick Clegg claimed during this week's conference speech? We find out in the second …

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26 September 2012

Is there really a qualification in claiming benefits?

Last week saw another mention of the 'GCSE in claiming benefits', following years of coverage in the Mail and from the Prime Minister earlier this year. But is this claim …

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4 September 2012

Who are free schools really serving?

Thousands of children return to school this week as school holidays draw to a close. However, for some pupils, this new academic year signals more change as they will join …

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20 August 2012

Do only one in six pupils take a core academic subject?

Thousands of young people across the country will receive their GCSE results this week. But how many took core academic subjects?

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10 August 2012

Are half of EU students failing to repay their loans?

Two papers claimed this morning that a significant number of EU students were benefiting from a "free education" at UK universities as they failed to repay student loans. Our analysis …

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3 August 2012

Are poor, black, disabled boys 168 times more likely to be excluded from school?

Yesterday's Independent published a blog on 'equality for all in our education system' which included an interesting claim on the probability of being excluded from school. Will this claim stand …

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27 July 2012

Are a quarter of secondary school maths classes taught by non-maths teachers?

Commenting on the 'crisis in maths teaching' in yesterday's Guardian, Matt Parker claimed that about a quarter of secondary school maths classes are taught by non-maths teachers. Do his figures …

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