Education

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

19 September 2019

Is schools spending going to be at record levels?

Per pupil spending in England is set to increase over the next three years to roughly the level it was at in 2009/10.

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Is schools spending going to be at record levels?
3 September 2019

Is £14 billion being spent on education?

By 2022/23 the government aims to spend £4.3 billion more on education, once you account for inflation, than in 2019/20.

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Is £14 billion being spent on education?
17 July 2019

Does the UK have the best education system in the world?

This claim is based on a survey of public perceptions of different educational systems. It is not good data to objectively rank education systems.

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Does the UK have the best education system in the world?
21 June 2019

It’s time to stop saying there are “1.9million more children in good or outstanding schools”

The claim there are 1.9 million more children in good and outstanding schools since 2010 is technically accurate, but it doesn’t factor in increasing pupil numbers or changing inspection practices.

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It’s time to stop saying there are “1.9million more children in good or outstanding schools”
20 June 2019

Are a quarter of 11 year-olds in England unable to read?

A quarter of year 6 students (10 to 11 year-olds) in England do not achieve the expected reading level in their SATs. This doesn’t mean they can’t read.

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Are a quarter of 11 year-olds in England unable to read?
11 June 2019

It’s still misleading to say 1.9 million more children are in good or outstanding schools

This doesn’t factor in the fact that pupil numbers have risen and inspection practices have changed.

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It’s still misleading to say 1.9 million more children are in good or outstanding schools
3 May 2019

Front-page error from the Times about how much private schools save taxpayers

The Times claimed independent schools save taxpayers £20 billion per year. The report they referred to put the figure at £3.5 billion per year.

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Front-page error from the Times about how much private schools save taxpayers
1 May 2019

Government resurfaces misleading claim about good or outstanding schools

You can’t properly compare the level of good or outstanding schools in 2018 with 2010, because of changes to school inspection practices.

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Government resurfaces misleading claim about good or outstanding schools
18 March 2019

Setting the record straight on climate change in the school curriculum

Climate change is a compulsory part of the school curriculum in England, but some students say they’re not being taught enough about it.

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Setting the record straight on climate change in the school curriculum
2 November 2018

BBC Question Time: Recap and Factcheck

Question Time on 1 November came from Clacton-on-Sea. Topics covered included income tax changes, austerity, early elections, policing priorities, and the impact of the investigation into Arron Banks.

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BBC Question Time: Recap and Factcheck

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