Posts Tagged ‘education’

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Increase in bursaries gives hope to new students

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

In the run-up to the start of the university year, many students – especially freshers – will be worrying about the debt that they will accrue during their degree. Indeed, tuition fees and their effect on students’ financial well-being have been at the top of the educational news agenda for some time.

This week saw some positive news, however, for some students. The Office of Fair Access (Offa), which protects access to university for less well-off students, stated this week that universities in England have slightly raised the proportion of their income they give as bursaries. Sir Martin Harris, director of Offa, says the continued expenditure showed universities and colleges “strong ongoing commitment to widening access”.

The Russell Group of universities says that it is at the forefront of the bursary increases, saying that it had “greatly exceeded Offa’s requirements yet again”. Nearly a third of students at its universities received a bursary or scholarship, including 31,000 of the very poorest students who received nearly five times the minimum bursary.

Of course, the news has attracted some criticism, with both the National Union of Students (NUS) and the University and College Union (UCU) saying that not enough is being done to distribute enough funds in a fair manner.

True, the rise is very small – 0.8 per cent – but it is a rise nonetheless and a step in the right direction. It means that in 2008-09, the total amount universities spent on bursaries had risen to £344m, up from £219m the previous year. Each qualifying student now has to be awarded a mandatory £310.

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Educational day out: National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

Taking the kids for a day out which is fun and educational at the same time needn’t be fishy business if you head to the National Marine Aquarium!

The National Marine Aquarium is based in Plymouth and is actually the largest aquarium in the UK. Not only that, but it was also the first aquarium in the country to be established solely for education, conservation and research. In fact, the National Marine Aquarium’s mission is to “inspire everyone to take action towards sustainability and conservation of the marine environment”.

There are around 50 live exhibits to see, including Britain’s deepest tank which holds an impressive 2.5million litres of water. In total, more than 4000 animals from 400 species are on display in an array of realistic habitats. The National Marine Aquarium is split into various zones, including “shallow water”, “ocean drifters” and “weird creatures”. From local shorelines to coral reefs, it’s all there to examine and enjoy.

There’s also a “Screen on the Sea” which is a state of the art 4D theatre showing a series of films all with a suitably aquatic theme. Visitors also have the opportunity to find out more about marine science and conservation including finding out how they can get involved in protecting the oceans.

There are also occasional events and special exhibitions – do check on the website for more information at www.national-aquarium.co.uk.

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Get interactive at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

If your children are getting restless, then you’ll need something to stimulate and interest them. An attraction calling itself “the Mother Earth of all adventures” might just do the trick!

Dynamic Earth is an interactive exhibition that lets visitors explore the planet’s history, present and future. Suitable for children of all ages, it starts, logically enough, with the Big Bang, giving visitors the chance to see the creation of the Earth.

Through a host of 3D films, interactive experiences and other creative exhibits, you can then trace the Earth’s journey from its initial explosive start. Journey through the rainforests or even down to the bottom of the ocean, meet a dinosaur or freeze in the Ice Age – Dynamic Earth gives you the chance to experience the many ages and faces of our planet. In that sense, it combines lots of educational facets, like history, geography and the sciences.

A new exhibition for Dynamic Earth this year is 4Dventure, which is a 4D expedition film taking travellers from all the way from the Arctic to the tropical rainforest. It aims to give visitors as real-life as possible an experience, even allowing a sense of touch and smell during the film thanks to special effects.

To find out more about Dynamic Earth visit www.dynamicearth.co.uk

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Educational Days Out: The Observatory Science Centre, East Sussex

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Many of us visit the Sussex coast during the summer holidays for its beaches. Why not combine your stay in Sussex with some educational fun as well?

The Observatory Science Centre in Hailsham, East Sussex has lots of interactive activities and equipment on hand for young astronomers and science fans. It hosts six historical telescopes which used to be owned by the famous Royal Greenwich Observatory and have since been restored to their former glory. One of the telescopes was even used to view Pluto for the very first time in the 1930s!

The telescopes can be used to view space as it is today – you never know, you might discover a new planet. If you take part in one of the educational workshops (booking is essential) then you can learn how to use the telescopes as well as finding out about the map of the sky and discovering more about the wonders of the universe.

There are also other “drop-in” activities for the kids to enjoy, including a “Zany Zone” where you can make helicopters and conduct simple science experiments. There is also an Ecology Cart, where you get the opportunity to look through a microscope and play fun games which will teach you more about nature.

Find out more about the Observatory Science Centre at www.the-observatory.org

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It’s heaven in Devon for animals

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Many of us head to beautiful Devon for the holidays with our families. Why not factor in some educational fun with a trip the county’s Exmoor Zoo?

The zoo prides itself on being an “ideal family venue” and has lots of animals to learn about and see. Amazingly, it started life as two small pieces of land and has grown organically, curated and looked after by experts and volunteers, into a space that is totally centred towards the wellbeing of its wildlife, flora and fauna. This makes it a unique visit and quite unlike the city zoos that you may be used to.

The animals live in natural enclosures, giving visitors a hint at what their lives would be like in the wild. There are loads of opportunities to learn about the animals; visitors are encouraged to watch and ask questions during feed times and informative talks are a regular occurrence. Excitingly, handling sessions enable visitors to hold snakes, spiders and more cuddly beasts as well!

The zoo is a hub of conservation activity and is home to families of all sorts of exotic birds and beasts. Because of this emphasis on conservation and helping the world’s creatures, there are often new animals to visit throughout the year. So, if you’ve to Exmoor Zoo before, it’s still worth a visit.

Find out more and plan your visit at http://www.exmoorzoo.co.uk

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Debate of the week: Education needs an early start

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

According to new research, children growing up in the poorest fifth of families in the UK are already nearly a year behind children from other families in vocabulary tests by the time they are five.

The research was published by the Sutton Trust, which aims to promote social mobility through education. In it, 12,500 British five year olds were surveyed with reading and vocabulary tests. The results found that good parenting and a supportive home environment were the most important influencers, with children who benefited from both scoring more highly in their tests.

Just under half of children from the poorest fifth of families were read to daily at age 3, compared with 8 in 10 of children from the most affluent families.

Often, children find it difficult to catch up after such a poor start and their parents cannot afford private tutors.Whilst at First Tutors, we have sought to make private tutoring as affordable as possible (some of our tutors charge as little as £9 per hour) we acknowledge that it can be difficult, particularly in a recession.

That’s why we support the principles behind the government’s initiative to provide one-to-one tutoring for those struggling the most in class. As most families who have tried tutoring know, one-to-one tuition is a very effective way to learn and the government’s funding of this scheme endorses that perspective.

But what if tutoring isn’t an option? Try reading together as a simple way to get their education off to a great start. If you have small children, try reading to them every day – even if it’s just for ten minutes. If you don’t have children of your own, why not volunteer to help teach reading at your local primary school?

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Debate of the week: Too much competition for courses?

Monday, January 18th, 2010

This week, the university think tank Million+ revealed that competition for university places this year is set to be tougher than ever. According to Professor Les Ebdon, chair of Million+, applications for degree places will rise by nearly 40% in some institutions and an average of 20% in new universities. Professor Ebdon says that many students will fail to gain a place on a course as a result of this huge competition for places, deeming it an “absolute tragedy”.

With no end in sight to this growing trend, should we still be encouraging our young people to apply for a place on a degree? Or should we encourage them instead to avoid the competition, and potential stress and disappointment?

Clearly, our universities are being overstretched. Funding cuts are on the horizon, as we reported last week, and this will surely decrease universities’ capacity – terrible timing, given this swell in interest from students. What’s more, the continuing economic crisis has made more people than ever consider attending university, whether that’s to increase their job prospects or to change careers after the death of their sector.

However, we at First Tutors believe that this is no reason to dissuade young people from applying to university. Education will always be important and those with the right aptitude and attitude should always be encouraged to improve their skills and knowledge.

What’s more, competition is a fact of life, and there is nothing wrong with having to work hard to gain a place at university. A spokesperson for the Business, Innovation and Skills department told the BBC: “The number of places in any year has always been limited and getting a place at university has always been, and should be, a competitive process.”

Despite the rise in applications, the basic fact remains the same: universities will always be most interested in those students who work hard and show enthusiasm and aptitude for their subject. Let’s encourage young people to demonstrate those qualities and focus on their exam revision, rather than worrying about the competition.

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Debate of the week: The science of selection

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

Specialist schools are one of the most interesting developments in education of recent years. Designed to raise engagement and academic achievements amongst pupils, they also give youngsters the chance to specialise and excel in a particular field – whether that’s sports, science, drama or modern languages.

However, according to one expert, specialist schools are not the centres of excellence they purport to be because they do not select pupils by ability.

Professor Alan Smithers, of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham, has told BBC Online that numerous specialist science schools “aren’t necessarily good at science” because they don’t select pupils on ability.

This is a problematic theory and one that could have severe consequences for many pupils if it ever came to fruition. Entrance exams in, say, English and Maths are one thing, but as the BBC article points out, it is difficult to test pupils in the sciences at a young age because “in practice it is difficult to differentiate between aptitude and ability for the subject”.

This means that it would be very difficult to select – or indeed identify – pupils meeting Prof Smithers’ dream criteria. As a result, lots of children who might otherwise find their feet and then excel at a science school might be turned away at the first hurdle.

When it comes to science, all we have to judge a child on is a set of arbitrary tools. What’s more we would only apply those tools to one very specific area of the child’s ability. Surely this would be very unfair and something that would deny a lot of children some great opportunities.

Here at First Tutors, we believe that all pupils have the right to excel. Let’s not deny them that opportunity.

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Cooking up an education

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

A recent poll for Practical Learning Foundation ‘Edge’ found that kitchens are at the top of parents’ school facilities wish list, with 63% of those polled making them a priority.  The other favourites, including a business centre and swimming pool, could reignite the debate regarding academia and life skills.

The preparation and cooking of food is obviously a key life skill. Not only is good nutrition essential for health, but badly prepared food can result in any number of serious illnesses or deficiencies, some of which can be life threatening. As the numbers of children with both obesity problems and eating disorders continues to rise, is it time to place a stronger emphasis on Home Economics within the curriculum? A properly structured course that reaches beyond the practical element to teach an understanding of nutrition could result in a far healthier relationship with food among our young people.

This is also a subject that could lend itself well to private tutoring. Cooking lessons are a must-have present among adults now, with many companies offering them as an experience. Among the various set-ups are several practitioners who will visit a student’s home and give them beginner cooking lessons in their own kitchen. This ‘luxury’ approach could easily be adapted for the home tuition of school age children.

Should food preparation be given a stronger emphasis in schools? Given that many parents see this area as currently lacking in the main curriculum, is there potential for a boom in the private tuition market here?

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Google Library: a blessing or a curse for education?

Monday, September 14th, 2009

Google wants to create the world’s largest library – online. The Internet gargantuan wants to expand its ‘Google Books’ programme to cover almost all books currently in or out of print, essentially outstripping even the UK copyright libraries, such as the British and Bodleian libraries, in quantity of content. The suggested format includes a remuneration scheme for authors whose work remains in copyright, but does open up a whole can of worms regarding fair use and accessibility.

On the plus side, the project would provide a massive educational resource, the like of which has never been seen before. It will make key texts available to pretty much everyone in the developed world. Clearly this tool can be an unprecedented help to students and tutors alike, providing a one-stop literary research tool, with contents comparable to the most trusted real-world sources.

However, such a tool does present a thorny copyright issue, with many authors feeling they are being asked to sign away their work for a pittance; this includes academic papers as well as fiction. It could also encourage a lazy approach to research, chaining students even more strongly to their computers. In creating a resource on this scale, Google will effectively capture the market, possibly reducing the number of unbiased sources available in the long term and essentially creating a weaker research environment.

What do you think of Google’s plans? From a tuition point of view, will this development be a fantastic new resource for you and your students, or more of a poisoned chalice?

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