Education secretary cites admissions data for England, saying Labour is ‘rebalancing the system to focus on 94% of kids in state schools’

Adding VAT to private school fees has failed to trigger an exodus of pupils into the state sector despite widespread speculation that it would, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.

The Labour government applied 20% VAT to private school fees...

There has been a growing debate around the repayment terms of Plan 2 student loans in England.

Exclusive: Event co-founded by Jordan Peterson will bring together rightwing figures, US state officials and anti-abortionists in London

Nigel Farage and fellow Reform UK MPs Sarah Pochin and Andrew Rosindell will be there. As will a plethora of Reform advisers, backroom staff and figures, such as Ben Delo, a British crypto billionaire who has given £4m to Nigel Farage’s party.

Yet as...

A ban alone will have limited impact and could make things worse. A good strategy needs more educational content – and more money

As a parent, I understand the appeal of the announcement on Monday by the prime minister that would prevent children under 16 from using social media. Right now, you are in constant battle with the infinite scroll for your child’s attention, while their impetus to...

Democrat Jamie Raskin seeks ‘comprehensive accounting’ and requests interview with outgoing Bard president

Harvard University and Bard College are facing new questions about the institutions’ relationship with Jeffrey Epstein amid allegations that the convicted child sex trafficker leveraged his ties to the universities and their faculty to traffic women, while also burnishing his reputation...

Exclusive: NASUWT leader Matt Wrack also calls for more robust change from the government on education policy

UK politics live – latest updates

The leader of one of the country’s biggest teaching unions has said Andy Burnham is Labour’s best chance for beating Reform in a general election.

The general secretary of NASUWT, Matt Wrack, was speaking to the Guardian in the run-up to Thursday’s...

They all begin college with hope, and leave without the credential they believed would shape the rest of their lives due to financial instability, family, illness

Story and photographs by Rachel Bujalski

Everyone knows the feeling of leaving something unfinished.

A half-written novel. A business idea scribbled into a notebook. A hobby abandoned after the excitement fades. In my own life as a...

Why did Hungary’s pronatalist approach deliver an early rise in births only then to fall back? And what lessons does it offer to other countries desperate to lift fertility?

Sites including Instagram, YouTube and TikTok will become inaccessible for millions of children, the prime minister has announced.

Secretary of State for Technology Liz Kendall was addressing the Commons following the announcement of a social media ban for under-16s.

Professor alleges the Institute of Astronomy has a ‘bad history of misogyny’ and staff were mistreated

The University of Cambridge’s prestigious Institute of Astronomy has been accused of tolerating misogyny and a “cycle of bullying” in an employment tribunal.

The claim, brought by Professor of Astrophysics Wyn Evans, also alleges the University of Cambridge has retaliated against...

The BBC’s technology editor Zoe Kleinman on the big changes coming down the line for young people online.

Cases reported in 83 countries, with at least 10,600 students and staff killed, injured, abducted or arrested, GCPEA says

Attacks on education globally have surged by 40% with more than 8,556 recorded incidents and 10,600 students and staff killed, injured, abducted, arrested or otherwise harmed in 2024 and 2025, according to new research.

Attacks were reported in 83 countries, with the highest...

Funding for extracurricular activities comes as ministers prepare to introduce social media restrictions for under-16s

The government has announced a £132.5m funding package for after-school clubs as ministers prepare to introduce expected restrictions on social media use for under-16s.

The programme is designed to expand access to enrichment activities in schools, with funding for clubs...

Other projects include developing tools to help visually impaired people navigate video games

Parents are constantly being told to limit their children’s screen time. But when it comes to deciphering which films or TV shows are best suited to developing minds, the guidance remains largely one-size-fits-all. A relatively slow-paced programme such as Bluey offers a very different viewing...

One-off programme to begin in July after recent MenB outbreaks in Kent, Dorset and Berkshire killed three people

Teenagers in their final school year and young people starting university will be offered two doses of a vaccine to protect them against meningitis B, the government has announced.

The one-off vaccination programme, which will begin in late July, comes after an unprecedented outbreak...

Long-awaited course to examine human effects on natural world and explore everyday ways to aid biodiversity

School pupils will learn how to plant a wildflower-friendly garden, according to long-awaited plans announced on Thursday for a natural history GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Campaigners have for more than a decade called for the study of biodiversity loss and global heating...

Data shows sharp increase in number of children receiving extra support and highlights pressure on schools, families and councils

More than one in five pupils in England have special educational needs, as the latest official figures show a sharp increase in the numbers of children receiving extra support in school.

The annual data from the Department for Education (DfE) confirms predictions of...

More than one in five pupils in England – around 1.8 million children – get extra support in school.

The UCL study also found physically punished children were more likely to struggle in school

Children smacked by their parents struggle to get good exam results and are more likely to bully others, causing a negative impact on society, according to new research calling for smacking to be banned.

The study by University College London (UCL) found that children in England who were physically...

A University College London (UCL) study suggests that smacking children “does no good whatsoever”.