Dr Jack Tagg had accrued £14,000 in interest on his loan before he had even finished his studies.

Teachers of primary and secondary children in Aberdeen said they have been “kicked, bitten and spat at” while in class.

Is it to be a degree and heavy debt when graduate jobs are shrinking? Or foregoing a degree, knowing society still worships them? Confused, angry: who wouldn’t be

Some months ago, I was at my old university, speaking to prospective sixth-form and college students about taking a degree in the arts and what future careers they could expect. It was a cohort of teenagers from underrepresented...

‘Generational’ reforms are a key moment for Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, and for Keir Starmer

Ministers will unveil a “generational” overhaul of special educational needs and disabilities (Send) support, pledging £4bn to transform provision in schools in England and warning councils they could lose control of Send services if they fail to meet their legal duties.

The reforms are...

Labour expected to outline sweeping changes to special educational needs provision with council debt surging

Labour is due to reveal its plans to overhaul the special educational needs and disability (Send) system on Monday. But why are changes needed? And what changes are ministers likely to propose?

Continue reading…

Already struggling to get help, families with children with special needs are concerned changes could make things worse

At the age of 12, May Race’s son Joseph spends almost all of his time in his bedroom, too anxious, burnt out and – she says – traumatised even to join his parents and older brother downstairs most days. Joseph no longer leaves the house at all.

He is autistic and has dyslexia...

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts

• This week’s question: what would happen to the world if computer said yes?

I’ve always thought it would be good to acquire an old warehouse in every town throughout the land and convert it into low-rent community...

Education secretary suggests Labour’s priority is maintenance grants for poorer students rather than cutting interest

Kemi Badenoch has said the Conservatives would scrap the “unfair debt trap” of high interest rates on student loans, piling pressure on Labour ministers to tackle the growing outrage over the high costs.

The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, admitted the system of plan...

Exclusive: NLT report says time for books is being crowded out by schoolwork, screens and sports

Fewer than one in 10 boys aged 14 to 16 read daily, according to research, which found reading for pleasure was being crowded out of teenage lives by schoolwork, screens and sports.

While reading declines for both boys and girls in early adolescence, there are “signs of recovery” among girls in...

Bridget Phillipson says government is ‘not taking away support’ as she prepares to announce changes

UK politics live – latest updates

Bridget Phillipson has pledged that under the government’s overhaul of the special educational needs system it will take weeks for children to get access to support, not months or years – as she prepares to announce the controversial changes.

Speaking before...

Kemi Badenoch says graduates feel ‘stitched up’ as she promises to cut Plan 2 loan interest charges.

The government plans to halve the attainment gap in England

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of UK politics. The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, will be speaking to the BBC and Sky News shortly and will likely be asked about government plans to halve the attainment gap between the poorest pupils in England and their more affluent peers.

The schools white paper, set to be...

Proponents say relaxed uniforms make life easier for children and are much more practical for physical play.

White paper proposes changing criteria under which schools get funding to support the most disadvantaged students

Plans to halve the attainment gap between the poorest pupils in England and their more affluent peers will be set out by the government on Monday.

The schools white paper will detail proposals to change the criteria under which schools receive funding to support the most...

Court lifted injunction on law requiring display of religious text in every public school classroom

A federal appeals court cleared the way on Friday for a controversial Louisiana law requiring poster-sized displays of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom, allowing the state to enforce a law that was previously found to be unconstitutional.

The US fifth circuit court of appeals...

Dozens of universities have received legal letters over what students say they missed out on during Covid.