https://www.theguardian.com/education Latest education news, comment and analysis on schools, colleges, universities, further and higher education and teaching from the Guardian, the world's leading liberal voice en-gb Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2026 Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:05:24 GMT 2026-06-11T13:05:24Z en-gb Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2026 https://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.png https://www.theguardian.com https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/jun/11/children-hit-by-parents-more-likely-to-bully-others-research-finds <p>The UCL study also found physically punished children were more likely to struggle in school</p><p>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.</p><p>The study by University College London (UCL) found that children in England who were physically punished at the ages of three, five and seven were significantly less likely to pass GCSE exams compared with other children, even after factors such as family background were taken into account.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/jun/11/children-hit-by-parents-more-likely-to-bully-others-research-finds">Continue reading...</a> Education Children's rights UCL (University College London) Corporal punishment GCSEs Exams Early years education Department for Education Pupil behaviour Children UK news Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:00:06 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/jun/11/children-hit-by-parents-more-likely-to-bully-others-research-finds Photograph: Jack Sullivan/Alamy Photograph: Jack Sullivan/Alamy Photograph: Jack Sullivan/Alamy Richard Adams Education editor 2026-06-11T04:00:06Z https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/jun/10/uk-minister-defends-changes-to-student-loans-as-pressure-grows-for-reforms <p>Lucy Rigby tells MPs heavily subsidised system gives the government the right to alter terms of existing agreements</p><p>Ministers have rejected accusations that recent changes to student loans are unfair, arguing that they are so heavily subsidised that the government has the right to alter their terms.</p><p>Pressure has been intensifying on the UK government to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/feb/25/ministers-explore-easing-burden-student-loans-university-graduates">reform the student loans system</a> but the chief secretary to the Treasury, Lucy Rigby, told MPs on Wednesday that less than half of young people go to university, and the government had to bear in mind “fairness to taxpayers as a whole”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/jun/10/uk-minister-defends-changes-to-student-loans-as-pressure-grows-for-reforms">Continue reading...</a> Student finance Borrowing & debt Students Higher education Education Money UK news Politics Business Wed, 10 Jun 2026 17:25:14 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/jun/10/uk-minister-defends-changes-to-student-loans-as-pressure-grows-for-reforms Photograph: WIktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Photograph: WIktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Photograph: WIktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Rupert Jones 2026-06-10T17:25:14Z https://www.theguardian.com/global/ng-interactive/2026/jun/09/how-do-you-give-britains-hidden-army-a-break-is-mum-ok-documentary <p>There are more than one million young carers in the UK – with an average age of 12 – which is the equivalent of two kids in every school class. Do they feel supported? In Walthamstow, east London, we meet a group of carers as they are collected for a rare night off that brings a sense of community and a glimpse of fun for a few hours every few weeks. It’s hosted by Satvinder, a tenacious council worker who fights to improve the recognition of young carers in her borough and provides them crucial emotional support.</p><p>This film is released during <a href="https://www.carersweek.org/">Carers Week</a> in the UK, a campaign that celebrates unpaid carers across the country and calls for better recognition and support for them.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/ng-interactive/2026/jun/09/how-do-you-give-britains-hidden-army-a-break-is-mum-ok-documentary">Continue reading...</a> Society Carers UK news London Schools Education School attendance and absence Social care Documentary films Documentary Film Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:31:31 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/global/ng-interactive/2026/jun/09/how-do-you-give-britains-hidden-army-a-break-is-mum-ok-documentary Photograph: Guardian documentaries Photograph: Guardian documentaries Photograph: Guardian documentaries Rosie Morris, Rebecca Mark-Lawson, Ekaterina Ochagavia and Lindsay Poulton 2026-06-09T09:31:31Z https://www.theguardian.com/society/video/2026/jun/09/how-do-you-give-britains-hidden-army-a-break-is-mum-ok-documentary <p>There are&nbsp;more than one million&nbsp;young carers&nbsp;in the UK – with an average age of 12 – which is the equivalent of two kids in every school class.&nbsp;Do they feel supported?&nbsp;In Walthamstow,&nbsp;east London,&nbsp;we meet a group of carers as they are collected for a rare night off that brings a sense of community and a glimpse of fun for a few hours every few weeks. It's hosted by Satvinder, a tenacious council worker who fights to improve the recognition of young carers in&nbsp;her borough and provides them&nbsp;crucial&nbsp;emotional support.</p><p></p><p>This film is released during <a href="https://www.carersweek.org/">Carers Week</a> in the UK, a campaign that celebrates unpaid carers across the country and calls for better recognition and support for them. </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/video/2026/jun/09/how-do-you-give-britains-hidden-army-a-break-is-mum-ok-documentary">Continue reading...</a> Young carers Society Carers Social work UK news London London politics Education Politics Documentary films Film Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:31:22 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/society/video/2026/jun/09/how-do-you-give-britains-hidden-army-a-break-is-mum-ok-documentary Photograph: Guardian documentaries Photograph: Guardian documentaries Photograph: Guardian documentaries Rosie Morris, Rebecca Mark-Lawson, Charlie Gatsky Sinclair, Simone Maggi, Ekaterina Ochagavia and Lindsay Poulton 2026-06-09T09:31:22Z https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/09/northern-universities-nhs-trusts-huddersfield-manchester <p>Backed by a mix of private and public finance, Huddersfield and Manchester are among many in the academic sector helping to create jobs and growth</p><p>Huddersfield might appear an unlikely setting for a thriving health research complex. The West Yorkshire town is best known for its manufacturing heritage, but has quickly become a honey pot for private sector businesses keen to collaborate with the town’s university in a push for the latest medical breakthroughs.</p><p>Next month, the driving force behind the University of Huddersfield’s national health innovation campus, Prof Liz Towns-Andrews, expects to get the go-ahead for the third of seven <a href="https://www.hud.ac.uk/about/national-health-innovation/">planned</a> eco-buildings for research and tech development clustered near the town centre.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/09/northern-universities-nhs-trusts-huddersfield-manchester">Continue reading...</a> Biotechnology industry Business NHS Health Society Universities Higher education Education North of England UK news Productivity Health policy Huddersfield Tue, 09 Jun 2026 05:00:46 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/09/northern-universities-nhs-trusts-huddersfield-manchester Photograph: Gary Calton/The Observer Photograph: Gary Calton/The Observer Photograph: Gary Calton/The Observer Phillip Inman 2026-06-09T05:00:46Z https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/jun/07/london-school-screen-free-mondays-for-pupils-teachers-and-parents <p>Holy Family Catholic primary school says enthusiastic response from parents has been biggest surprise</p><p>Schools banning pupils from having smartphones are commonplace. But what about a school where pupils ban teachers from using their smartphones, and then get their parents to join in?</p><p>And not just phones: at <a href="https://www.holyfamilyealing.co.uk/">Holy Family Catholic primary school</a> in west London teachers are also barred from using laptops, monitors or tablets during the school’s screen-free Mondays, after an idea that came from the pupils themselves.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/jun/07/london-school-screen-free-mondays-for-pupils-teachers-and-parents">Continue reading...</a> Schools Smartphones Parents and parenting Children Teaching Pupil behaviour Education UK news London Technology Mobile phones Society Family England Sun, 07 Jun 2026 12:00:33 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/jun/07/london-school-screen-free-mondays-for-pupils-teachers-and-parents Photograph: Teri Pengilley/The Guardian Photograph: Teri Pengilley/The Guardian Photograph: Teri Pengilley/The Guardian Richard Adams Education editor 2026-06-07T12:00:33Z https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jun/05/labour-will-make-ai-work-for-workers-liz-kendall <p>Technology secretary promises to support people whose jobs are swept away by automation</p><p>Liz Kendall has insisted Labour will make artificial intelligence “work for workers”, and not abandon people whose jobs are swept away by its rapid advance.</p><p>With public fears mounting about the impact of AI on employment, particularly for young people, the technology secretary claimed that the government could shape the way it is adopted.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jun/05/labour-will-make-ai-work-for-workers-liz-kendall">Continue reading...</a> AI (artificial intelligence) Liz Kendall Computing Labour Social media Business Politics Technology UK news Youth unemployment Young people Apprenticeships Unemployment Society Education Digital media Technology sector Media Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:00:04 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jun/05/labour-will-make-ai-work-for-workers-liz-kendall Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian Heather Stewart Economics editor 2026-06-05T17:00:04Z https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2025/sep/13/the-guardian-university-guide-2026-the-rankings <p>Find a course at one of the top universities in the country. Our league tables rank them all subject by subject, as well as by student satisfaction, staff numbers, spending and career prospects</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2025/sep/13/the-guardian-university-guide-2026-the-rankings">Continue reading...</a> University guide Education Students Higher education Universities Sat, 13 Sep 2025 07:01:01 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2025/sep/13/the-guardian-university-guide-2026-the-rankings Illustration: Na Li/The Guardian Illustration: Na Li/The Guardian Illustration: Na Li/The Guardian Guardian Staff 2025-09-13T07:01:01Z https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/may/15/jaiden-picot-graduation-video-quadriplegic-accessibility <p>After a truck accident left him paralyzed, Jaiden Picot crossed his graduation stage in a robotic exoskeleton</p><p>Jaiden Picot, who was paralyzed in 2024 after a truck hit him, never imagined that video of him recently walking across Virginia Union University (VUU)‘s graduation stage in a futuristic robotic suit would go viral.</p><p>But since it did, he says he wants the world to know that he intends to spend his professional career trying to help make the place more accessible to people who – like him – use a wheelchair to get around.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/may/15/jaiden-picot-graduation-video-quadriplegic-accessibility">Continue reading...</a> US education Disability US news Virginia Education Fri, 15 May 2026 09:30:36 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/may/15/jaiden-picot-graduation-video-quadriplegic-accessibility Photograph: Jaiden Picot Photograph: Jaiden Picot Photograph: Jaiden Picot Ramon Antonio Vargas 2026-05-15T09:30:36Z https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/apr/19/fee-bonuses-bosses-city-and-guilds-privatisation-charity-commission <p>Sale of vocational training brand and million-pound executive pay deals now subject to Charity Commission inquiry</p><p>When electrician Charlie Butler was contacted by City &amp; Guilds last autumn, he received a shock.</p><p>He had branched out to launch a new company schooling future sparkies in Essex, offering City &amp; Guilds-affiliated courses and qualifications. When the representative from the training charity called, Butler was expecting a quick conversation about a small uptick in the annual fees.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/apr/19/fee-bonuses-bosses-city-and-guilds-privatisation-charity-commission">Continue reading...</a> Vocational education Further education Business Apprenticeships Charities Education Society Work & careers Money Sun, 19 Apr 2026 10:00:39 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/apr/19/fee-bonuses-bosses-city-and-guilds-privatisation-charity-commission Photograph: Jaimi Joy/Reuters Photograph: Jaimi Joy/Reuters Photograph: Jaimi Joy/Reuters Simon Goodley 2026-04-19T10:00:39Z https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/apr/17/pupils-school-lunch-menu-government-ban-obesity <p>Though welcomed by chefs and campaigners, many schools say the government’s plan to remove ‘grab and go’ options from the menu is a step too far</p><p>It is lunchtime at Richard Challoner school, a Catholic comprehensive for boys in New Malden, south-west London. The familiar smell of school lunch is beginning to waft around the corridors.</p><p>In the canteen, there is a moment of calm as the kitchen team make final preparations before year 7 descend – a mass of chatting, laughing boys, with backpacks swinging and empty tummies grumbling.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/apr/17/pupils-school-lunch-menu-government-ban-obesity">Continue reading...</a> School meals Food Education Schools London Bridget Phillipson Politics UK news Jamie Oliver Health policy Health Society Obesity Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:00:24 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/apr/17/pupils-school-lunch-menu-government-ban-obesity Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian Sally Weale Education correspondent 2026-04-17T07:00:24Z https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2026/apr/08/prageru-university-conservatism <p>As teachers eagerly adopt its free lesson plans and the White House boosts its videos, PragerU is intent on one goal: attracting young people to conservatism</p><p>In the fall of 2013, a silver-haired conservative radio host named Dennis Prager flew to Texas to woo a pair of rightwing billionaires. A few years earlier, Prager had co-founded a digital education non-profit, Prager University, which created snappy five-minute videos that promoted capitalism and “Judeo-Christian values”. The billionaires, fracking tycoons <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/05/texas-fracking-billionaire-brothers-prageru-daily-wire">Dan and Farris Wilks</a>, were big fans.</p><p>Inside Farris Wilks’ home theater, the brothers and more than 20 members of their family sat transfixed as Prager outlined a plan to transform PragerU from a niche internet oddity into a mainstream media empire. He just needed a lot more cash.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2026/apr/08/prageru-university-conservatism">Continue reading...</a> US education Education Trump administration US politics US news Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:00:31 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2026/apr/08/prageru-university-conservatism Illustration: Guardian Design / Getty Images Illustration: Guardian Design / Getty Images Illustration: Guardian Design / Getty Images Noah Kirsch 2026-04-08T12:00:31Z https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/09/the-guardian-view-on-the-care-system-support-for-teens-must-go-beyond-reunions-with-old-friends <p>A new scheme to support care leavers’ relationships is welcome. But loneliness is one problem among many</p><p>It might sound obvious that – as Benjamin Zephaniah <a href="https://bcuassets.blob.core.windows.net/docs/benjamin-zephaniah-people-need-people-133700969302506590.pdf">wrote</a> – “People will always need people / To make life appealing / And give life some meaning.” But the care system has not always behaved as though relationships are a condition of human flourishing. So it is good to see this simple yet crucial idea reflected in the latest announcement about <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/04/care-leavers-family-finding-scheme-young-people">support for care leavers</a> in England. The broken connections that become a feature of too many young people’s lives are increasingly recognised as a key reason for their later vulnerability.</p><p>Some local councils already have support in place for young people who want to reconnect with relatives, trusted adults such as former teachers or social workers, and old friends. Last week the government announced a national version, billed as a Who Do You Think You Are?-style service for care leavers, with an initial budget of £8.4m. The hope is that supporting older teenagers to restore links will reduce the risk of isolation and help them to find their feet. While many care leavers already make a successful transition to independent living, they face disproportionate risks of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/mar/16/care-leavers-one-off-payment-housing-homelessness-uk">homelessness</a>, poor mental health, prison and even death.</p><p><em><strong>Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/letters">letters</a> section, please <a href="mailto:mailto:guardian.letters@theguardian.com?body=Please%20include%20your%20name,%20full%20postal%20address%20and%20phone%20number%20underneath%20your%20letter.%20Letters%20are%20usually%20published%20with%20the%20author’s%20name%20and%20city/town/village.%20The%20rest%20of%20the%20information%20is%20for%20verification%20only%20and%20to%20contact%20you%20if%20your%20letter%20is%20used.">click here</a>.</strong></em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/09/the-guardian-view-on-the-care-system-support-for-teens-must-go-beyond-reunions-with-old-friends">Continue reading...</a> Young people Social care Children Education Homelessness Mental health Fostering Prisons and probation Politics Labour Society Loneliness UK news Tue, 09 Jun 2026 17:25:03 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/09/the-guardian-view-on-the-care-system-support-for-teens-must-go-beyond-reunions-with-old-friends Photograph: Cavan Images/Getty Images/Cavan Images RF Photograph: Cavan Images/Getty Images/Cavan Images RF Photograph: Cavan Images/Getty Images/Cavan Images RF Editorial 2026-06-09T17:25:03Z https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/07/labour-send-schools-autism-education-children <p>An autism school in Wiltshire exemplifies what’s so different about education in a tailored environment, and the outcomes for children speak for themselves</p><p>In the old Wiltshire milltown of Calne, there is an autism specialist school called the <a href="https://springfields.wilts.sch.uk/">Springfields Academy</a>. About 250 children and young people between the age of four and 19 go there. Class sizes are no larger than 12. In each room, every child has their own dedicated table. There are no end of seating options, described by the headteacher, Nicola Whitcombe, as “wobble stools, wobble cushions, ball chairs, standing desks and booths”, with “pods” elsewhere for one-to-one teaching. And across a broad, multi-level curriculum based around personal development, every lesson follows the same basic structure. “From an autistic perspective,” she says, “that’s really important: ‘I know I’m going into the same thing, so therefore I feel safe.’”</p><p>Every year the school takes in a lot of primary school leavers who would find a mainstream secondary pretty much impossible. “If you’ve got five different lessons in a day, in five different classrooms with five different teachers, and this before we’ve talked about the corridors, and the smells, and where you have lunch – it’s overwhelming,” Whitcombe said. “So at our school, we have to get our environment right.” Over the <a href="https://www.springfields.wilts.sch.uk/Post-16-Destinations-2024-2025/">past six years</a>, no one who has been to Springfields has begun post-school life as a Neet (not in education, employment or training) – which is quite some achievement.</p><p>John Harris is a Guardian columnist</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/07/labour-send-schools-autism-education-children">Continue reading...</a> Special educational needs Education Schools Young people Children Society Labour Politics UK news Sun, 07 Jun 2026 11:00:32 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/07/labour-send-schools-autism-education-children Illustration: Matt Kenyon/The Guardian Illustration: Matt Kenyon/The Guardian Illustration: Matt Kenyon/The Guardian John Harris 2026-06-07T11:00:32Z https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/05/justice-department-civil-rights-laws-students-of-color <p>Claims of discrimination at UCLA and Yale show how laws meant to foster inclusion are being used for the opposite</p><p>The Department of Justice’s civil rights division was once known as the crown jewel of the agency, but under Trump it has become just another tool of this administration’s politicized and racialized attacks targeting Black, Latino and other people of color. The latest examples are the sham findings of discrimination the division issued against the medical schools of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/06/justice-department-ucla-race-admissions">University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/may/14/justice-department-yale-medical-school-race-admissions">Yale University</a> for admitting high-achieving Black and Hispanic students. The administration is cynically wielding its anti-discrimination authority to tear down civil rights advances at the cost of equal educational opportunity.</p><p>In its findings, the justice department claimed the grades and test scores of Black and Hispanic admitted applicants were less competitive than those of white and Asian admits and said the schools intentionally discriminated against white and Asian applicants. But the justice department’s conclusions overstate the difference in scores between applicants and ignore other applicant data completely, including student transcripts, letters of recommendations and essays. The differences among GPAs and test scores – one standard deviation or less – were too small to be legally or statistically significant and may be explained by random factors unrelated to race. Comparatively, two standard deviations is the commonly accepted threshold that federal courts and social scientists consider statistically significant in racial discrimination cases.</p><p>ReNika Moore is director of the ACLU’s Racial Justice Program</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/05/justice-department-civil-rights-laws-students-of-color">Continue reading...</a> US education Race Trump administration US politics Education US news Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:00:03 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/05/justice-department-civil-rights-laws-students-of-color Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP Photograph: Jae C Hong/AP ReNika Moore 2026-06-05T14:00:03Z https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/29/sunak-is-right-that-our-students-need-financial-literacy-but-that-shouldnt-mean-yet-more-maths <p>Education should prepare young people for dealing not only with practical things such as insurance, pensions and taxes but also with tech and mental health</p><p>What is it about ex-ministers that they suddenly know how to run the country? Tony Blair <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/27/labour-policy-first-politics-second-tony-blair">hurls thunderbolts</a> at his successor, Keir Starmer. His former colleague, Alan Milburn, is shocked that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/may/28/a-record-of-failure-whats-in-the-first-part-of-alan-milburns-neet-report">a million young people</a> aged 16-24 are not in education, training or a job – one in seven of them with degrees: a rate double that in Ireland and three times that in the Netherlands. Meanwhile the former prime minister, Rishi Sunak, complains that <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/money/family-finances/article/rishi-sunak-poor-financial-education-holding-back-our-economy-skl5fstzk">pupils are never taught</a> “financial literacy”. They are left unprepared for life outside the school gates.</p><p>Sunak is clearly right, though we might wonder what he did about it when he was in Downing Street. His proposed numeracy project aims to teach children how to handle money, a skill at which he sees Britons in the dark ages compared with Germany and elsewhere. His only obsession is <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-outlines-his-vision-for-maths-to-18">to believe</a> this requires mathematics taught to the age of 18.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/29/sunak-is-right-that-our-students-need-financial-literacy-but-that-shouldnt-mean-yet-more-maths">Continue reading...</a> Education National curriculum Mathematics Curriculums Young people Schools UK news Fri, 29 May 2026 10:00:47 GMT https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/29/sunak-is-right-that-our-students-need-financial-literacy-but-that-shouldnt-mean-yet-more-maths Photograph: Trish Gant/Alamy Photograph: Trish Gant/Alamy Photograph: Trish Gant/Alamy Simon Jenkins 2026-05-29T10:00:47Z