Dumbing down ‘is patronising to disadvantaged students’, universities watchdog says 

Dumbing down ‘is patronising to disadvantaged students’: Lowering standards and ignoring spelling and grammar errors does not help, universities watchdog says Office for Students reviewing practices that allegedly ignored spelling mistakes Universities accused of ordering lecturers to lower grades to be more ‘inclusive’ OfS Regulation Director said all students should receive a high-quality education By … Read more

Tory war on ‘cancel culture’: Speakers no-platformed by universities can seek compensation

Tory war on ‘cancel culture’: People denied a platform by universities will be able to seek compensation in the courts under government plans designed to make campuses places where ‘freedom of speech can thrive’ By David Wilcock, Whitehall Correspondent For Mailonline Published: 11:46 BST, 11 May 2021 | Updated: 11:46 BST, 11 May 2021 The … Read more

Fury as education regulator tells universities marking students down for bad spelling is ELITIST

Fury as education regulator tells universities that marking students down for bad spelling is ELITIST Academics have been told that insisting on good written English discriminates  Some universities have been adopting so-called ‘inclusive assessment’ systems Regulator wants to reduce gap between white and black student attainment rate  By Julie Henry For The Mail On Sunday … Read more

Students and academics will be able to SUE universities for censoring free speech

Cancelling cancel culture: Students and academics will be able to SUE universities for censoring free speech under planned Government crackdown Academics will be able to seek compensation for being denied free speech Gavin Williamson has unveiled plans for a ‘free speech champion’ at university Mr Williamson warned of the threat of a ‘cancel culture’ and … Read more

Government to appoint ‘woke warden’ with powers to fine universities who ‘cancel’ people

Universities and colleges will be fined for suffocating free speech on campuses, ministers have warned. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson will this week unveil a ‘free speech champion’ who will have the power to defend students and academics. Institutions which try to cancel people due to their views will be penalised as part of the government’s … Read more

Eton College loses HALF its Oxbridge offers as universities try to boost intake from state schools

Eton College loses HALF its Oxbridge offers as top universities try to boost intake from state schools Oxford and Cambridge universities have reduced Eton intake from 99 to 48 The universities have boosted their intake of state school-educated students An Etonian parent said the school has ‘taken its eye off the ball’ with admissions  By … Read more

Gavin Williamson wants students to start returning to universities from next month

Gavin Williamson is making plans for students to return to universities in England from next month.  The Education Secretary will announce on February 22 that final year students in practical degrees will go back to campus, with their peers expected to follow shortly after. But vice-chancellors say that most of their students have already been … Read more

Students fed up with woke culture at universities launch free-speech group

Students fed up with woke culture at universities launch free-speech group to embrace wide-ranging opinions amid fears debate is being stifled Nationwide Free Speech Champions project aims to address crisis on campuses Survey found over a quarter of students censored their own views on politics or ethical matters; 40% believed their careers would be harmed if … Read more

‘Severe’ crackdowns on freedom of speech at a THIRD of universities, report claims 

‘Severe’ crackdowns on freedom of speech at a THIRD of universities: One in three colleges including Oxbridge and St Andrews are imposing strict restrictions, report claims More than 68 per cent of universities have had a free speech controversy since 2017 a new report from think-tank Civitas found  The lead researcher said the issues must … Read more

Universities should confront ‘white privilege’ to step up the fight against discrimination

Anti-racism lessons for lecturers: Universities should confront ‘white privilege’ to step up the fight against discrimination, experts say Institutions should train staff and students to understand ‘microaggressions’   Follows report by Equality and Human Rights Commission carried out last year The report found there was an ‘alarmingly high rate’ of racism on campuses  By Josh White … Read more