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Education & Family at BBC

Today News

08

Pupils pen special song to give classmates a voice

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Many pupils at Mitchell House Special School in east Belfast are non-verbal but that does not mean they cannot communicate.

Thursday, Oct 22

02

Only one female scientist named in GCSEs, research finds

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A new study finds Rosalind Franklin is the only woman named in Key Stage 4 science specifications.

Wednesday, Oct 21

17

Holocaust school lessons to be improved after 'shocking' antisemitism review

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Education Secretary Lucy Powell has stressed the importance of reminding new generations of the horrors of the Holocaust.

02

Universities face 'substantial' funding cuts amid budget delay

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Both Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University are expected to have financial deficits in 2025/26.

Tuesday, Oct 20

17

What do pupils think of GCSE Maths changes?

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From 2027, pupils will only be able to take the exam in November if they are re-sitting.

08

Changes to GCSE Maths 'pulling the rug out from under pupils'

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From 2027, students will only be able to take a GCSE Maths exam in November if they are re-sitting the subject.

POV: Your girls' PE lesson gets a glow up

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Can activities like yoga, dance and fitness encourage more girls to enjoy sport?

We asked teens what schools should teach them about work. This is what they said

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Teenagers say they want more work experience at school and opportunities to improve their communication skills.

Monday, Oct 19

20

More than 300 calls to police after hoax bomb threats at schools

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Schools across Scotland were quickly advised the threats were not credible and cyber crime experts are working to identify who was responsible.

18

Threatening hoax bomb email sent to hundreds of NI schools

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Similar emails were sent to schools across Scotland and in the Republic of Ireland

14

Schools 'explosive device' email a hoax, say police

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Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said police consider the risk to the public "as low".

Saturday, Oct 17

02

£800,000 spent on scrapped sports dome project

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Ulster University has also revealed the multi-million pound dome would have cost a further £1m to run each year.

Friday, Oct 16

21

Toxic algorithms wouldn't let them go - now Australia wants an off switch

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The Australian government hopes to protect social media users from being served content they don't want to see.

12

School's plan to use toilet chaperones puts pupils at risk, says campaigner

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Some pupils will have to be escorted to the toilet over vandalism and attendance problems.

11

Snapchat and Instagram grooming becoming 'easier'

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Online grooming is rising, with children as young as five targeted, prompting calls for reform.

03

Our business ads were taken down for saying 'pregnancy' on Instagram

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Creators say women's health content is getting them shadowbanned on social media. So what's really happening?

02

Are student protests being manipulated ahead of France's presidential election?

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France's prime minister has suggested that student anger is being weaponised, as the unions and other protesters prepare to take to the streets too.

Thursday, Oct 15

19

Is there a problem with standards in Wales' schools?

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Wales scores poorly on international test results but it is not clear a new curriculum will help.

03

Wales has an education crisis. Can it be fixed?

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Wales scores poorly on international test results but it is not clear a new curriculum will help.

Wednesday, Oct 14

18

'Young asylum seekers like me just want to access education'

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Aspiring businesswoman Hani had to wait two years before a place became available on an English language course

08

Hundreds of thousands of workers on strike across Republic of Ireland

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It comes amidst an an ongoing pay dispute between public sector workers and the Irish government.

The 'frustrating' education limbo facing teenage asylum seekers

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Young refugees describe their frustration at the lack of access to education for older teenagers who come to Northern Ireland to live

Tuesday, Oct 13

12

Student who spells by blinking 'angry' at exam refusal

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Romi Loffler is battling to take her history exam with reasonable adjustments allowing for her condition.

Cut screen time in classrooms to avoid long-term health issues, clinicians urge

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A group of clinicians warns technology use in English schools is driving a rise in health problems like short-sightedness.

Monday, Oct 12

00

Student who spells by blinking is denied chance to sit exam

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Romi Loffler is battling to take her history exam with reasonable adjustments allowing for her condition.

Sunday, Oct 11

05

Why are so many four-year-olds not potty-trained before school?

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A third of school starters in the West Midlands last year were not toilet-trained, a survey suggests.

02

Three friends on their student debt: One paid off, one chipping away and one creeping up

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Lizzy, Charlotte and Libby studied at the same time, but their student debt now looks very different.

Saturday, Oct 10

09

We sold everything and bought a one-way ticket to take our three children travelling

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The Woolridge family sold their south Wales home and are travelling the world with no plans to return.

08

Plans to turn Van Morrison's former primary into a special school delayed

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It was originally hoped that the former Elmgrove Primary School could re-open as a special school in September 2026.

02

France's school protests are about more than broken classrooms

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Students taking to the streets have become a focal point in the country's increasingly polarised politics.