ik we're all enjoying labour having a terrible day but it's also great bcos hannah spencer is a legit person. a proper, local, working class woman and she beat out all the slick political pricks.

local candidates are just always gonna be better and we need to return to that kind of politics.

Apprentices don’t believe their voices are heard by ministers Our AoA survey found 80 per cent of apprentices dear they are ignored - but if we want a system that works, listening must come before reform, says Hannah Mehr

✍️There is a lot to be positive about, but our recent survey found cost-of-living now tops the list of apprentices' concerns

Hannah Mehr, Association of Apprentices

https://feweek.co.uk/apprentices-dont-believe-their-voices-are-heard-by-ministers/

"...impossible to ensure that A.I. tools on campus are being used responsibly, both to support education and to prevent harm."

I'd like the AI-free option, but would also welcome a collective of universities joining forces to demand AI companies provide the data needed to ensure responsible use.

This is great. So on point. Have had to message this to a bunch of pals, you've inspired a bunch of folks to reconnect with each other.

"we cannot begin to talk about freedom and justice in any culture if we are not talking about mass based literacy movements."

bell hooks 1997

we cannot begin to talk about freedom+justice in any culture now if we are not talking about mass de-literacy cognitive-incapacitating industries.

GM: Charisma check.

Mamdani: [rolls natural 20]

GM: that’s a d6 how did you

Mamdani: [direct to camera] Did you know you can check out board games at your local public library? 😊

True though isn't it.

Way back when I worked with Vonnie. She consistently stood up for folks because they were being treated unfairly, discriminated against and pushed to the sidelines.

Not when it was expedient. Not when there were people looking.

Every. damn. time.

2025 review: A defining year for further education and skills FE Week editor Shane Chowen looks back at a year of reform, rhetoric and reckoning for further education, and what it means for 2026

2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ It was the year Keir Starmer called FE his 'defining mission', skills moved to DWP, reforms to apprenticeships and cuts in adult education

Here is our editor's review of 2025 and what's to come in 2026

feweek.co.uk/2025-review-...

'Too often, institutions are relying on overstrained counselling services as the first and only line of support'
Imran Mir, Apex College Leicester on the need for more early intervention on mental health issues in HE and FE

🙌This is excellent news, opening up new opportunities for EU and UK students across:

📚 education
📝 training
⚽ sport
🧑‍🎓 youth sectors

Find out more here ⬇️

ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

What if CEO's had to pitch to workers?

Labour commiting 0.5 billion... "Between 2010/11 and 2022/23, Local Government spending on youth services fell by 73% (a £1.2 billion real-terms cut) with more than 1,000 youth centres closing and over 4,500 youth worker roles being lost." share.google/4wRPX761Erpp...

Judge sets date for CoGrammar vs DfE bootcamps battle Provider accused of fraud is suing the department over millions in withheld payments

Skills bootcamp provider CoGrammar (yes, the one's we caught charging students for free courses earlier this year) will take their claim for £3.8 million against the Department for Education to court in December 2026

feweek.co.uk/judge-sets-d...

See you in Australia. Delighted to get a rematch with yous. Think there's definitely scope for you and Uruguay to look at that and think R16 is on.

Letter to the editor: Protecting British values in education As college leaders, we call on the sector to speak out, protect learners and defend British values against far-right attacks on and off campus

✍️LETTER TO THE EDITOR ✍️

'In recent weeks, each of us has witnessed attempts to sow fear in our communities, particularly the targeting of migrants and minority groups. We feel compelled to speak out against ugly racist attacks, reminiscent of the 1970s and 1980s.'

feweek.co.uk/letter-to-th...

In re: N.K. Jemisin becoming the new SFWA Grand Master, an award she thoroughly deserves--

hmm, how to say this

I suppose it is theoretically possible for old white male sf fans to disagree with Jemisin winning the award without lapsing into racist misogyny.

Haven't seen it yet, though.

I was part of a group of almost 20 amazing researchers, educators and representation leads from right across the continent and between us, lead by the wonderful Dr Andrea Laczik and Dr Søren Kristensen, we got out 8 chapters covering a lot of important aspects of democracy and vocational education!

I think setting the work learner representation does in the context of contested democratic space is a really useful contribution.

www.coe.int/en/web/educa...

Good morning all you wonderful folks who like a bit of learner representation with a sprinkling of European flavour.

Come feast your eyes on what @simon.insanity.tube has written.

Georgia survive scare from Rugby World Cup hosts While Spain faced Ireland A and Hong Kong China met the Brumbies; Romania, Canada, USA, Georgia, Portugal and Uruguay squared off...

While the Eagles came out short, I did enjoy how they countered Georgia in the 1st half

But, by far, the team that impressed me the most was Romania

After a dantesc July, they bounced back and played well against Canada

My report about yesterday's match-ups⬇️

www.rugbypass.com/news/georgia...

DfE sets out apprenticeship intervention rules for new Ofsted regime Sanctions on poor-performing training providers will be considered on a case-by-case basis as Ofsted's new inspection regime beds in

🔍 DfE has finally set out how it will handle interventions on poorly performing apprenticeship training providers under the new Ofsted inspection regime, which begins next week

feweek.co.uk/dfe-sets-out...

"The answer to this is to turn a weapon into a tool.... If every time we pick our phone up we will learn something, or connect with someone, or do something helpful, or to have a genuine belly laugh, or find something truly beautiful then it’s a tool."

www.bishuk.com/relationship...

I am privileged enough to own my home and I would support a capital gains tax being introduced on it.

Such a tax doesn’t impact my immediate financial reality cause I am just planning to live here, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

If for some reason I sold it, why shouldn’t I have to pay tax for getting luck money?

Does the Post 16 White Paper have the right answers, or even the right questions? - Inside Your Ed It is entirely normal for a Government to announce plans to reform either Higher Education (HE) or Further Education (FE). What is much less normal is a Government announcing a plan to reform HE and F...

Does the post-16 white paper have the right answers, or even the right questions?

@nickhillman.bsky.social and I join @tom-richmond.com to chew over what it has to say on quality, collaboration and specialisation in the latest episode of Inside Your Ed

insideyoured.buzzsprout.com/1874905/epis...

Unqualified apprentices could pass under assessment reforms, employers warn Construction leaders claim that plans for 'sampling' in apprenticeship assessment will lead to a 'race to the bottom'

⚠️ Government reforms to apprenticeship assessments risk allowing apprentices to qualify without proving they are fully competent, employers have warned feweek.co.uk/unqualified-...

Of course, @feweek.bsky.social readers had a head start on V Levels

Here’s our story from a couple of weeks ago

feweek.co.uk/revealed-v-l...

I see our pal big Davie has been at it again

As a trained youth worker i often feel like some victorian time traveller explaining a long lost job that no longer exists like Lamplighter.

Except youth work hasn't been made obsolete by technology. It was identified as a threat and aggressively defunded.