The Management of truants in England
Professor Ken Reid writes about the lack of consistency between local authorities and their approach to tackling school truancy and asks whether it is time to amend the legislation on school attendance.

Learning, testing and assessment
Warwick Mansell examines some of the Conservatives’ proposed changes to the school curriculum, testing and assessment, including the scrapping of SATs, more say for universities and employers in the running of exam boards and vocational exams no longer counting in league tables.

The intellectual challenge of early childhood education
Diane Hofkins discusses the qualifications of early years professionals and, in the light of research evidence which shows that the best pre-schools have better qualified staff, examines the difficulty in attracting such staff into the profession.

Building a safe, confident future
Our children’s services editor, Chris Waterman, reviews the final report of the social work task force and summarises its main points.

Skills White Paper
Tom Wilson, Director of Unionlearn, explains how unions have a vital role to play in increasing the skill level of the UK workforce through helping to make
training opportunities more easily available.

The future of higher education
John O’Leary on the different approaches the two main political parties have taken towards higher education in the run up to the next general election, and the possible consequences of breaking up the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Higher Ground
John Izbicki reports on the latest news from higher education institutions around the country.

International partnerships
The competition for provision of transnational education is increasing as economic pressures on institutions rise worldwide. Glynne Stanfield, head of international education at lawyers Eversheds LLP, details some of the legal complications of such international collaborations.

Children First
Susan Young reports on the views of children’s services directors towards the possibility that a Conservative government would decouple education and children’s social services.

Children’s health
The rise in the number of Down’s syndrome pregnancies in the last decade; the fall in the number of obese children; the rise in the number of 14-year-olds having
abortions; and the link between smoking during pregnancy and children’s behavioural problems.

Facing the future
As the Welsh Assembly Government is warned of major cuts in 2011/12, our Wales editor, Professor Ken Reid, warns of school closures, mergers and collaboration for local authorities, post-sixteen provision and further and
higher education.

Media Watch
Media coverage of Doncaster’s much criticised children’s services department following the torture of two boys in Edlington, and the Tory schools manifesto.

General

Opinion
John Izbicki on Lord Mandelson’s cuts to higher education.

Conference round-up

Events
The first-ever Healthy FE conference, the North of England Conference in York, the Association of Colleges Annual conference in Birmingham, the first WISE education conference, held in Doha, Qatar, and a school governors’ conference at Glaziers Hall in London.

Reference

Document reviews
In this issue we review Support for All, the families and relationships Green Paper from the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and Train to Gain: Developing the skills of the workforce from the Public Accounts Committee.

Document digest

Reports digest

Research

Research Notes
Our research editor, Michael Marshall, writes about fears among academics that proposed higher education cuts will have a devastating effect on speculative UK research.

Participation and engagement
Sue Rossiter, Chief Executive of the National Foundation for Educational Research, on its latest longitudinal study into citizenship education, and its new award for schools and colleges.

Every child/youth matters and government policy
Chris Hough, of the University of Cumbria, presents the first of two articles based on research into the effectiveness of the social policies that underpin the Every Child Matters programme.

Parliament

School accountability, FE, alcohol and twins
Our new parliamentary editor, Tracy Coryton, presents a summary of major events in Westminster since the New Year.

Schools and Children Bills in Committee
We report on the progress of education and children Bills currently going through Parliament.

Children, Schools and Families Bill
Our children’s services editor, Chris Waterman, presents a clause by clause synopsis of the Children, Schools and Families Bill.

Children’s mental health
Tracy Coryton, Editor of EPM Scotland, reports on a debate in the Scottish Parliament on the Health and Sports Committee’s report into child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing.

Literacy commission report
We report on a Labour Party debate in the Scottish Parliament on a report from the Literacy Commission.

Children, Schools and Families Bill in Wales
We report on a legislative consent motion in the Welsh Assembly on the Children, Schools and Families Bill.

CAFCASS Cymru
The Welsh Assembly debated the report of its Health, Wellbeing and Local Government Committee on the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service Cymru

Parliamentary questions
The proportion of secondary school pupils participating in the young, gifted and talented programme, reported in the House of Commons; significant case reviews and children with disabilities, reported in the Scottish Parliament; and a review of home education reported in the Welsh Assembly.

Phoenix
Carla Bruni, not Wayne Rooney at WISE. Motivators for success, research from Angola.