| Teachers to grade GCSEs and A-levels |
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| | | Teachers will decide the grades of pupils in England whose GCSEs and A-levels have been cancelled because of the pandemic. Exams watchdog Ofqual says schools will be able to use a combination of mock exams, coursework and essays to determine grades. Exam boards will still set test papers for each subject but these are optional for schools, intended to inform teachers' judgement and will not decide the final grades. Teachers had already been placed centrally to arrangements set out for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson says the system announced for England is the "fairest possible". He was criticised last year, when it emerged about 40% of A-Level results had been downgraded after Ofqual used an algorithm based on schools' previous results. A U-turn eventually meant teachers' predicted grades were allowed to stand. However, the Education Policy Institute think tank warns the plans for this year could lead to "extremely high grade inflation". | |
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| Single-shot vaccine 'safe and effective' |
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| US regulators say the single-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine is safe and effective. In a briefing document, the US Food and Drug Administration concludes data indicates the jab to have "known benefits" in reducing both symptomatic and severe illness. The UK has ordered 30 million doses and the government says deliveries could arrive "in the second half of this year" if it's approved by British regulators. | |
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| Sitcom Frasier to be revived |
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| It's been 17 years since radio psychiatrist Dr Frasier Crane bade listeners "Goodnight, Seattle" for the final time in the eponymous sitcom. But the show is the latest to get a reboot, with star Kelsey Grammer confirming: "I gleefully anticipate sharing the next chapter in the continuing journey of Dr Frasier Crane." The series is set to be shown on the new US streaming service Paramount+, although there's no word yet on when it might air - or whether Grammer will be joined by other members of the original cast. | |
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| | | | | A dusty, forgotten provincial backwater before the conflict began, Marib has turned into a bustling metropolis, thanks in part to the arrival of hundreds of thousands of displaced Yemenis from other parts of the country.
They were dispossessed. They all had stories of fleeing the war, and the Houthis. But they were at least safe. That's no longer the case, thanks to a rebel offensive that began a year ago and has made steady inroads into previously government-held territory. | |
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| | Paul Adams | Diplomatic correspondent, BBC News | |
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| | | | Some papers lead on the decision to have teachers decide school exam grades in England. The Guardian says school leaders have welcomed the move. However, the Times says the plan has prompted concerns over the "credibility" of A-levels and GCSEs, with experts warning it could lead to soaring grades with little consistency, and "an avalanche of appeals". The Daily Telegraph says a member of watchdog Ofqual's committee advising on exams has resigned, arguing the plans risk an outcome "much worse than last year". | |
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| | | Economy Public needs "home truths", says former chancellor |
| | | | | | Australia Law passed to make Google and Facebook pay for news |
| | | | Ikea Retailer set to launch delayed "Buy Back" scheme |
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| If you watch one thing today |
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| If you listen to one thing today |
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| If you read one thing today |
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| Need something different? |
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| | | 1982 Beating children in schools against parents’ wishes is ruled a violation of the Human Rights Convention. Watch our archive report. |
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| Let us know what you think of this newsletter by emailing bbcnewsdaily@bbc.co.uk. If you’d like to recommend it to a friend, forward this email. New subscribers can sign up here. | |
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