BC EDUCATION
Saved by @SteveeRogerr

Given @GavinWilliamson failure to apologise this week for 'last-minute' decisions on schools policy during the pandemic, we thought it might be useful to put to together one handy thread of every U-turn from the @educationgovuk since April last

 Free school meals will come up a lot in this thread, but here is the first governmental U-turn before the Easter Holidays. (2/43) #FSM
https://t.co/Tw7gldA8jl
.@educationgovuk then decided not to fund #FSM in the following half-term break, they changed their minds after a public outcry. (3/43)
https://t.co/zvpY6CCQOW
Taking a break from #FSM, we head straight into the #Alevels2020 exams debacle, with Scotland’s grade U-turn putting pressure on the @educationgovuk (4/43) https://t.co/mOQdT6YsCh
Ministers in Westminster were determined not to U-turn (5/43)
https://t.co/u5iUJwyZWT
BUT... they inevitably did. @heymrshallahan had some questions (6/43)
https://t.co/3wNbkpXLKw
Here is a full rundown of how the summer A-level and GCSE fiasco happened by @CathImogenLough (7/43)
https://t.co/rD7s2ZMhyX
Unsurprisingly @ASCL_UK and @RealGeoffBarton called for an inquiry into the fiasco (8/43)
https://t.co/CBwliVehWQ
During the exams fiasco, @gavinwilliamson fended off calls for his resignation (9/43)
https://t.co/DQ3GtaYsXX
Experts gave five reasons why the crisis around exams last year was avoidable (10/43)
https://t.co/aNTvMbXTam
Now during this crisis, there was growing concern that school staff would be sent back in to teach without adequate protection from the Coronavirus. They were told that they didn’t need to have facemasks…….
until they did… (11/43)
https://t.co/Zc1yzw1LqJ
While this decision was welcomed, its late notice was a burden on headteachers who had to implement it with not much notice (12/43)
https://t.co/8GzMUC7C15
Let’s not forget the continuing saga around #FSM. Enter @MarcusRashford, who got the government to U-turn again (13/43)
https://t.co/AISq2HbrOA
Now let’s jump to before Christmas. Owing to rising infection rates, Greenwich advised their schools to shut before the end of term – several councils later advised the same. (14/43)
https://t.co/zt5PKT06Xr
But @educationgovuk threatened these schools with legal action, resulting in schools re-opening doors for the last few days of term. (15/43)
https://t.co/F0msj2r7HL
The General Secretary of @ASCL, @RealGeoffBarton, accused the @educationgovuk of using "bully boy tactics" to stick to a "robotic mantra to keep schools open whatever the cost" but added "the costs could be incredibly high." (16/43)
https://t.co/YOPeRqFzPj
On 16 December, our reporters @tweetsbyames and @JohnGRoberts started to hear that there could be a delayed return in Janurary after all. (17/43)
https://t.co/z5AGSjhn1c
There was also a whole outcry and U-turn over having school staff carry out Covid tests around the same time… (18/43)
https://t.co/NrFTWrHeVC
Then a Tes scoop revealed that most secondary school pupils would be learning online in the first week back next year, with only exam groups back in person. . .
This announcement came in the same week @educationgovuk took legal action to stop some London schools moving online (19/43)
https://t.co/66wpriA4Pk
In order to get the @educationgovuk testing in place for January, @MattHancock wanted headteachers to work over Christmas to make sure it was ready. (20/43)
https://t.co/u2pRzhiWFb
We revealed the government’s plans of school reopening after mounting pressure for a delayed start owing to Covid infection rates rising countrywide. (21/43)
https://t.co/yeYDz0KRcy
Some primary schools were to remain shut, raising questions over why some councils were chosen above others (22/43)
https://t.co/boQDtUPyFW
School leaders started to demand @educationgovuk’s reasoning around certain primaries being closed and not others (23/43)
https://t.co/Rx6lzCntc1
U-turn incoming! All primary schools in London were closed….raising questions over why some in other Tier 4 areas across England were still scheduled to open (24/43)
https://t.co/aczChktDlk
However, the government insists the U-turn wasn’t about safety concerns… (25/43)
https://t.co/xvmncmls6A
The unions then got involved, forming an alliance to protest @gavinwilliamson’s plan @NEUnion @NASUWT @NAHTnews @unisontheunion @GMB_union & @unitetheunion (26/43)
https://t.co/zLEc4W4rxo
The government then (you guessed it) U-turned, after sending school staff in to teach for one day. It also announced a volte face on exams - cancelling summer GCSE and A-level exams for a second year in a row (27/43)
https://t.co/o3IclFkKM5
January BTEC exams were required to keep going despite concerns about risks to students (28/43)
https://t.co/ouUBAPNbre
Even top Conservative’s said the government’s handling of school policy was a shambles (29/43)
https://t.co/eFr7kh4R1x
Turns out the @educationgovuk was in the dark by the PM’s exam announcement (30/43)
https://t.co/JyiTdhIwB0
Then decision to allow colleges and schools to decide where or not to run their January BTEC exams led to confusion (31/43)
https://t.co/Em0zr2YAwQ
Heads unions ask why a plan B for GCSE’s isn’t ready yet? (32/43) https://t.co/DZtsb8bS1u
From the beginning there has been a mad scramble to get laptops to all students in need, this process has not gone well (33/43)
https://t.co/0SpQIU6VDk
Now unions warn the lack of laptop previsions could undermine the lockdown effort to control the surging spread of coronavirus (34/43)
https://t.co/XzIXPcECt9
.@gavinwilliamson speaking at the commons has said that the DfE has learned lessons from previous problems with exams, remote learning and FSM…….. (36/43)
https://t.co/NUlUrdsoW4
However, some say that the DfE forgot about January Btec exams, leaving individual colleges scrambling to work out how to proceed safely - 60% of colleges cancelled their January exams (37/43)
https://t.co/MSFPT6fRyK
Just in case school staff thought stress levels couldn’t increase, we revealed that @Ofsted planned to send inspectors to schools (38/43)
https://t.co/Olf8zu8iER
We then revealed covid rates among school staff in some areas are as much as four times the corresponding local authority average - calling into question repeated assurances from government that school staff are not at greater risk (39/43)
https://t.co/g7XuEVmc56
The DfE strangely remains silent on phonics plans following cancellation of primary assessments in 2020-21 academic year (40/43)
https://t.co/dEuGY5GNBn
Then thousands of supply teachers are at risk of being “thrown to the wolves” with a sudden loss of earnings due to partial school closures (41/43)
https://t.co/EyfGf6uAIm
Next U-turn drum-roll: Ofsted announces it won’t go into schools until half term after all (42/43)
https://t.co/lxD303eZOE
If you have made it to the bottom of this thread, firstly well done you, secondly let us know if you think we have missed anything (43/43ish)

More from Education

Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega
Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega
@raulpacheco
I have news about online teaching and reading workload, friends.

I have experimented with REDUCING the number of readings I assign for a class. This is hard in overview courses because you always feel like they should have "the lay of the land" and master all that there is.

HOWEVER...

My students have performed BETTER with reduced reading workloads.

Undergrads focus on ONE reading per week, while having 3 more available "if they so happen to have the time to read them" (they often do try to read these extra readings).

Masters' level students have appreciated taking a "let's just take things more slowly" approach.

Doctoral level students felt somewhat weirded out that I wasn't assigning three books a week. Though they appreciated it.

What I have drawn from my experiences:
- Workshops work.

Having a section of the class that is "hands-on, let's get writing/analyzing/thinking/reading" as a workshop fulfills two goals, for me:

1) Cements my students' understanding of the method.

2) Helps them have actual time to think and read and write rather than rush through.

Depth and breadth are issues we need to compromise on.

- Do I want them to read more broadly or more deeply?
- Do I want them to become more expert in a few things or become more generalist-type people?

These choices are malleable, as is our context.

What is NOT malleable:
EDUCATION
Nina Nesdoly
Nina Nesdoly
@ninanesdoly
I’ve had a fantastic MSc experience (almost done!) and have been talking to a lot of incoming or current students. Some topics / questions come up a lot. Here’s what I know!

🧵 Tips for an awesome MSc experience.

#AcademicTwitter #AcademicChatter @OpenAcademics @academeology

1/ Ok to start, some context: I started my MSc in September 2019 in Organizational Behaviour. I start my PhD this September.

A lot happened in my MSc: I won several scholarships, my Dad died, I submitted my thesis work to a major conference, annnd there was the pandemic.

2/ Let’s get into it!

Choosing a thesis topic: Read read read.

What are you interested? Pick an umbrella topic and start reading. Follow the rabbit holes. Write questions, answers, more questions. When you find questions you cannot answer, you might have a thesis topic.

3/ Don’t get stuck on the idea you came in with.

My first semester a professor said “if your research ideas don’t change, you haven’t learned anything.”

No one is going to pull up your SOP and hold you to whatever you said you were interested in upfront.

4/ Pin down a thesis format

What will you do, broadly? One study? Two? A review paper? Meta-analysis? As early as possible, find out what YOU actually need to do to complete your thesis. ESPECIALLY if you’re in a lab with lots going on. What is YOUR requirement?
EDUCATION
Advertisement
Andrew Lee
Andrew Lee
@andrewleedr
Normally I enjoy the high standards of journalism in @guardian . Not today as disappointed with misleading headline that suggest infections are spreading fastest in children. It'll worry parents/teachers & I doubt most readers will unpick the

The latest REACT1 report shows prevalence of infection in ALL age groups has fallen, including children aged 5-12 from 1.59% in Round 8 to 0.86% in Round 9a. The authors of REACT1 report also (wisely) didn't try to interpret the prevalence figures.

If this were a research trial you wouldn't place much weight on the age differences in % prevalence because of the wide confidence intervals, i.e. differences weren't statistically significant.
3/

I've previously tweeted on the challenges (& dangers) of interpreting surveillance data. One would need lots more contextual info to make sense of it & arrive at sound


Undoubtedly some will extrapolate from the prevalence of infection figures in children to other settings i.e. schools based on the headline. I'd advise caution as there is a real risk of over-interpretation through extrapolation of limited data. Association is not causation.
5/
EDUCATION
Marlin Ballance Jr
Marlin Ballance Jr
@MarDBallJr
This is the steady stream of propaganda that's going to be hitting us daily, selling "deprogramming" and "re-education" as normal and reasonable, attempting to convince us that the Biden-Harris side is the good-guy side, admittedly 'backed by corporate billionaires'.
EDUCATION
Nicholas Bagley
Nicholas Bagley
@nicholas_bagley
So I woke up today to learn that the @A2SchoolsSuper has called a snow day. After a four-day weekend. And with tomorrow an "asynchronous" day (i.e., no real school again).

Which might sound reasonable after a storm, except -- there IS no in-person school in Ann Arbor.

In her email, @A2SchoolsSuper said that COVID-19 means "we have missed many of the simple joys that make our time together memorable."

Simple joys? You mean, like seeing friends? Actually learning in a classroom? Heck, like learning at all?

Or having your parents not be quivering messes because they haven't had their kids in school for nearly a year and are at the ends of their ropes? Or not waking up in the middle of the night worrying if the district is ALSO going to limit or suspend in-person school for the fall?

She writes: "Snow days are opportunities for children, young people, and adults to play in the snow, read books, take a break, and enjoy the winter season." You know what adults can't do that? Adults who work. And yes, this burden fall primarily on moms.

Also, we just had a four day weekend! My kids have played in the snow! They've read books! THEY'VE HAD A BREAK.

They don't need those things right now. They need school. We need school.
EDUCATION

You May Also Like

Nikita Poojary
Nikita Poojary
@niki_poojary
Mr. Vijay Kedia built a net worth of over Rs. 800 crores.

But you probably never read past that headline.

So I binged hours of interviews to learn his investing principles and strategies.

Here are 20 lessons on investing from @VijayKedia1 Sir:

Collaborated with @AdityaTodmal


Before I start, a quick disclaimer, please don't ape his portfolio.

As the entry price, horizon and risk appetite would be far different than yours.

Rather lets draw inspiration and try to learn his stock picking skills.

Now let's DIVE IN👇

1/ Started off as a trader:

- Soon, beginner’s luck started to fade out and loses started to mount, to an extent where his mother was about to sell her ornaments.

- Although he was able to dodge the situation.

- This incident taught him the biggest lesson to have a stop-loss.

2/ Punjab Tractors:

- In 1990, he made his first investment by putting in his 10-years savings of Rs 35,000 in this stock, based on a news trigger that tractor industry will witness a turnaround.

- It worked and fetched him 4-5 times which he calls it as a fluke.


3/ He believes that an investor must possess three qualities:

i. Knowledge,
ii. Courage, and
iii. Patience.
GENERICLEARNINGS , ALL
Vibhu Vashisth
Vibhu Vashisth
@VIBHU_Tweet
🌺कैसे बने गरुड़ भगवान विष्णु के वाहन और क्यों दो भागों में फटी होती है नागों की जिह्वा🌺

महर्षि कश्यप की तेरह पत्नियां थीं।लेकिन विनता व कद्रु नामक अपनी दो पत्नियों से उन्हे विशेष लगाव था।एक दिन महर्षि आनन्दभाव में बैठे थे कि तभी वे दोनों उनके समीप आकर उनके पैर दबाने लगी।


प्रसन्न होकर महर्षि कश्यप बोले,"मुझे तुम दोनों से विशेष लगाव है, इसलिए यदि तुम्हारी कोई विशेष इच्छा हो तो मुझे बताओ। मैं उसे अवश्य पूरा करूंगा ।"

कद्रू बोली,"स्वामी! मेरी इच्छा है कि मैं हज़ार पुत्रों की मां बनूंगी।"
विनता बोली,"स्वामी! मुझे केवल एक पुत्र की मां बनना है जो इतना बलवान हो की कद्रू के हज़ार पुत्रों पर भारी पड़े।"
महर्षि बोले,"शीघ्र ही मैं यज्ञ करूंगा और यज्ञ के उपरांत तुम दोनो की इच्छाएं अवश्य पूर्ण होंगी"।


महर्षि ने यज्ञ किया,विनता व कद्रू को आशीर्वाद देकर तपस्या करने चले गए। कुछ काल पश्चात कद्रू ने हज़ार अंडों से काले सर्पों को जन्म दिया व विनता ने एक अंडे से तेजस्वी बालक को जन्म दिया जिसका नाम गरूड़ रखा।जैसे जैसे समय बीता गरुड़ बलवान होता गया और कद्रू के पुत्रों पर भारी पड़ने लगा


परिणामस्वरूप दिन प्रतिदिन कद्रू व विनता के सम्बंधों में कटुता बढ़ती गयी।एकदिन जब दोनो भ्रमण कर रहीं थी तब कद्रू ने दूर खड़े सफेद घोड़े को देख कर कहा,"बता सकती हो विनता!दूर खड़ा वो घोड़ा किस रंग का है?"
विनता बोली,"सफेद रंग का"।
तो कद्रू बोली,"शर्त लगाती हो? इसकी पूँछ तो काली है"।
ALL
Advertisement
Fidato
Fidato
@tequieremos
A thread on the life and achievements of Muhiyudin Sayyid Abdul Qadir Jillani RadiAllah who served Islam infinitely as the Reviver (Mujadid) of the 11th Century!


Muhiyudin Sayyid Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA) was one of the greatest Islamic Saint, Scholar, and Jurist. The honorific Muhiyudin denotes his status with many Sufis as a "reviver of religion". Jilani refers to his place of birth. He also carried the epithet Baghdadi.

[1]

Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani was born on the eve of the 2nd of Ramadan 470 AH. His birth was a great blessing for the Ummah. It was the arrival of the Sultan al-Awliya (King of the Awliya) of that era, which had been foretold for centuries before his birth.

[2]

When Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jillani was asked by someone what brought him to his high spiritual level, he said, The truthfulness which I promised to my mother. He related the following story:
"One day, on the eve of Eid al-Adhā, I went to my mother, who was then a widow and..

[3]

..and requested her, 'Send me to the path of Truth, give me permission to go to Baghdad to acquire knowledge, to be with the wise and those who are close to Allah. She cried, but she brought out 80 pieces of gold, which was all that my father had left as inheritance.

[4]
RELIGION
Khatvaanga
Khatvaanga
@khatvaanga
Sri Gurubhyo Namah.
Some tweets on Adi Shankaracharya and in particular the Guru Parampara of @sringerimath. [I had done this series earlier 5 years ago on account of Shishya Sweekaram].


Adi Shankara established the Sringeri Peetham as the 1st of 4 amnaaya peetams.

The four being
1. Sarada Peetam at Sringeri.
2. Govardhana Peetam at Puri
3. Kalika at Dwaraka
4. Jyothir at Badarikashramam.

He installed his 4 most prominent shishyas as heads of the peetams.

Sureshwaracharya was assigned to Sringeri as its head.

Sringeri is a corruption of Rshyashrunga giri.

Rshyashrunga maharshi [and his father Sri Vibandhaka Maharshi] did their tapas at this place.

It is at Sringeri that Shankara spent 12 of His precious 32 years!!

That gives you and idea how much He loved this place.

Rshyashruga maharshi had a horn on his forehead, a result of being born to a deer. His mere presence was enough to shower rains!!

Rshyashrunga was one who led Putrakamesthi Yaagam of Dasaratha Maharaj and which resulted in Sri Rama's birth!!
ALL
meilong
meilong
@meilong15
一个北大毕业的殡葬工自述武汉封城期间的经历，凄惨。这应该才是武汉的真实情景，跟很多人的叙述是吻合的。


https://t.co/QYTO1SYedG
WUHAN FUNERAL WORKERS REPORT