BSB publishes new figures showing success rates for student barristers – Bar Standards Board

Posted May 6th, 2016 in barristers, examinations, legal education, news, statistics by sally

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has today published a new edition of its statistical information on student performance on the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC).’

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 5th May 2016

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Tribunal rejects Home Office fraud allegation in ETS case but fails to report determination – Free Movement

‘President McCloskey has firmly rejected the Home Office case against students alleged to have fraudulently obtained English language test certificate from ETS (“Educational Testing Services Ltd”) in the case of SM and Ihsan Qadir v Secretary of State for the Home Department IA/31380/2014. The President finds that the Home Office evidence suffered from “multiple frailties and shortcomings” and that the two witnesses produced by the Home Office were unimpressive. In short, the Home Office failed by a significant margin to prove the alleged fraud.’

Full story

Free Movement, 25th April 2016

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

Theresa May faces parliamentary investigation over flimsy basis for student deportations – The Independent

‘Theresa May is to face a parliamentary investigation after an immigration tribunal ruled that the Home Office used unscientific “hearsay” to deport thousands of students from Britain.’

Full story

The Independent, 23rd March 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Bar regulator announces changes to the Bar Course Aptitude Test for 2016 and 2017 – Bar Standards Board

Posted March 11th, 2016 in barristers, examinations, legal education, press releases by sally

‘Further to the BSB’s last announcement in December 2015, the regulator has concluded its review into the role of BCAT.’

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 9th March 2016

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Ofqual to toughen up re-marking of exams after rise in grade challenges – The Guardian

Posted December 11th, 2015 in appeals, examinations, news, quality assurance by sally

‘The exam regulator, Ofqual, has announced proposals to toughen up the re-marking of A-level and GCSE exams, after figures showed a further huge increase in the number of pupils and schools appealing against results.’

Full story

The Guardian, 10th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bar regulator announces important developments in the 2016 Bar Professional Training Course – Bar Standards Board

Posted December 1st, 2015 in barristers, examinations, legal education, press releases, universities by sally

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has three announcements to make about the BPTC today. First, today the regulator is publishing statistics about students and providers of the BPTC. Second, there will be changes to the formats of the centralised assessments. Third, the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT), which is an entry requirement, will be deferred until at least March 2016, pending completion of a review.’

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 1st December 2015

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Regina (Fox and others) v Secretary of State for Education – WLR Daily

Posted November 30th, 2015 in education, examinations, law reports, local government, statutory duty by sally

Regina (Fox and others) v Secretary of State for Education [2015] EWHC 3404 (Admin); [2015] WLR (D) 481

‘The Secretary of State had erred in leaving non-religious views out of the new GCSE subject content for religious studies, which amounted to a breach of the duty to take care that information or knowledge included in the curriculum was conveyed in a pluralistic manner.’

WLR Daily, 25th November 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Religious education and state impartiality – Education Law Blog

Posted November 30th, 2015 in education, examinations, local government, news, statutory duty by sally

‘In R (Fox) v Secretary of State for Education [2015] EWHC 3404 (Admin), Warby J held that guidance issued by the Secretary of State for Education was unlawful because it contained a statement (referred to in the judgment as “the Assertion”) that delivery of Religious Studies GCSE content consistent with subject content prescribed by the Secretary of State would in all cases fulfil the state’s legal obligations with regard to religious education. In fact, the judge held, relying exclusively on such GCSEs could be enough to meet those obligations but would not necessarily be so and some additional educational provision may be required.’

Full story

Education Law Blog, 27th November 2015

Source: www.education11kbw.com

‘Error of law’ in new religious studies GCSE – BBC News

Posted November 26th, 2015 in education, examinations, news by sally

‘The education secretary made “an error of law” in leaving “non-religious world views” out of the new religious studies GCSE, the High Court has ruled.’

Full story

BBC News, 25th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

GMC calls for tougher powers to check European doctors’ skills – The Guardian

‘EU rules governing the checks that UK authorities can make on doctors still have major weaknesses seven years after a patient safety scandal revealed catastrophic flaws in the system, according to Britain’s medical regulator.’

Full story

The Guardian, 17th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Parents sue Government over sidelining of humanism in Religious Studies – Daily Telegraph

‘Three parents have launched a judicial review against the Government’s decision to sidelining humanism in the Religious Studies curriculum.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th November 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Insisting on a 2:1 degree for barristers “could discriminate against BAME students” – Legal Futures

‘Insisting on an upper second class degree for future barristers could impose a “discriminatory burden” on BAME students, who are less likely to obtain them, a leading academic has argued in response to a Bar Standards Board (BSB) consultation that raises the possibility.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 29th October 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Bar student who failed single module loses JR over having to retake entire BPTC – Legal Futures

Posted July 9th, 2015 in barristers, examinations, legal education, news, proportionality by sally

‘A mature Bar student has lost a judicial review against the Bar Standards Board (BSB) after a two-time failure to pass a single module on opinion writing meant he in turn failed the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) and would have to take entire course again before moving onto pupillage.’
Full story

Legal Futures, 8th July 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Exam cheat jailed for hacking into university computer system – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 24th, 2015 in computer crime, examinations, news, sentencing, universities by sally

‘Court hears University of Birmingham student Imran Uddin, 25, used a keyboard spying device to steal staff passwords and then upped five exam marks ‘

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 24th April 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

GCSE and A-level results changed for 43,500 on appeal – BBC News

Posted October 21st, 2014 in appeals, education, examinations, news by sally

‘More than 43,000 exam grades from this summer have been changed after schools challenged the results, up by 15%.’

Full story

BBC News, 21st October 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ofqual: teachers must come clean on dodgy exam tactics – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 6th, 2014 in examinations, news, teachers by sally

‘Ofqual, the qualifications watchdog, says it may introduce new rules to prevent teachers using dubious tactics such as rehearsing test answers to inflate pupils’ GCSE results.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 5th June 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Trainee barrister accused boyfriend of rape to get out of sitting legal exams – Daily Telegraph

‘Rhiannon Brooker, a trainee lawyer, faces jail after being found guilty of make up allegations of rape and assault against her boyfriend.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 5th June 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Landmark legal case to rule whether GP exam ‘discriminates’ against Asian and black doctors – The Independent

‘Hundreds of black and Asian doctors have had promising careers “halted” because of racial discrimination in the way GPs are examined, a leading doctor has claimed, before a landmark High Court hearing in which two pillars of the medical establishment will be accused of breaching equality laws.’

Full story

The Independent, 6th April 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Evolution exam questions cannot be blocked, says Ofqual – BBC News

Posted April 2nd, 2014 in education, examinations, news, school children by sally

‘Schools will not be allowed to screen out exam questions which contradict their religious ethos, says England’s exams watchdog.’

Full story

BBC News, 31st March 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Driving test candidates must sit exam in English or Welsh – BBC News

Posted October 14th, 2013 in conspiracy, consultations, driving licences, examinations, fraud, interpreters, news by sally

“All driving test candidates will have to sit the written theory exam in either English or Welsh after a ban on foreign languages by the UK government.”

Full story

BBC News, 11th October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk