Data protection for schools and higher education institutions – 3PB

Posted November 4th, 2021 in codes of practice, data protection, education, news, universities by sally

‘Slightly different from the topic envisaged at the end of part 2 of the cyber series, this article deals with two circumstances. Firstly, the right to access educational data via a subject access request (prompted by a recent issue in my caseload) and, secondly, the data protection obligations owed by further and higher education institutions (“HEIs”) in situations of crisis on campus.’

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3PB, 26th October 2021

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

Research reveals rapes and assaults admitted to by male UK students – The Guardian

Posted October 29th, 2021 in consent, news, rape, sexual offences, statistics, universities by sally

‘The first survey examining sexual violence by male UK students has shone a light on misogyny at universities, with scores admitting to rape, sexual assault and other forcible acts.’

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The Guardian, 29th October 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Do Employers Discriminate Against People Without Degrees? – Each Other

Posted October 25th, 2021 in education, employment, equality, human rights, news, statistics, universities by sally

‘In 1999, then Prime Minister Tony Blair pledged that by 2010 half of all under-30s should go on to university, with the aim, in part, of bettering their chances of securing rewarding and well-paid jobs. The target was first met in 2017/2018 and now nearly 60% of sixth form leavers progress on to a degree course. However, in the age of the pandemic, is university really the best route into employment from both a practical and human rights perspective?’

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Each Other, 22nd October 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

Sexual abuse in School – Adopting a zero-tolerance approach – 3 Hare Court

‘In April this year, thousands of anonymous reports were shared by students on Everyone’s Invited, a website which encourages young survivors of sexual abuse to share their stories. After these reports were received, Everyone’s Invited decided to name the schools implicated in these accounts. Of the 2,962 schools identified, 2,556 are secondary schools and 406 primary schools and 119 universities. To date, in excess of 51,000 testimonies have been shared on the site.’

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3 Hare Court, 1st September 2021

Source: www.3harecourt.com

UK academic sues university after losing role in critical race theory row – The Guardian

‘Aysha Khanom claims discrimination after Leeds Beckett accused her of using “racist language” in tweets.’

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The Guardian, 16th March 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Offering more law degrees “could save struggling universities” – Legal Futures

Posted July 23rd, 2021 in brexit, budgets, coronavirus, education, legal education, news, universities by sally

‘Universities should prioritise law degrees for investment because they produce “better employability outcomes”, are “comparatively cheap to deliver” and “well-suited to remote or blended learning”, a report has found.’

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Legal Futures, 22nd July 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High Court criticises Bar Standards Board for “unjust” decisions – Legal Futures

Posted July 23rd, 2021 in barristers, legal education, news, universities by sally

‘The High Court has ruled that the Bar Standards Board (BSB) made “unjust and unsustainable” decisions in refusing a Bar student’s application for an exemption from the vocational element of his training.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd July 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Campus free speech law in England ‘likely to have opposite effect’ – The Guardian

Posted May 13th, 2021 in bills, freedom of expression, news, universities by sally

‘A controversial bill forcing universities in England to promote free speech has been attacked by freedom of expression campaigners, who say the legislation is more likely to have the opposite effect.’

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The Guardian, 12th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Universities could face fines over free speech breaches – BBC News

‘Universities in England could face fines under new legislation if they fail to protect free speech on campus.’

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BBC News, 12th May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Universities ignoring rape culture warnings, say campaigners – The Guardian

‘Universities have ignored repeated warnings to tackle rape culture on campus, and left themselves exposed to lawsuits and reputational damage, according to lawyers and campaigners.’

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The Guardian, 15th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Everyone’s Invited: Schools abuse helpline and review launched – BBC News

Posted April 1st, 2021 in child abuse, harassment, news, school children, sexual offences, universities by sally

‘A helpline and immediate review into sexual abuse in schools have been set up by the government in response to thousands of allegations from students.’

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BBC News, 31st March 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Wide LPC attainment gap based on provider and ethnicity – Legal Futures

‘The disparity between the best and worst legal practice course (LPC) providers has continued to grow, with only 23% of students passing at one institution.’

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Legal Futures, 26th March 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law in a Time of Crisis by Jonathan Sumption review – beyond the lockdown sceptic – The Guardian

‘The former judge and renowned historian loses his cool on Covid and the culture wars.’

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The Guardian, 3rd March 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Free speech in Universities – Monckton Chambers

Posted February 18th, 2021 in chambers articles, compensation, freedom of expression, news, universities by sally

‘Free speech in Universities, or the lack thereof, is in the spotlight. On 16 February 2021, it is was reported in the mainstream media that the government is to bring forward legislation that will enable academics, students or visiting students who are “no-platformed” to sue universities for compensation where they feel they have suffered because their right to free speech has been curtailed. Apparently, the proposal is one of a number which will be put forward by the Secretary of State for Education, in order to protect free speech in universities in England. The Guardian reported that “the government wants to introduce a statutory tort for breaches of the free speech duty, which would enable academic staff or students who have been expelled, dismissed or demoted to seek redress through the courts.” The government is also proposing to appoint a “free speech champion”, who will be responsible for investigating potential infringements of free speech in the higher education sector.’

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Monckton Chambers, 17th February 2021

Source: www.monckton.com

Proposed free speech law will make English universities liable for breaches – The Guardian

Posted February 16th, 2021 in freedom of expression, news, statutory duty, universities by sally

‘The government is to introduce legislation that will enable academics, students or visiting speakers who are no-platformed to sue universities for compensation where they feel they have suffered because of free speech infringements.’

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The Guardian, 16th February 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

A cheaper route to qualifying? ULaw unveils SQE pricing – Legal Futures

Posted February 10th, 2021 in education, fees, legal education, news, solicitors, universities by sally

‘The University of Law (ULaw) has unveiled a range of courses to prepare students for Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), costing from £500 to £16,500 – the latter being little different from the legal practice course (LPC).’

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Legal Futures, 10th February 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Bar students and BPP at odds over face-to-face exam this week – Legal Futures

Posted January 6th, 2021 in barristers, coronavirus, examinations, legal education, news, universities by sally

‘Last night’s announcement of a new lockdown has thrown a new element into the dispute between BPP Law School and Bar students over a scheduled face-to-face exam this week.’

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Legal Futures, 5th January 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law conversion course applications jump by nearly a quarter since pandemic – The Guardian

Posted December 15th, 2020 in coronavirus, legal education, news, statistics, universities by sally

‘According to the Central Applications Board (CAB), applications for the GDL increased by 22.5% from 2019 to 2020. Numbers are rising and providers say it’s down to Covid. “We have had a bumper GDL intake this year, which I reckon is our highest intake for years,” says Tony Storey, programme leader at Northumbria University.

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The Guardian, 15th December 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

BAILII grants access to judgments for mass AI analysis – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 14th, 2020 in artificial intelligence, judgments, news, universities by sally

‘England and Wales court judgments are for the first time being opened to mass analysis by artificial intelligence, the Gazette can reveal. Under an agreement announced today, the British and Irish Legal Information Institute (BAILII) has granted academics at Oxford University bulk access to its database of 400,000 judgments for research purposes.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 14th December 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Students may be compensated for lost teaching during UK lockdown – The Guardian

Posted November 26th, 2020 in compensation, coronavirus, education, news, regulations, universities by sally

‘Students could be awarded financial compensation for lost teaching time during the Covid-19 lockdown after the higher education complaints watchdog told an institution to pay £1,000 to an international student.’

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The Guardian, 26th November 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com