Media digest: 30 October 2015

FE strike still on

A scheduled for Tuesday 10 November is going ahead, 瓜神网 confirmed today. 瓜神网 said that although there were no talks scheduled between now and the strike date, it remained keen to talk.

瓜神网 told that although talks took place on Wednesday to discuss the Association of Colleges' offer of a pay freeze in 2015/16, a conclusion proved elusive and planning for the 10 November strike action would continue.

Prime Minister calls for change to university admissions

Writing in on Monday, the Prime Minister announced that Ucas will make university applications 'name-blind' from 2017 in an attempt to tackle the risk of unconscious bias against black applicants.

, but argued that university applications needed a complete overhaul with students applying to university after they receive their exam results. A from 瓜神网 earlier this year revealed that seven in 10 staff involved with university applications backed a system which relied on actual achievement, rather than predicted results.

The union said an overhaul of the system would address the problem of and abolish the need for unconditional offers for university places, which are .

Open University draws strength from regional tutors

Two letters in Tuesday's about the planned closure of seven regional centres at The Open University both mentioned the importance of the relationship between students and staff. Under the university's proposals over 500 staff are at risk of losing their job of facing redeployment.

A against the closures has already received over 5,600 signatures and Bassetlaw MP John Mann has tabled an in the House of Commons that opposes the closures.

Strike ballot at University of Manchester in jobs row

瓜神网 members at the University of Manchester are to be after the union accused managers of ignoring agreed procedures and pushing staff into redundancy. The ballot opens on Monday and closes on Friday 20 November.

Speaking to the , 瓜神网 regional official Martyn Moss said: 'Out of the blue, 37 people who thought they were safely on the books of the university suddenly face a redundancy process. The university ignored its own rules, when it shut down discussions with the trade unions and dramatically shifted the goalposts for these 37 staff.

Vince Cable warns that government's Prevent plans will lead to bland society

Former business secretary Vince Cable has warned that government efforts to curb extremism will lead to universities banning speakers such as Nigel Farage and Germaine Greer in efforts to demonstrate impartiality.

reported that the former Liberal Democrat MP warned that government's controversial would lead to a society where bland and uncontroversial views prevail, killing debate.

瓜神网 urges Scottish politicians to back better scrutiny of universities

瓜神网 Scotland this week ahead of a debate on governance in Scottish institutions. 瓜神网 Scotland official, Mary Senior, said: 'The time has come for proper scrutiny of our universities and we strongly support measures in the higher education governance bill for elected chairs of governing bodies and student and trade union nominees sitting at the top table.'

瓜神网 also told senior managers and university principals to stop carping from the sidelines and work with the rest of the sector in the interest of better governance of Scottish universities. Some universities and business representatives have of students and staff on governing bodies.