Unravelling the hidden curriculum to unlock true inclusion

Every society and culture has its own subtle nuances and unspoken rules or things that shape behaviours and expectations, influencing our lived experiences. Similarly, these fluid aspects can emerge in our learning experiences at higher education institutions, such as universities. For those working in higher education, it's important to be aware o...

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How many marking errors were there in this year's exams?

In my blog last August, posted shortly before the exam results, I suggested that there "may be more marking errors than you think". That all depends, of course, on what you might think; but now that Ofqual have published their statistics on reviews of marking following challenges to the results, we know exactly how many marking errors were discover...

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Ofqual's new "General Conditions of Recognition"

A few weeks ago, Ofqual introduced six new principles within their "General Conditions of Recognition", the rules with which awarding organisations must comply. Two of these new principles are: Principle 1 – An awarding organisation must act with honesty and integrity.Principle 5 – An awarding organisation must act in an open, transparent and co-op...

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Four features of this year’s exam results that might be a surprise…

This year's A level results were accompanied, as usual, by pictures of joyously jumping teenagers, and searching analyses of lots of numbers, such as why 28.4% of the grades awarded to boys were A and A*, but only 28.2% to girls. Much the same is likely to be reported about the GCSE grades when they are announced on Thursday. All good, and importan...

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Harvard international student ban: What it could mean for global higher education

The ongoing legal battle surrounding Harvard University's ability to enroll international students has cast a long shadow over the future of higher education in the United States. This dramatic move by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which revoked Harvard's certification to sponsor international students citing non-compliance with federal...

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