We fact check and explain issues about schools, teacher shortages, childcare, universities, and qualifications.
Education
Figures supposedly showing that between 95,000 and 135,000 children failed to return to school this term are based on a snapshot of just one day. Read
Education
A BBC News article said 10% of children’s books have an ethnic minority character, but this figure comes from flawed research. Read
Education
A Mail Online article incorrectly claims ‘23% of parents of secondary pupils will insist their children wear masks’. Read
Education
An Evening Standard article claims that almost 100,000 children have not returned to school since the start of the pandemic. Read
Education
Maria Miller is the latest person to misinterpret Ofsted’s survey on abuse in schools Read
Health
Data is based on tests reported and so excludes the many tests taken but not reported. Read
Education
An Ofsted survey did not show that 90% of girls experienced it, although it does appear to be a common problem, from other evidence. Read
Education
The Centre for Social Justice has described around 93,000 pupils as “severely absent” in the 2020 autumn term. Read
Education
A Telegraph article was wrong to say literacy was at its lowest level in history, and that every international league table puts the UK near bottom for literacy and numeracy. Neither is true. Read
Health
Claims that infections among teachers are up to 333% above the average use incomparable datasets Read
