Cribsheet 06.06.11

Education news and features from the Guardian University lecturers and students reacted with dismay on Sunday after a group of leading British academics took a step towards the establishment of an elite US-style university system in the UK by launching a new private college offering £18,000-a-year courses. AC Grayling, a professor of philosophy at the universities of London and Oxford, will welcome the first students to the New College of the Humanities to study for degrees in English, philosophy, history, economics and law taught by academics from Harvard, Princeton, Oxford and Cambridge. Grayling said the decision to set up New College came after the government cut subsidies to humanities and social science subjects and introduced increased competition by allowing universities to charge annual tuition fees of up to £9,000. He admitted the business model might seem unusual for a group of professors who are, for the most part, "pink around the gills and a little bit left of centre", but he said government cuts meant going private was the only way to provide a high-quality humanities education and he predicted more universities would go private. Grayling and the 13 other founding professors own one third of the business while the rest is shared between a group of wealthy businessmen who will draw dividends. News of the project's launch set the comment boards alight and the reaction was almost 100% hostile. Strummered's reaction was fairly typical: Private universities are not the future unless the future you desire is one of division, inequality, and entirely fuelled by selfishness and greed. It was echoed by rawraw : How dreadful – these academics sinking to the depths of trying to get as much money as possible. What a message to their students. While LordArthurCrumpley – who happens to be employed in the higher education sector himself – intimated that if the Guardian is to carry on reporting on this topic it might be responsible for him needing to purchase a new keyboard: Thanks for the near-destruction of my keyboard. I mean with the tide of vomit that I very nearly let loose after reading this item. I currently work in the higher education sector on the continent. Desperately underfunded – even if I stay in it until I drop dead, I'll probably never make in my lifetime the equivalent of the 54K quid that these degrees are going to cost ... But I'd sooner slice open my own entrails than be a party to this loathesome return to a feudal society of a miniscule group of literati. While Carl4sparta points readers to comments made by AC Grayling in an article he wrote for the Guardian in November 2009. University education should be provided free of charge to all those suitably qualified for it, as a national investment that goes far beyond its benefit to the offices and factories of the land. Carl4Sparta is also promoting on his blog a public meeting to oppose the new college. While most of the comment posters were angry, others were tempted by what Grayling is offering. Oxbridge student Emmaviolet said: I'm at Oxbridge and, honestly, I agree with Grayling, Dawkins, et al. The quality of teaching here is getting steadily worse, because it's just not sustainable ... I don't think either Oxford or Cambridge are about to privatise, and I think it's wonderful that so many people get the opportunity to study here. Personally, however, I feel it may have been better for me to have enrolled at the New College of Humanities, and let somebody else – who either couldn't afford NCH or, perhaps, was really interested in going into academia – take up a place at Cambridge. It sounds like NCH are doing everything they can to widen access, within the realms of possibility for a private university. Beyond that, I really think that a degree there sounds more relevant for a future professional career – which most at Cambridge are extraordinarily underprepared for. That, I think, could make this degree worth an extra £27,000 loan. rjak75 made a similar point. The reality is that government cuts to humanities funding will mean that there will be insufficient places at state-funded universities for bright students who want to study humanities ... Although most students will have to pay to attend the university, this is a choice (and is no different or worse than the choice to attend a private secondary school) And SoAnnoyed is "quite jealous" of the "excellent" academic course outline. Only time will tell. More education news from the Guardian • The home secretary, Theresa May, has criticised universities for their "complacency" in tackling radicalisation and Islamic extremism on campus. The remarks pre-empt publication of the government's revised Prevent strategy, which was originally launched in 2007 to stop the growth of homegrown terrorism. • Black, middle-class parents told researchers that teachers treat them as if they know less about education than white peers • Oxford and Cambridge dons attempting to force the resignation of the universities minister, David Willetts, have been given a boost by a declaration from the politician's former economics tutor that he had "no confidence in him". AN Wilson's boarding school diary AN Wilson has written a truly shocking piece about the sadistic treatment he received as a young boy at boarding school and the effect it had on his perception of the adult world. In tomorrow's Education Guardian For the first time Education Guardian will publish the People & Planet Green League, ranking universities for their environmental policies and performance. Carbon emissions are rising on 63% of campuses and 71% of universities still get all their energy from fossil fuels. Find out how well your university is performing, tune in to our live chat about the results and follow the debate on twitter using the hashtag #greenleague Also: • Louise Tickle reports on the huge increase in enrolments to learn a trade • Are affluent parents failing their children by shunning technology in classrooms? • Durham University is facing a rebellion from staff after accepting money from a tobacco company • Peter Scott looks at the ugly side of universities overseas adventures Explore Glasgow school of Art I'm dazzled twice over by this 360-degree panoramic interactive photograph of the library at the Glasgow School of Art. Once by Rennie Mackintosh's masterpiece itself and then again by the technology that allows me to explore the nooks and crannies of this amazing room from my desk in King's Cross. D-Day teaching resources Guardian Teacher Network have teamed up with the Imperial War Museum in London and uploaded a series of brilliant D-Day resources, that land students back on the Normandy beaches on 6th June 1944 where they are tasked with being war correspondents. Students get access to photos, eyewitness accounts and details of the world's largest invasion operation to find out how the movements of two million men, 4,000 ships and 12,000 aircraft were kept secret from the Germans. The lessons are aimed at 11 to 16 year-olds. You can find it all here. An open invitation to Emmeline Pankhurst's birthday party Artist in residence at the Pankhurst Centre in Manchester Charlotte Newson is encouraging schools to celebrate Pankhurst's birthday on July 14, and has created a birthday kit for teachers to download. Guardian Education Centre seminars for teachers Reading for Pleasure This half-day conference for primary school teachers will help you inspire students to read with pleasure and maintain the reading habit. Andy Stanton , author of the Mr Gum series, will be joined by Julia Eccleshare, Guardian children's books editor, and reading development experts. Time: 1 July, 9.15-12.45. Cost: £48, including refreshments and resources Insight into Journalism: investigative and features journalism This seminar, part of our popular Insight into Journalism series, gives secondary school teachers and college tutors the chance to spend a day at the Guardian. You'll meet specialist journalists from the investigations team, find out from writers what makes a good features article and learn about commissioning, editing and interview techniques. Time: 8 July, 9.15-4.30. Cost: £72, including lunch and resources Education seminars from Guardian Professional Making the most of media opportunities to enhance your school's profile Whether it's sharing good news or handling a crisis, headteachers and school management teams need to be able to handle the media in all of its forms. This one-day seminar in association with the NAHT is essential for new and aspiring heads as well as established school leaders who wish to update their knowledge. It includes a session on social media, 13 June, Birmingham and 20 September, London Distinctiveness and branding in higher education Higher education institutions will struggle in the marketplace unless they stand out from competitors and make sense to stakeholders. The Guardian's half-day seminar in partnership with the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education will explore what it takes to develop and maintain a distinctive brand that attracts students, staff and funders. Participants will hear from experts, examine case studies and have the opportunity to network with peers, 28 June, London Find us on the Guardian website EducationGuardian.co.uk All today's EducationGuardian stories Follow us on Twitter and Facebook EducationGuardian on Twitter Judy Friedberg on Twitter Jeevan Vasagar on Twitter Jessica Shepherd on Twitter Claire Phipps on Twitter EducationGuardian on Facebook EducationGuardian resources The Guardian University Guide 2011 The Guardian Postgraduate Guide 2011 School league tables The world's top 100 universities Updating table of university fee announcements for 2012 From Guardian Professional The Higher Education Network for university professionals Free online classroom resources on the Teacher Network Job vacancies in education More about Cribsheet Sign up to get Cribsheet as a daily email To advertise in the Cribsheet email, contact Sunita Gordon on 0203 353 2447 or email [email protected] Subscribe to get Cribsheet as an RSS feed Interested in social policy too? Sign up for Society Daily Judy Friedberg is currently on holiday, so I will be writing cribsheet this week and I am always happy to hear from readers with story ideas. You can email me via my Guardian email. And follow me on twitter at FDWhitehead