Text 4 'Give us a little more respect,' demand stressed-out teachers

guardian.co.uk, Saturday 12 May 2012 21.55 BST

Wilshaw believes that Britain's schools have "tolerated mediocrity for too long". The UK is ranked 25th in the world for reading, 28th for maths and 16th for science, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). "Considering the investment that the UK makes in education, considering it is an advanced economy, the UK should be doing better", said Andreas Schleicher, the OECD's special adviser on education who has been previously praised for his work by Gove. But he adds that there is one key factor that makes an education system successful.

"The quality of an education system can never exceed the quality of its teachers," he said. "And basically if you want to get the best people into the teaching profession, if you want to attract bright people into the profession, you need to offer them something and that something is associated with status. The status of the profession is of fundamental importance. The teaching job has become much more demanding. We expect teachers to personalise learning rather than teaching everyone in the same mould; we expect them to take over the functions of family. The stress often comes from teachers feeling left alone."

Text 4 'Give us a little more respect,' demand stressed-out teachers

guardian.co.uk, Saturday 12 May 2012 21.55 BST

Stephen Twigg, the shadow education secretary, today will pledge to bolster the status and quality of teachers should Labour get back in power in 2015. He points to the example of Japan, where the role of teacher is sought after and held in high esteem. Along with South Korea, Finland, Canada and New Zealand, Japan is one of the top performing countries in education and newly qualified teachers can take up to a decade to find a placement. In Japan teachers work for their local authority, which decides where they teach and moves them every three to five years to enhance teaching at a school that may be in need of help and to improve professional practice by providing new challenges. There is little or no competition between schools for pupils but constant collaboration to ensure lessons are of a high enough standard. Teachers are encouraged to spend time researching and practising together to refine lessons in a process known as Kounaikenshuu. The government is hands-off. There are no national tests until the end of secondary education.

Twigg points out the contrast. David Cameron's recent suggestion that children should stand up when their teachers walk into a room may have its merits but surely, Twigg says, it is up to the professionals to make those decisions.

Text 5 un moves to compensate the victims of terrorism

Toby Helm, Tracy McVeigh and Emma Craig

guardian.co.uk, Saturday 12 May 2012 21.12 BST

Groups set up to support victims and the bereaved have welcomed the progress that is being made.

The report comes after a four-year campaign by the family of Mumbai bomb victim Will Pike, 31, who was left disabled. Along with other British victims of the Mumbai attacks – and of those in Bali, Turkey and Egypt – Pike was left without financial help to cope with his injuries.

Few states outside western Europe have satisfactory compensation systems, including the US, although Washington did set up a special scheme to compensate 9/11 victims.

The report will say that full and effective reparation should include, as appropriate, restitution, compensation and rehabilitation.

It also says states should consider whether to legislate to prohibit the sale or marketing of life assurance policies that contain an exclusion for deaths that result from acts of terrorism.

In the UK, victims of terrorism can apply for compensation through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. Payments range from £1,000 to £500,000. However, while the UK has a system in place, survivors of the 7/7 attacks have complained of long delays.

In April this year, the justice secretary, Kenneth Clarke, set out details under which the UK government would make ex gratia payments to victims of terrorist incidents which take place outside the UK. These range from payments for minor wounds such as tendon injuries (£2,500) to quadriplegia, which would qualify for a payment of £250,000.