Latest news with #ASCL
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Court shuts Ajmer's Rs 243 crore bridge inaugurated days ago
Ramsetu bridge suffered structural damage after the first rainfall since its construction AJMER: In a damning indictment of public infrastructure management, the Ajmer Judicial Magistrate Court Number-2 on Wednesday ordered to immediately close the newly inaugurated Ramsetu bridge that suffered structural damage last week after the first rainfall since its construction. Rajasthan's Rs 243 crore project, meant to be a symbol of urban development, now stands as a monument to alleged administrative negligence and questionable construction practices. Judge Manmohan Chandel passed the order while treating a joint suit filed by two residents as a PIL. The court has directed both the Ajmer Municipal Corporation (AMC) and the Ajmer Smart City Ltd (ASCL) to submit their responses by July 11. The suit was filed on July 5, after which court issued notices to the district collector, AMC and ASCL. None of the respondents appeared on July 8 leading to a subsequent hearing on July 9. The closure order came on Wednesday despite the corporation's assertion that it had blocked one of the four roads on the elevated stretch. The court noted that since the same material was used in the bridge's construction, the entire structure posed a safety risk. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bogotá: IA: gana hasta $2,700 a la semana trabajando desde casa Gran oportunidad Registro Undo The court's decision came after shocking revelations that the bridge, operational for merely days, showed significant structural deterioration following the season's first heavy rainfall on July 3. More alarmingly, court proceedings revealed the project proceeded without expert consultation, and relied instead on decisions made by a local citizens' forum. The pressing question that people are now grappling with is: How did a multi-crore infrastructure project fail so spectacularly, and who will be held responsible?
The Independent
21 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Government told to fully fund teacher pay rise to prevent school provision cuts
The Government must fully fund the pay rise for teachers in England to prevent cuts to pupil support, activities and staffing, unions have urged. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has been warned that investment in improving school staff's pay and conditions is 'vital' to tackling the teacher recruitment and retention crisis. In May, the Government accepted the recommendations of the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) to boost the salaries of teachers and school leaders in England by 4% from September. Ms Phillipson said schools would receive an additional £615 million of funding this financial year to help cover most of the costs of increased pay awards. But she said schools would have to find around 1% of the pay awards themselves 'through improved productivity and smarter spending'. In a joint response to Ms Phillipson, four education unions have set out their 'united view' on the need for the Government to provide additional investment to fully fund the pay increase for the next academic year. The National Education Union (NEU), the NAHT school leaders' union, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and Community said: 'Investing in the improvements needed to teacher and school leader pay and conditions is vital to tackling the recruitment and retention crisis. 'In the interests not only of teachers and school leaders but of parents, pupils and the wider economy, we need a major pay correction to reverse the real terms pay cuts and repair the competitiveness of pay.' Paul Whiteman, general secretary at NAHT, said financial pressures on schools mean that finding the money for a pay uplift for school leaders and teachers 'is becoming more difficult.' He said: 'Any so-called easy savings have long since been achieved after years of under-investment under previous governments, so the Government must avoid creating a false trade-off between professionals' pay and reductions in support for pupils, curriculum resources and activities. 'Ensuring schools have the dedicated teachers and leaders they need requires sustained Government investment to properly fund further above-inflation pay rises – as well as action to tackle intolerable levels of workload, support flexible working, and implement more far-reaching reform of damaging high-stakes Ofsted inspections.' Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the ASCL, said: 'We urge the Government to provide the funding in full that is needed to cover the cost of the 2025-26 pay award, as the partial funding provided leaves many schools having to make cuts to bridge this shortfall. 'This means reductions in staffing, which has a knock-on effect on the workloads of remaining staff, which in turn affects retention. 'It is a vicious cycle which we must break. This can only be done by ensuring that pay awards are both sufficient and fully funded.' In April, both teaching unions – the NEU and the NASUWT – threatened to take strike action if schools did not get extra funding to pay for salary increases for teachers. It came after the Department for Education (DfE) previously suggested in its written evidence to the STRB in December that a 2.8% pay rise for teachers in 2025/26 would be 'appropriate'. In May, the NEU, the largest education union in the UK, threatened to 'register a dispute' with the Government unless it fully funded the pay rise for teachers. Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, said: 'The Government must respond to the clear evidence and the united voice of the profession. 'To protect our education service and tackle the recruitment and retention crisis, the Government must put in the investment needed to properly value teachers and school leaders.' Helen Osgood, director of operations at Community, said: 'The Government has shown that it is on the side of teachers by supporting the STRB's recommendation of a 4% pay increase from this September. 'Ministers now need to back this up by ensuring that appropriate funding is provided to support the increase. 'This is the only way we can ensure that teacher pay keeps pace against inflation, and that the profession remains competitive within the labour market.'
Techday NZ
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Techday NZ
Microlise drives fleet technology growth across Australia, NZ
Microlise has reported significant growth in its Australia and New Zealand operations, with rising demand for its connected fleet solutions and new customer acquisitions across the region. The company, which began its ANZ operations in 2016 with Coles as its first client, has since established partnerships with almost every major supermarket chain in Australia and New Zealand. Its retail clients now include Woolworths, Metcash, Foodstuffs North Island, Foodstuffs South Island, and Gilmours, while logistics customers feature DHL, and food and beverage companies such as Morco and Aryzta. Regional momentum According to the company's financial results for the fiscal year 2024, the ANZ business segment displayed the fastest growth for Microlise globally since entering the Asia Pacific region. Operations have expanded to cover Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and Auckland, with the regional headquarters located in Melbourne. Luke Olsen, Managing Director at Microlise ANZ, highlighted the importance of relationships and performance for the company's results. "The growth we're seeing across ANZ is a testament to the strength of our partnerships and the value our technology brings to retailers and transport operators. As we scale, our focus remains on delivering measurable impact from efficiency gains to real-time visibility for our customers across the supply chain." Microlise's technology offerings are centred on helping clients in logistics and retail improve operational efficiency, cut emissions, manage costs, and enhance delivery safety. The recent financial year included a marked uplift in hardware deployments and a 27% increase in professional services revenue, supported by greater vehicle availability. Financial performance The group's global financial figures for FY24 reflect the overall growth trajectory, with adjusted group revenue at AUD $153.9 million, annual recurring revenue of AUD $107.54 million, and adjusted EBITDA reaching AUD $21.47 million. Worldwide, Microlise also added 375 new customers during the year. Vehicle supply chain challenges in Australia during the first half of 2024 affected rollouts for new customers. As supply constraints eased in the latter half of the year, deployment of Microlise products across customer fleets increased, supporting additional market growth. Safety and recognition Microlise's focus on fleet safety was acknowledged with the company being named a winner in the 'Fleet Safety Product' category at the 2024 Australasian Fleet Champions Awards. The business was also listed as a finalist in the Automation, Robotics and Emerging Technology category of the ASCL awards. The company's presence continues to grow in the retail sector, with nearly every supermarket chain in Australia and New Zealand now utilising its solutions to manage logistics and transport operations. Ongoing investment Following ongoing customer growth and increased adoption of its solutions, Microlise has committed to further investment in local sales and services in the ANZ region. This includes plans to build on its current staffing across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and Auckland to support fleet operators and retail supply chains. With operations in the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and India, Microlise handles over 626,000 subscriptions annually, serving more than 400 enterprise clients globally across various industries. The company's connected technology platforms are positioned to support compliance, safety, and operational efficiency for logistics and retail customers as the supply chain environment across Australia and New Zealand continues to evolve.
Western Telegraph
30-06-2025
- General
- Western Telegraph
Language GCSE take-up much lower in less affluent schools in England
Around half of GCSE students in state schools in England study a modern foreign language (MFL) – except in the most affluent areas where take-up is significantly higher, according to the British Council's Language Trends report. The survey of teachers at 1,011 schools in England suggests that recruitment challenges hit schools serving disadvantaged communities hardest. Around two in three (68%) of the least affluent schools reported difficulties hiring qualified MFL teachers, compared with 57% in the most affluent schools, according to the report. Schools in more affluent areas are more likely, by over 20 percentage points, to have more pupils learning a language Report In the most affluent schools (quintile one), teachers reported that 69% of Year 11 pupils were studying a language for GCSE on average, compared with 47% in the most deprived schools (quintile five). Overall, teachers reported that 53% of pupils study a language for GCSE. Researchers calculated the quintiles, from least to most deprived areas, based on the percentage of pupils on free school meals (FSMs) – quintile one with the lowest percentage of children on FSMs and quintile five with the highest. The report said: 'Schools in more affluent areas are more likely, by over 20 percentage points, to have more pupils learning a language.' Vicky Gough, schools adviser at the British Council, said: 'This year's report shows a clear gap in language learning linked to socioeconomic background. 'Last year, we found just 6% of students across the UK thought it was very likely they'd use another language in their future career. 'Together, these findings highlight a stark reality: young people from less privileged backgrounds are missing out on opportunities their peers are more likely to access.' The report also suggested that small class sizes are making it harder for schools to keep language courses running at A-level. Just over half of schools reported having the capacity to offer A-level languages, either delivered within the school or in partnership with a neighbouring school. But among the least affluent schools, this figure dropped to just 31%. Report author Dr Ian Collen, from Queen's University Belfast, said: 'I continue to be concerned about small MFL classes not running at A-level. 'Local decisions have national consequences; when multiplied throughout England, it means that the language learning journey stops for hundreds of young people. 'We must invest at post-16 to ensure a healthier pipeline into further and higher education, and indeed the economy. This is one of the subject areas that is affected by severe teacher shortages across the country and these can be most acute in schools serving disadvantaged communities Pepe Di'Iasio, ASCL Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: 'Schools in all communities work very hard to provide excellent opportunities for their students to learn languages and fully recognise the benefits of language learning. 'However, this is one of the subject areas that is affected by severe teacher shortages across the country and these can be most acute in schools serving disadvantaged communities. 'In addition, languages are perceived as a difficult option, and this may deter children from disadvantaged backgrounds who lack academic confidence, and who may have had fewer opportunities to travel than their peers and, therefore, less exposure to other languages. 'We would like to see further action taken to support schools in boosting language learning.' Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'There are huge benefits for children learning a foreign language and there is some excellent language teaching in both primary and secondary schools. 'However, as this report shows, some schools are struggling to recruit the language teachers they need to offer courses at GCSE and beyond, with recruitment targets for modern foreign languages missed in the last couple of years. 'This needs addressing urgently if more pupils are to learn a language.'
Telegraph
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
School inspectors could quit over Ofsted report card plans
School inspectors could quit over plans for Ofsted report cards. Headteacher unions could encourage their members to quit as Ofsted inspectors unless the proposed system is changed. The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) have threatened to take the 'unprecedented step' in the autumn term if there are no changes to the timescale for inspection reform or to the five-point grading scale. In a letter to Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, and Sir Martyn Oliver, the chief inspector of Ofsted, the unions said the proposed action 'underlines the strength of feeling' about the reforms. Ofsted said earlier in June that it would delay setting out its final plan for school inspections in England until September – just weeks before new report cards are due to be rolled out in November. Under the plans, unveiled in February, schools in England could be graded across eight to 10 areas of provision using a colour-coded five-point scale. They would receive ratings, from the red 'causing concern' to orange 'attention needed', through the green shades of 'secure', 'strong' and 'exemplary' for each area of practice. In a letter on Tuesday, the leaders of the ASCL and the NAHT said: 'We are writing to you further to our joint letter with NASUWT and NEU to inform you ASCL council recently determined that unless there are changes to both the timeframe of implementation and to the five-point grading scale, then ASCL will consider encouraging its members to withdraw their service from Ofsted as OIs in the autumn term. 'At its meeting of June 20 the NAHT resolved to do the same. 'This would be an unprecedented step for ASCL and NAHT and underlines the strength of feeling about the proposed reforms.' Ofsted had planned to publish its formal response to its consultation on proposed inspection reforms in the summer term, ahead of the changes coming into effect. Wait caused by feedback But then Sir Martyn said the watchdog planned to wait until September because of the scale of the feedback it had received. The inspectorate said it wanted more time to analyse responses and carry out further testing of proposals to improve the final approach. At the time, Ms Phillipson called the delay 'disappointing'. She added that it was 'important' that Ofsted delivers to the expected timescales to avoid additional challenges for school leaders. Pepe Di'Iasio, ASCL general secretary, said: 'We have voiced our concerns repeatedly over the past few months in discussions with Ofsted and the DfE [Department for Education], but the timetable for implementation has actually got worse rather than better, and there has been no indication so far of likely movement on the five-point grading scale. 'It feels as though we have exhausted the potential for compromise through discussion, and that we have little option other than to consider this more direct form of action.' Ofsted grades were scrapped In 2024, the Government announced that headline Ofsted grades for overall effectiveness for schools in England would be scrapped. Previously, Ofsted awarded one of four judgments: outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate. The move came after the body faced criticism following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry. Mrs Perry took her own life in January 2023 after Ofsted downgraded her Caversham Primary School in Reading, Berkshire, from the highest to the lowest overall effectiveness rating over safeguarding concerns. An Ofsted spokeswoman said: 'Ofsted exists to keep children safe and raise standards. 'Our inspectors do vital work to improve children's lives, including by identifying schools, nurseries and colleges where standards are not high enough. 'It is disappointing that unions are taking legal action and using disruption tactics to frustrate our vital work.'
