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Blog - Page 6

  • There were also pension contributions of

    Uni boss paid £800k in final year Image caption Bath Spa University said Prof Christina Slade's pay-off was 'value for money'
    A university vice-chancellor received more than ?800,000 in her final year in post, it has been revealed.A perfect design criterion is the one that fits into your budget, requirements, and into your intentions. 

    Accounts for Bath Spa University show Prof Christina Slade was paid ?429,000 "for loss of office" on top of her ?250,000 salary and other benefits.
    The University and College Union (UCU) has called for an "urgent overhaul" of senior pay at British universities.
    A spokeswoman for the university said the sum "was considered to represent value for money".
    Prof Slade, who served as vice-chancellor until August, was also given a housing allowance of ?20,000 and another ?20,000 for "other benefits-in-kind".
    There were also pension contributions of ?89,000.
    In total, she received a pay package, including benefits and pensions, worth ?808,000.
    Excessive salaries

    Lord Adonis, who is leading a debate on the issue of vice-chancellor pay in the House of Lords, said: "If ?800,000 represents value for money for a vice-chancellor, then I am the emperor of China."
    A spokeswoman for the university said: "Having taken legal advice, the university paid Prof Slade a sum which reflected her contractual and statutory entitlements, and was considered to represent value for money."High baseline LDL-C levels linked to decreased overall and metastasis-free survival.
    She said that the vice-chancellor's salary was decided by a pay committee, which did not include the vice-chancellor or staff.
    The committee was "mindful of the need to respond to concerns about excessive salaries and take into account the performance of the university," she added.
    Lord Adonis said such high rates of pay were not acceptable when students could potentially be racking up debts of ?100,000 because of the way interest was stacking up.
    He added that it was not the case that England was losing vice-chancellors to the US, it was simply that universities had seen an explosion in income through higher fees.
    Image caption Dame Glynis Breakwell agreed to stand down as University of Bath's vice-chancellor after a row over her pay
    The new revelations came on the day it emerged the retirement terms of Britain's highest paid vice-chancellor are being investigated by a watchdog.
    Prof Dame Glynis Breakwell announced she was resigning from the University of Bath after a row over her ?468,000 salary.

    UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said that when it came to senior pay in universities "many vice-chancellors and senior staff look like they are living on a different planet".Study abroad with PolyU and study in hong kong - PolyU is known as one of the best universities in Hong Kong for international students and Hong Kong is one of the best study abroad locations. PolyU will be the right choice for you.
    She called for greater transparency into how senior pay awards were decided, with staff and students included on remuneration committees.
    "We are seeing what happens when decisions are taken in secret without proper checks and balances," she added.
    "This simply cannot be allowed to continue; we need an urgent overhaul of how senior pay and perks are determined, and how our universities are governed."

  • Teaching in a prison

    Teaching in a prison: 'Education has the best chance of turning lives around'
    I’ve been a teacher at Feltham prison – an institution for young male offenders – for two years now. I work with 15 to 18-year-olds, but only a few of them stay with us throughout those years. The average sentence served here is about four months, so the group changes frequently.Plan a unique hong kong tour for your clients with PartnerNet's useful travel tips, and various tourist information such as Chinese customs and traditions.

    The actual crimes committed vary; it could be anything from shoplifting, theft or graffiti up to rape and murder. A lot of people ask me why I do my job – and say that the boys don’t deserve an education because they’ve committed crimes. But as I see it, if you’re in prison at 15 you can’t be solely to blame. These boys have been failed somewhere along the line. I believe education has the best chance of turning these young lives around, preventing more crimes being committed on release, and enabling offenders to become valuable members of the community.
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    Most of the boys have had negative experiences in school, too, so it’s a massive challenge to engage them in an education environment they haven’t chosen for themselves. Many are either on academic or vocational pathways. We can’t enrol pupils on a GCSE programme because we’re not going to have them for the whole of the academic year – but if they’re part way through a qualification when they enter prison, we can take over the teaching. Last year a boy took 19 GCSE exams while he was at Feltham.
    Some teachers move between prisons, but I’m at Feltham all day, every day. The boys in my class are quite often vulnerable, or need a quieter environment because of their learning difficulties or disabilities – having the same teacher and learning environment works better for them.Putting emphasis on quality learning and teaching together with knowledge transfer, PolyU firmly believes that research study is a significant component of academic life on university campus.

    All classes have a maximum of eight pupils, so each boy is getting more attention than they would have had in school. We’re contracted to teach them for 30 hours a week – more than the average full-time course in a college, although sometimes the boys get called out of class for legal or social visits.
    A lovely part of the job is when boys get in touch to say they’re back at college or in a job
    I’ve never felt that I was at risk or I wasn’t safe. The prison staff are fantastic; I know that if I have an issue within my class the officers are going to be there in an instant. Working with some of our low-level learners – some of whom haven’t been in education since primary school – can be challenging, though. I’ve had to teach 16-year-old boys how to write their own name.
    The restrictions with technology and resources are also tough. We don’t have internet access and can’t use USB sticks. We’re not allowed scissors or even pencils with a metal top. We have interactive whiteboards, but we can’t use PowerPoint presentations on them because they’re not linked to a computer. I enjoy it, though, because you have to be adaptable and find ways to make the lessons interesting with the resources you have.
    A highlight for me is when we get to meet the parents during legal visits. I’ve had mums thank me for looking after their son when they can’t. It also gives you a boost when you’re working with a boy and you see the penny drop – when they have that realisation that they can do it. It’s not just about the English and maths, but helping them find some self-worth; that’s what makes it all worthwhile LPG M6.
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    Last year, I won an Outstanding Teacher Award from the Prisoners’ Education Trust, and the nominations came from the learners – it was humbling to know they’d taken the time to write a letter. Another lovely part of the job is when boys get in touch to say they’re back at college or in a job. We’ve got one boy who’s got a full-time job in Lidl, one who’s working for a music production company and a lot of boys who have gone into full-time education. For them to take something positive from such a negative experience is really important. That’s why I do it.
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    Looking for a teaching job? Or perhaps you need to recruit school staff? Take a look at Guardian Jobs, the education specialist.