With regular teaching hours unavailable, agency tutors must compete for lessons
The British Council has been accused of exploiting hundreds of agency teachers on zero-hour contracts forced to compete for lessons in a “feeding frenzy” every week.
An open letter from teaching staff reveals the prestigious government-funded public body does not offer regular hours to tutors on its popular English Online platform, which provides lessons to more than 45,000 students worldwide.
Cambridge scientist behind VR platform says it could help those put off by high cost of speech anxiety treatment
A free online platform that allows speakers to practise in front of thousands of virtual spectators has been released to help with the anxiety many feel when presenting to an audience.
Dr Chris Macdonald, the founder of the Immersive Technology Lab at Cambridge University and who created the online platform, said the approach was an attempt to reduce the lengthy waits or high costs people often face when seeking help.
She is right to suggest that young people react badly to being considered empty vessels into which information is poured. Good teachers in our education system have avoided this model of learning for some time. However, the idea that children who find it difficult to work cooperatively would be better learning remotely fills me with dismay.