British firms eye Oman's health, education sectors

Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) as well as Oman Centre for Investment Promotion and Export Development (OCIPED) and firms from the oil and gas sector.

With London and the UK's south east region contributing the majority of the UK's £500mn trade with Oman, the region is looking to consolidate Britain's place as the No 1 investor in Oman, said Dermot Shean, trade adviser with UK Trade and Investment South East.

Although retaining its traditional focus on the defence and oil and gas sectors, Shean told Muscat Daily that UK companies are looking at expanding into a range of other sectors including ports, infrastructure, healthcare and education.

Throughout the visit, the delegation held a series of one-on-one meetings with Omani counterparts at the OCCI as well as visits to a host of government departments, from which many delegates left with genuine interest, said UK Trade and Investment international trade adviser Carolyn Bentley.

"After the meeting at the OCCI, where each company had a table, some of them made some very useful contacts and are going on to further meetings this week while they are here."

NEWS BY:http://www.muscatdaily.com/Archive/Stories-Files/British-firms-eye-Oman-s-health-education-sectors

UK students switch to US universities

Within four years, a quarter of sixth formers at a leading UK independent school will be heading for universities in the United States.

That's the prediction of Anthony Seldon, head of Wellington College in Berkshire.

Dr Seldon, one of the UK's most prominent head teachers, says that ambitious teenagers are looking further afield than ever before in their university choices.

The lure of well-funded US universities, with more broad-based course options, is proving increasingly attractive to youngsters in the UK, he says.

At a recent talk with pupils, he said that about 40% claimed to want to go to US universities, with the expectation that many of these will actually go on to enrol.

This surge in academic wanderlust reflects the experience of the Fulbright Commission, which promotes educational links between the US and UK.

The level of interest is "rising sharply" this year, says commission director Lauren Welch.

They were taken aback when 4,000 students turned up for a US university recruitment fair in London last month - double previous years.

When admissions figures are known in the new year, she expects a spike in applications.

The most recent figures, from this autumn's intake, saw big increases in applications from students in the UK to universities such as Harvard, Yale and the University of Pennsylvania.

Students wanting to apply to US universities can take the SAT common entrance test in the UK - and the College Board which runs the test reported a 30% increase in such UK candidates.

The introduction of higher tuition fees at UK universities, up to £9,000 per year, is pushing students to think much harder about their options. It's also changing the balance of what is affordable.

Dr Seldon says that universities in the UK are going to have to take more care about what they're offering in terms of contact hours, subject options and pastoral care. The competition is now global.

He says that for the price of UK fees, students are being offered courses in Hong Kong, with change for the air fares home. There are also pupils looking at universities in Canada, Australia, China, South Africa and in continental Europe, he says.
Budget Harvard

The headline price of US universities can be dauntingly high - the top bracket are above $50,000 (£32,000) per year - but this is often offset by high levels of means-tested financial support.

Harvard spokesman Jeff Neal says the university has seen growing numbers of students from the UK and that families with "low and middle incomes will likely pay no more to send their students to Harvard than to a UK university".

From next year, students at Harvard from families earning below $65,000 (£41,000) per year will not have to pay any tuition fees.

The most competitive US universities, hungry for the most talented students, recruit from around the world, with means-tested support available.

So what's it like to go from a school in England to an Ivy League institution?

Jason Parisi, from Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, has started this term at Yale and talks enthusiastically about his experiences.

He says he was drawn by the quality of the course on offer, and the belief that the international experience would give him an advantage in the jobs market when he returned, marking him out from the rest of the graduates.

NEWS BY:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15963688

The Friends of Dulwich College - Grand Festive Fair 2011

Our ‘Deck the Halls’ annual festive event run by the Friends of Dulwich College, is in the final stages of planning and promises to be bigger and better than ever. With over 120 fabulous stalls, selling high quality gifts for all ages and tastes, it is an unmissable seasonal event. Many describe it as a one stop Christmas shopping day. We have been inundated with applications for stalls this year and have vendors travelling from as far away as Wales, Dorset & Norfolk to sell their wares. (do remember that we have no credit card facilities!)

Our hugely popular Food Hall will again have mouth-watering fare that rivals that in Knightsbridge , and this year we are extending our catering courtyard to a traffic free zone in the car park. Hot food, mulled wine and lots of other warming treats will be available. Our popular café run by the Junior School, will as ever, be a place to take a break over hot drinks and lovely home made baked goodies. There is festive musical entertainment planned alongside the café and this year the Art Department are staging an exhibition of their work, which can be purchased as unusual gifts for family and friends.

As always, we carefully choose a charity to which we donate a large proportion of our overall proceeds .This year we have decided to support Hassan White a Dulwich College pupil who was sadly involved in a road accident last year and is only just learning to take his first steps again after months of recuperation. We hope to support his recovery by the purchase of a special piece of equipment for him. We do not usually charge an entrance fee for the fair but this year we will have buckets at the doors for donations of change for this worthy cause.  Please dig deep into your pockets for him.

Staff members are again donning their boots for sporting entertainment, so do take time out to watch their endeavours! They will also be raising money for Hassan. Our U15 footballers will be raising money to help towards their tour costs and will be organising Beat the Goalie competitions. They are also planning to wash cars while you shop (weather permitting).

Our raffle promises to be another star attraction and all proceeds will go this year to Childline.

Last year we introduced a Fun Zone, run by our Lower School Boys. By popular demand we are repeating this as it was not only huge fun for our younger visitors but also allowed the boys to raise money for charities close to their own hearts.

Our smallest guests will be charmed by the elves in our Santa’s workshop and all visitors receive a fabulous Christmas Gift from the man himself.

We hope to see you at this fabulous event ….wrap up warm and do bring good weather if you can….

NEWS BY:http://www.dulwich.org.uk/college/news-events/events/college-events/2011/10/06/the-friends-of-dulwich-college---grand-festive-fair-2011

Latest parliamentary news on education

Schools, access to higher education and support for students has been debated on several occasions in Parliament recently. Find all the latest information on the Education Bill and other parliamentary material.

Education Bill

The Government's Education Bill was introduced into the House of Commons on 26 January 2011.The Bill seeks to implement the legislative proposals in the Department for Education’s schools White Paper, 'The Importance of Teaching' and measures from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills relating to skills and the reform of higher education funding.

The Bill had its second reading on 8 February 2011 and is currently being considered by a Public Bill Committee.

    Commons news: Second reading of Education Bill
    Department for Education: Schools White Paper 'The importance of teaching'

Keep up to date with all the proceedings and documents on the Education Bill. Also find out how a Bill becomes an of Parliament.

    Bills before Parliament 2010-12: Education Bill
    About Parliament: Passage of a Bill

Academies Bill [HL]

The Government's Academies Bill was introduced into the House of Lords on 26 May 2010. The Bill completed all its stages in the House of Lords and was then sent to the House of Commons for consideration.

The Bill received Royal Assent on 27 July 2010. The Academies Act 2010 enables more schools in England to become Academies.

    Bills before Parliament 2010-12: Academies Bill [HL]
    Lords news: Academies Bill receives second reading (7 June 2010)
    Lords news: Academies Bill committee stage: day one (21 June 2010)
    Lords news: Academies Bill committee stage: day two and three (23 and 28 June 2010)
    Lords news: Academies Bill report stage (6 and 8 July 2010)
    Lords news: Academies Bill receives third reading (13 July 2010)
    Commons news: Second reading of Academies Bill (16 July 2010)
    Commons news: Committee stage and third reading of the Academies Bill (21, 22 and 26 July 2010)

House of Commons Library analysis

The House of Commons Library regularly produce briefing papers which inform MPs about key issues. The Library has published a number of briefing papers on the Education Bill and higher education.

    Commons Library Research Paper: Education Bill (PDF 837 KB)
    Commons Library Research Paper: Academies Bill [HL] (PDF 563KB)
    Commons Library briefing paper: Changes to higher education funding and student support from 2012/13 (PDF 347KB)
    Commons Library briefing paper: Entrants to higher education (PDF 249KB)
    Commons Library briefing paper: Higher education finance statistics (PDF 146KB)

NEWS BY:http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2011/april/latest-parliamentary-news-on-education/

UK: £11m distributed to cut university emissions

Nearly £11 million (US$17 million) in interest-free loans has been distributed to fund projects that will reduce universities' carbon emissions, writes David Matthews for Times Higher Education.

Four major projects and 24 smaller schemes will receive money in the second round of the Revolving Green Fund, distributed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The fund is 'revolving' because money saved by the institutions in energy bills is then recycled into new projects. The University of Exeter is one of four institutions to receive money to carry out major work, while a further two dozen institutions will be funded for smaller projects.

Full report on the Times Higher Education site

NEWS BY:http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20120113194341333

The Friends of Dulwich College - Grand Festive Fair 2011

Our ‘Deck the Halls’ annual festive event run by the Friends of Dulwich College, is in the final stages of planning and promises to be bigger and better than ever. With over 120 fabulous stalls, selling high quality gifts for all ages and tastes, it is an unmissable seasonal event. Many describe it as a one stop Christmas shopping day. We have been inundated with applications for stalls this year and have vendors travelling from as far away as Wales, Dorset & Norfolk to sell their wares. (do remember that we have no credit card facilities!)

Our hugely popular Food Hall will again have mouth-watering fare that rivals that in Knightsbridge , and this year we are extending our catering courtyard to a traffic free zone in the car park. Hot food, mulled wine and lots of other warming treats will be available. Our popular café run by the Junior School, will as ever, be a place to take a break over hot drinks and lovely home made baked goodies. There is festive musical entertainment planned alongside the café and this year the Art Department are staging an exhibition of their work, which can be purchased as unusual gifts for family and friends.

As always, we carefully choose a charity to which we donate a large proportion of our overall proceeds .This year we have decided to support Hassan White a Dulwich College pupil who was sadly involved in a road accident last year and is only just learning to take his first steps again after months of recuperation. We hope to support his recovery by the purchase of a special piece of equipment for him. We do not usually charge an entrance fee for the fair but this year we will have buckets at the doors for donations of change for this worthy cause.  Please dig deep into your pockets for him.

Staff members are again donning their boots for sporting entertainment, so do take time out to watch their endeavours! They will also be raising money for Hassan. Our U15 footballers will be raising money to help towards their tour costs and will be organising Beat the Goalie competitions. They are also planning to wash cars while you shop (weather permitting).

Our raffle promises to be another star attraction and all proceeds will go this year to Childline.

NEWS BY:http://www.dulwich.org.uk/college/news-events/events/college-events/2011/10/06/the-friends-of-dulwich-college---grand-festive-fair-2011