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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 8d

Quite so. Plus a renewed commitment to GCSE resits slipped in there, which is quite the commitment given the CAR….

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 8d

I think the former

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 8d

Yeah it’s a combined HE and L4-6 Apprenticeship target, with the latter element being targeted to double by 2040. I assume every funded App counts as “gold standard”

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 8d

So

A) it is some growth
B) but a lot of that will happen naturally
C) London will probably hit it next year naturally (the latest data we have is for 22/23 academic year)

All from here explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statist...

Participation measures in higher education, Academic year 2022/23

Higher Education initial entrants and estimated percentages of participation. Annual statistics that include student characteristics and provider type.

explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 8d

I think current participation rates, in any form of tertiary (level 4+) by the time you’re 25, is 49% in England wide (and 62% in London). It’s 46% of all under 30s. This will grow naturally over time as younger cohorts, more of whom studied at 18 or so, grow to fill more of that up to 25/30 group

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 8d

In fact, it’s even more weird - the implied mix of tertiary attainment by age 30 actually WAS the Blair target!

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 8d

Fair play for getting headlines out of dropping a mythical target for HE entry, briefing it as being anti HE, and in fact setting a new target for tertiary participation. Piss off the people who ought to be happy and make happy the people you want to irritate?

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 9d

We do now :) www.publicfirst.co.uk/couting-the-...

Demand is a lot more elastic for non EU students than the previous estimates of EU students, so we’d expect to see a bigger drop off than the HO estimated

Counting the cost: Modelling the economic impact of a potential levy on international student fees - Public First

In May 2025, HM Government released a white paper called “Restoring Control over the Immigration System”. One policy proposed in this paper was a levy [...]

www.publicfirst.co.uk

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 22d

An excellent pop culture reference, only spoiled by the incorrect spelling of the band, Prof……

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 24d

Are there any other forthcoming bad adaptations of beloved books which you’re worried about, perhaps?

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 26d

Fascinating that it’s not “video nasties” from the 80s or “rap music videos” from the 90s or “violent computer games” from the 00s, but may in fact be “shitposting on 4chan” after all

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 26d

Agreed!

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 26d

Only about half (?) of AEB is devolved at the mo IIRC. And on apprenticeships, it’s v amenable / at risk to govt control still. You cld decide to restrict to young (or old) ppl or change £ rates or defund higher level ones etc and that’s now all driven by dwp priorities not DfE. That’s why it’s big

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 26d

Big shift here - that’s about £5bn all in (and a big political priority) shifting from DfE to DWP

FE Week @feweek.bsky.social · 26d

🚨Breaking: Apprenticeships will shift to the Department for Work and Pensions in the Whitehall skills policy shakeup, Jacqui Smith confirms

feweek.co.uk/dwp-will-tak...

DWP will take over apprenticeships policy, minister confirms

Shifting adult skills and apprenticeships will give "bigger emphasis on skills", Jacqui Smith claims

feweek.co.uk

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Reposted by Jonathan Simons

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 26d

Pet parrots which typically live alone (whilst those in the wild live in large flocks) were given the technology to call each other. They would use it for up to three hours a day, and developed favourite friends 💔
on.ft.com/3K05vhS

When a parrot wanted to connect with a distant friend, a touchscreen showed a selection of other birds available online. The parrots learned to activate the screen, designed specially for them, by touching it gently with their tongues rather than pecking aggressively with their beaks.
"We had 26 birds involved," said Hirskyj-Douglas. "They would use the system up to three hours a day, with each call lasting up to five minutes." The interactions ranged from preening and playing with toys to loud vocal exchanges.
"When we went through the data, we found that most of these parrots had favourite friends," said Hirskyj-Douglas.

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Reposted by Jonathan Simons

Alex Usher @alexusherhesa.bsky.social · Sep 7

Has a technologist ever had a correct opinion about education?

NPR @npr.org · Sep 7

Technologist Victor Riparbelli sees a future where students interact with AI avatars rather than read and write. We ask teachers and kids what they think and how they're using AI right now.

Will AI avatars eventually teach our kids?

Technologist Victor Riparbelli sees a future where students interact with AI avatars rather than read and write. We ask teachers and kids what they think and how they're using AI right now.

n.pr

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · Sep 6

And still with a dotted line into DSIT too….

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · Sep 6

Counting the ministers, unless JS is formally and primarily counted in DWP, there’s no room for a dedicated uni minister in DfE now

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · Sep 5

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · Sep 5

My learned colleague reminds me that from 1995 to 2001 we had the department of education and employment, pre DWP…..

Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · Sep 5

Dedicated uni minister coming I think. Skills white paper is, erm, now tricky. And a tertiary system seems a long way away right now…..

(Plus we’re almost certainly going to have funding for pre 16 and post 16 now split between DfE and DWP as funding agencies)

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · Sep 5

DBT is as important to unis as DSIT tho - the latter directs the research budget but only lightly; all the intl focus runs through DBT

Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · Sep 5

It’s the bit where payroll or email addressses or stationery are like 2 departments ago….

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · Sep 5

That face does give “I’ve just pierced my foot on a SPIIIIIKEEEEE” vibe too

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · Sep 5

Yeah that’s sort of what I was alluding to - DfE funds pre 19 still and SWP does post 19. But the former ESFA staff split between the two depts….

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Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · Sep 5

I am assuming not - that really would be stretching the portfolio

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