School

Report on Interlochen Center for the Arts details sexual allegations against 47 faculty and staff members since 1950sTwo people who attended a prestigious Michigan fine arts school reported conduct of a sexual nature by Jeffrey Epstein, a major donor, according to an investigation that also uncovered dozens of allegations spanning decades against nearly 50 other people.Interlochen Center for the Arts operates a summer camp and performing arts school that draws students from around the world. It hired a law firm in 2024 to investigate reports of sexual abuse by faculty and staff. Subsequently, it expanded the work to include information about Epstein, the 66-year-old financier who killed himself in jail in 2019. Continue reading...

Districts are reducing routes and exploring new ways to get students to class as transportation costs climbEducation officials across the United States are increasingly facing a fundamental challenge: how do they ensure that school students can actually get to their classrooms?The bright yellow school bus might be a visual icon of US education famous around the world, but in reality it is becoming harder for districts to steer. Continue reading...

Cole Gray pleaded guilty to 55 counts, including murder, for shooting at Apalachee high school in 2024Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailA US judge on Tuesday sentenced a teenager who killed two students and two teachers in a shooting at Apalachee high school in Georgia to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.Colt Gray, 16, had pleaded guilty on Friday to 55 counts, including murder, in the 4 September 2024, shooting at the school about 45 miles (73 kilometers) north-east of Atlanta. Gray, who was 14 at the time, was charged as an adult. Continue reading...

Company supplying drones said Ukraine-war inspired effort, where technique was effective in face of Russian attackSeveral schools across the US are set to install pepper-spraying drones as part of a new effort to respond to school shooting attacks – a Ukraine war-inspired approach that is bound to put off those who would prefer leaders focus on preventing the violence in the first place.Campus Guardian Angel of Austin, Texas, which describes itself as a response capability company, is providing the drones in question to multiple schools across the country, including at least four schools in Georgia, three in Florida and one in Colorado. Continue reading...

The new prime minister is linking the need for better vocational education in school with his belief in localismGood morning. In his last speech to Labour’s annual conference as party leader, Keir Starmer called for a fundamental shift in the way education in England operates. While saying he would never “denigrate the aspiration to go to university”, he said that aiming to get 50% of pupils into university was wrong and that it was finally time to show equivalent respect to apprenticeships and technical education. “So, today I can announce we will scrap that [50%] target and replace it with a new ambition, that two-thirds of our children should go either to university or take a gold standard apprenticeship,” Starmer said, to loud applause.So heaven knows what Starmer is thinking this morning as he hears his successor, Andy Burnham, announce his own plan for “a fundamental change to the education system” that sounds – well, very similar.For too long, we’ve built an education system around the idea that there’s only one route to success: university, a degree, a desk. That opened doors for millions of people, and rightly so. But somewhere along the way, we sent another message too: that if your ambition was to do something that required more technical skills, somehow you were aiming lower.I think that was one of the biggest mistakes this country has made. In the age of AI, practical and technical skills haven’t become less valuable — they’ve become more valuable than ever. Britain will need brilliant engineers, electricians and cybersecurity experts more than ever before.These new [technical education] routes won’t be designed by Westminster. They’ll be shaped by the people and places they serve. Working with mayors, local leaders, employers and schools, we’ll identify the industries driving growth in local areas and make sure that local kids have a clear route into them.We all want to see better opportunities for young people and a boost to technical education, but this announcement is all over the place. Labour have literally just legislated to strip schools of their freedom to choose what’s best for the pupils they’re teaching, yet now they imply it should be locally tailored. It’s not clear whether or not Labour intends to replace GCSEs, which would be a disaster. The focus should be on the knowledge rich curriculum that has helped the most deprived children. Continue reading...

PM wants curriculums for students aged 14 and above to be more responsive to local jobs marketAndy Burnham will tell schools across England to adapt their curriculums to the needs of local businesses as part of a devolution drive aimed at tackling the jobs crisis for young people.By moving decision-making to local areas, the PM hopes the plan will make technical and vocational skills as valued as academic qualifications – and help cut the benefits bill. Continue reading...

Salamanca City Central says it is pausing project with Realbotix as it addresses concerns including data privacyA New York school district has walked back plans to introduce a humanoid robot at its high school after the proposal sparked backlash from educators and community members.The Salamanca City Central school district announced on 24 July in a social media post that its pilot project with Toronto-based tech company Realbotix had been put on hold “while we work through enhanced student data privacy agreements with the New York State Education Department and continue engaging with our community and stakeholders”. Continue reading...

• A review of the school drama "Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya" was released on July 24, 2026, describing the production as fun and relevant. • While the play is praised for its content, the critic notes that the pacing is inconsistent, making the performance feel longer than necessary. • This review is part of a broader real-time entertainment coverage by Mint, tracking trends across the $2.83 trillion global entertainment industry.

Robot from company that acquired sex doll maker to be introduced in school with large Native American populationA humanoid robot is being introduced as part of a pilot program, along with an AI teaching assistant, at Salamanca high school in Salamanca, New York, located on the Allegany territory of the Seneca nation.Teachers have criticized the program, deeming it “inappropriate” and claiming it dehumanizes the profession with the introduction of human-like robots. Some local Native American residents have also criticized the pilot program, citing its implementation as “culturally tone deaf”. Continue reading...

• A review of the school drama "Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya" was released on July 24, 2026, describing the production as fun and relevant. • While the play is praised for its content, the critic noted that the pacing occasionally makes the performance feel longer than necessary. • This review is part of a broader real-time entertainment coverage by Mint, tracking trends across the $2.83 trillion global industry.

• A Jewish teacher, identified as "Doe," filed a lawsuit against Portland Public Schools and the Portland Association of Teachers, alleging discrimination due to colleagues' anti-Israel speech. • The plaintiff claimed that the school district and union failed to protect them from a hostile work environment created by political expressions within the workplace. • Magistrate Judge Jeff Armistead has issued a Report and Recommendation suggesting that the lawsuit be dismissed.

Colt Gray, who was 14 at time of attack on Apalachee high school, admits 55 charges including four counts of murderThe wife of a teacher killed in a high school shooting in Georgia two years ago told a court on Friday that the families of the four victims had been handed “a life sentence of grief and trauma” by the teenage student who murdered them.Shayna Aspinwall, whose husband Richard died at Apalachee high school, about 45 miles north-east Atlanta, on 4 September 2024, was speaking at the sentencing hearing for Colt Gray, 16, who earlier pleaded to 55 charges, including second-degree murder. Continue reading...

• Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health published a new study on July 20, 2026, regarding formulary-related insurance denials for single-source branded drugs in the U.S. • The report highlights how drug utilization management tools, such as prior authorization, step therapy, and formulary exclusions, are used to reduce overall drug spending. • This is significant because while these measures lower costs for insurers, they may create critical barriers to patient access for essential branded medications.

Former attorney general also describes receiving antisemitic abuse, saying he was labelled a ‘genocidal Zionist’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFormer attorney general Mark Dreyfus has called on governments to consider banning protests outside synagogues and Jewish schools, invoking a high court decision allowing restrictions outside abortion clinics.The federal Labor backbencher has told the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion the laws should be considered in the light of a 2019 high court decision which upheld safe access zone laws in Victoria and Tasmania which prohibit protests within 150 metres of clinics. Continue reading...

Plus, Trump pays out to E Jean Carroll, somnolent Little House on the Prairie, and why I’ll be avoiding salad in the USIt’s the last week of school and, in our case, the last week of primary school, ever, which I thought wouldn’t be a big deal but now we’re here, I’m sliding off my axis about the cruel passage of time. It’s not about my children, who can’t wait to crack on, it’s about me, me, me. Continue reading...

Analysis reveals stark socioeconomic divide, with schools with highest free school meal eligibility having fewer treesPrivate school grounds in England offer 41% more tree cover than state schools for cooling and shade in extreme temperatures, research has found.As teachers and students prepare to take their summer holidays after weeks of high temperatures where some classrooms reached highs of 40C, an analysis of tree cover in schools in England reveals a stark socioeconomic divide. Continue reading...

Different Seasons, which incudes stories that inspired films such as Stand by Me and The Shawshank Redemption, judged to contain ‘objective sensitive material’Stephen King is the most banned author in US schools, according to reportA collection of Stephen King novellas that inspired classic films including Stand by Me and The Shawshank Redemption has been banned from Utah public schools.Published in 1982, the collection, titled Different Seasons, contains four novellas: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption: Hope Springs Eternal, Apt Pupil: Summer of Corruption, The Body: Fall from Innocence, and The Breathing Method: A Winter’s Tale. Continue reading...

Police investigating Hamish Tait – who faces 329 child abuse charges – have released list of 55 locations where he worked or attendedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA federal police investigation into an accused paedophile facing more than 300 child abuse charges has expanded to a remote community in South Australia.Hamish Tait, 35, faces 329 charges of child abuse between 2009 and 2025 while working across 62 centres. Continue reading...

Alleged attack may have been motivated by a social media post, police prosecutor tells courtFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Brisbane child accused of stabbing a fellow student was allegedly subjected to months of “racist” abuse and threats, a court has heard.The 16-year-old child was arrested after allegedly stabbing a 17-year-old schoolmate on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Commons health committee also recommends end to junk food advertising on billboards and public transportFast food chains such as KFC should be stopped from opening near schools, and advertising for junk food on billboards and public transport should be banned to help curb obesity, MPs will say today.The Commons health committee will also urge ministers to stop giving in to food industry lobbying and get tough to tackle a problem that costs the UK £74bn a year and causes huge illness.Supermarkets should be forced to display fruit and vegetables prominently, for example near entrances and checkouts, to help boost sales.All food must start carrying front-of-pack, traffic light-style labels telling consumers how healthy or unhealthy they are, which some supermarket chains already use.The government should urgently progress its previously announced intention to compel food producers to reveal what percentage of their sales come from healthy and unhealthy products.Ministers should “be more courageous [and start] standing up to challenge from industry”, which often seeks to delay the introduction of measures to limit bad diet. Continue reading...

Queensland police arrest a 16-year-old boy after an alleged altercation with a 17-year-old boy at Islamic College of BrisbaneFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA teenager has been left with life-threatening injuries after being allegedly stabbed by another student at a Brisbane high school.The alleged altercation took place at the Islamic College of Brisbane in Karawatha, south of Brisbane at about 11.45am on Tuesday. Continue reading...

• AIA Group Limited announced the winners of the fourth annual AIA Healthiest Schools Competition on July 13, 2026, in Hong Kong. • This flagship initiative aims to promote healthy lifestyles and wellness habits among students and educational institutions. • The competition matters as it encourages schools to implement sustainable health programs, fostering a culture of wellbeing for the next generation.

• AIA Group Limited announced the winners of the fourth annual AIA Healthiest Schools Competition on July 13, 2026, in Hong Kong. • The competition is a key part of the AIA Healthiest Schools (AHS) programme, designed to empower students aged five to 16 to adopt healthy habits. • This initiative matters as it encourages young students to translate health education into tangible, everyday actions to improve long-term wellness.

Colt Gray, now 16, expected to change plea after pleading not guilty to 55 criminal counts in Apalachee shootingThe teenager accused of killing two students and two teachers during a 2024 shooting at Apalachee high school in Georgia has been scheduled to appear in court later in July for a “non-negotiated” plea hearing, according to records.Documents filed on Friday in Barrow county superior court in Winder, Georgia, show that Colt Gray is expected to change his plea at a hearing on 24 July, with the court scheduled to hold proceedings for both the plea and sentencing, as the Associated Press reported. Continue reading...

• AIA Group Limited announced the winners of the fourth annual AIA Healthiest Schools Competition on July 9, 2026, in Bangkok, Thailand. • The competition is a key part of the AIA Healthiest Schools (AHS) programme, which targets students aged five to 16. • The initiative aims to empower young students to integrate healthy living habits into their daily routines through active participation.

Hilton in a statement said Provo Canyon school ‘failed the children in its care’ and faced abuse allegations for decadesThe state of Utah has revoked the license of a boarding school where socialite Paris Hilton said she was abused as a teenager, saying the school had “failed to provide applicable health and safety services for clients”.The state’s action, which took effect on Monday, cites multiple noncompliance issues against the Provo Canyon school’s campus in Springville. The school has 15 days to request a hearing before Utah’s health and human services department. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Initial figures yet to be confirmed by Department for Education, which said schools ‘at the heart’ of the celebrationAbout 332,000 fewer children were in school on Monday morning than a week earlier, according to initial figures, as attendance fell after England’s 3-2 World Cup win over Mexico.School registers were down more than three percentage points on last week, after England manager Thomas Tuchel advised parents to “write an excuse for school and let them watch”. Continue reading...

Friends of Yeshivat Shavei Hevron sent nearly £200,000 to school in Hebron – where Israel has been accused of imposing apartheid – between 2019 and 2024A British charity is funding a religious school at the heart of expansion plans for the illegal Israeli settlement in the Palestinian city of Hebron.Friends of Yeshivat Shavei Hevron sent nearly £200,000 to the school between 2019 and 2024, the last year for which accounts are publicly available on the website of the Charity Commission, the charity regulator for England and Wales. Continue reading...