Media Watch – March 17
Top Birmingham City Council stories
MPs criticise Ofsted over Trojan Horse schools affair (local and national coverage): The Commons’ education select committee report into extremism in schools found no evidence of a plot by hardline Muslims to infiltrate schools in Birmingham. It also criticises Michael Gove’s reaction to the claims, which led to five separate inquiries, which the committee said “created a sense of confusion and crisis”.
Brum set to get £11.7m to help improve schools (Birmingham Mail and BBC WM): Report on the Government’s approval of the three-year Birmingham Education Plan, which aims to improve schools – including those linked to the Trojan Horse schools affair. Cllr Brigid Jones quoted and interviewed on WM Breakfast Show.
OAP’s brush with motorist who park across her drive (Birmingham Mail and Daily Mirror): A Northfield woman, annoyed by motorists parking across her drive, has painted ‘no parking’ signs on the pavement and road. A council spokesperson quoted saying road markings are subject to traffic laws.
Library makes the record books (Birmingham Mail and Daily Mail website): The Library of Birmingham is the only venue outside London to be included in the Top 10 visitor attraction, in a survey by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions.
Can Birmingham Library stay successful? (BBC News Online): Feature on how Library of Birmingham has retained public interest since it opened in September 2013 – and looks at ways it may maintain that in light of funding cuts.
Reforming equal pay law in Britain: some proposals (Equal Opportunities Review): In-depth feature in equal pay legislation and case law, references the Supreme Court’s decision in Birmingham City Council v Abdulla and others (2012).
Change views to change lives (London Evening Standard): Feature on World Social Work Day, looking at how social workers are trying to portray the positive impact they have on people’s lives. It refers to the council’s move to increase pay for agency social workers in a bid to fill 161 vacancies in its child protection services.
Regional Headlines
A one-year-old boy was killed when a wall collapsed on top of him after it was reportedly hit by a recovery truck in Stechford last night.
A hedgehog conservation zone is to be set up by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust in Elmdon Park, Solihull – thought to be the first of its kind in the UK.
National Headlines
HSBC is closing all accounts on Jersey belonging to customers living in the UK, as part of a move by all UK banks to check on identities and addresses of their customers on the Channel Islands.
The national minimum wage will increase by 20p an hour to £6.70 from October, the government has announced. The changes will benefit more than 1.4 million workers.
