PM backs action in case of disorder on campuses after claims that pro-Palestinian protests create hostile atmosphere The prime minister has backed a police crackdown on any outbreak of disorder on university campuses after Jewish students said pro-Palestinian encampments were creating a “hostile and toxic atmosphere”. In recent days, new encampments have been set up at the universities of Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol and Newcastle, among others, after violent scenes on US campuses resulted in mass arrests of students and staff ..read more

Janet Jones, Hilary Brown and Martin Wynn respond to a report of headteachers being forced to unblock toilets after losing janitors to budget cuts The report of headteachers unblocking toilets after losing school caretakers to budget cuts (28 April) reminded me of my recent research in the logbooks of St Mary’s Church of England primary school in Fownhope, Herefordshire, shortly after the passing of Forster’s 1870 Education Act. An entry in May 1878 records that, following complaints from the neighbourhood, the boys were set to work by the headmaster and “gave all the school closets a thorough ..read more

We would like to hear from students in the UK and other countries in Europe attending universities where demonstrations are taking place Students at UK universities are protesting over the war in Gaza, following a wave of demonstrations on US campuses that have been met with police crackdowns. With students at universities including Sciences Po in Paris staging a number of protests over the war, we would like to hear from students at universities in the UK and other countries in Europe where protests are taking place. We would like to hear from those who are participating as well as those who ..read more

Protests planned across the country as encampment set up in Sheffield and UEA vice-chancellor says US scenes ‘could happen here’ A fresh wave of student demonstrations and encampments are under way at UK universities in protest over the war in Gaza after violent scenes on campuses in the US, where hundreds have been arrested in a crackdown by police. Protests were due to take place in at least six universities on Wednesday, including Sheffield, Bristol, Leeds and Newcastle, with others expected to follow suit, in a show of solidarity with Palestinians ..read more

Equalities minister claims female pupils didn’t want to use gender-neutral toilets and calls for people to report institutions Kemi Badenoch has claimed that girls at a school who did not have access to single-sex toilets developed urinary tract infections (UTI) because they did not want to use gender-neutral toilets. The equalities minister has launched a call for input, asking people to report public bodies that fail to provide single-sex spaces or have policies not in accordance with the Equality Act ..read more

My father, Hugh Burkhardt, who has died aged 88, was an educator and visionary in the field of mathematics education. Through his work as director of the Shell Centre for Mathematical Education at Nottingham University, and books such as The Real World and Mathematics (1981), Hugh helped millions of maths teachers help their students to appreciate mathematics and use it in their daily lives. A theoretical physicist for 16 years, Hugh became interested during the 1960s in the teaching of mathematics. Over four decades he drove the evolution of the field from a set of formal academic techniques ..read more

Jenny Hartland says special needs support is being handed over to staff with no experience, while Susan Buckley says teaching assistants are being saddled with extra work for no extra pay. Plus letters from Dr Jeff Penfold and Toby Wood I am saddened but unsurprised by your report on the (mis)use of teaching assistants in schools (Teaching assistants routinely cover lessons in England and Wales, survey finds, 26 April). Back in 2005, I was a special needs teacher employed centrally by the local education authority, and worked in mainstream primary schools on a one-to-one basis with children wi ..read more

Many independent schools open their facilities to local communities, allowing people to use their sports facilities and green space; has that been your experience? Do you live near one of the bigger independent schools around England? We’re interested in hearing about your experience. Many private schools open their facilities to local communities, allowing people to use their sports facilities and green space; has that been your experience? Many also build strong relationships with the local state schools and welcome them for sports and other events. If your children attend one of the local s ..read more

Teacher troublesGlobal BritainBald all overLife-changing appBooks for free • How disgraceful (Headteachers forced to mend desks and unblock toilets after cuts in England, 28 April). When I was a secondary teacher, that job would have been delegated to a head of department. Ken Gambles Knaresborough, North Yorkshire • Now we know what the Conservatives mean by “global Britain” – selling public assets to foreign owners (How the overseas owners of England’s water companies clean up by polluting our rivers, 26 April). Titus Alexander Galashiels, Scottish Borders ..read more

Teenage boys believed to be among most vulnerable to gangs using real and fake images to blackmail victims ‘It can happen to any child’: parents of sextortion victim fight for justice Teachers in the UK are being asked to help spot signs their pupils are becoming victims of sextortion, with teenage boys thought to be among the most vulnerable groups. The National Crime Agency has issued fresh guidance, saying criminal gangs – often based abroad – are using both real and fake images to blackmail their victims; sometimes going from initial contact to extortion within an hour ..read more