Lead story

Rise in families made homeless

by Daphne Liddle

THE NUMBER of families formally recognised as homeless has risen by 44 per cent in the last two years according to a report published last week by the National Housing Federation.

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Syrian Army routs rebels

by our Arab Affairs correspondent

Syrian troops went on the offensive this week with two large anti-terrorist drives in Aleppo and sweeping out Nato-backed rebels attempting to set up a new base in a Damascus suburb.

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Ida Hackett remembered

by Mike Fletcher

TRADE Unionists and other progressives in Nottingham held a memorial meeting for Ida Hackett last Sunday.

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Editorial

Undoing the education system

FEW PEOPLE disagreed that out school examination system needed a big overhaul. Certainly the teaching unions didn’t. The introduction under previous Tory governments in the early 90s of school league tables, along with a funding system based on market forces compelled head teachers to continually raise their exam success rates or lose essential funding. Non-exam subjects like music and sport went out of the window; pupils were allowed to sit exams only if they were sure to pass and softer exam boards were sought out while the more stringent ones were abandoned.

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