‘Tiger mum’ Lucy Powell on Labour’s vocational skills drive: ‘It’s about ambition for everybody’

The Guardian Politics Sunday 02 August 2026, 13:58 UTC By Pippa Crerar, political editor 1 min read

Key Points

New education secretary says it is ‘false trade-off’ by critics to suggest schools cannot pursue academic excellence alongside technical skillsLucy Powell has said she wants to be an ambitious “tiger mum” for all young people, whatever their route through education, after the government was accused of dumbing down England’s schools with plans to create more vocational routes. The new education secretary said secondary pupils should be able to pursue academic excellence as well as...

New education secretary says it is ‘false trade-off’ by critics to suggest schools cannot pursue academic excellence alongside technical skills

Lucy Powell has said she wants to be an ambitious “tiger mum” for all young people, whatever their route through education, after the government was accused of dumbing down England’s schools with plans to create more vocational routes.

The new education secretary said secondary pupils should be able to pursue academic excellence as well as high-quality vocational training, and it was a “false trade-off” to suggest schools could not provide both.

Lucy Powell (PERSON) Labour (ORG) Powell (PERSON) England (LOCATION)

Originally published by The Guardian Politics Read original →

Jardine Foundation to cut scholarship scheme for Oxford, Cambridge undergrads ‘Following a strategic review, the foundation will be increasing its focus and investment in Asia’, educational trust says An educational trust established by Hong Kong-based conglomerate Jardine Matheson will end its prestigious undergraduate scholarship programme for Oxford and Cambridge universities after a strategic review, redirecting the funds to institutions in Asia. According to the Jardine Foundation’s...

South China Morning Post 30m ago

AI use mirrors student schedules in study of 77,000 online learners

How do students actually use AI learning assistants? A new research paper by IU International University of Applied Sciences provides the first robust answers to this question. For the study "Using AI-based Learning Assistants in Higher Education: A Large-Scale Descriptive Analysis," the research team led by Prof. Dr.-Ing.

Phys.org 50m ago

Wisconsin students pay $500 rent and volunteer with older residents

For 23-year-old Indian student Shojin Samson, moving to the United States did not mean living in a student hostel or sharing an apartment. Instead, he found himself surrounded by hundreds of older neighbours, a decision that helped him save on rent while finding the family connection he had long missed. When most students move to university, they look for housemates their own age.

Times of India 1h ago