All posts tagged: pause

Pause in Ofsted SEND inspections ‘opens accountability gap’

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles Ministers have been warned that suspending monitoring visits for areas that failed special educational needs and disabilities inspections should “set off alarm bells” as it “opens up an accountability gap”. As part of its Big Listen response, Ofsted announced it would review area SEND inspections “to enable local areas to enhance the support they offer”. Alongside the Care Quality Commission, the inspectorates look at how well services work together to improve experiences and outcomes for children with additional needs. While full inspections will continue, Ofsted will “hold off” monitoring inspections until the review is completed. No timescale has been given. Areas found to have “widespread and/or system concerns” should usually have a monitoring inspection within about 18 months. The first three under a new framework rolled out last year were due to take place before the end of the year. Anne Longfield, the chair of think tank Centre for Young Lives, said anything that created a gap in accountability “must be something that sets off alarm bells out to …

100s of leaders make last-ditch plea for BTECs bonfire pause

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles More than 450 school and college leaders have made a last-ditch plea with the education secretary to stop the “madness” and pause the planned cull of BTECs for at least one year. In a letter to Bridget Phillipson, principals and headteachers warn that last month’s announcement to only “review” the previous government’s defunding plans by the end of December this year causes huge “uncertainty and anxiety” for staff and students. When in opposition, the Labour party promised to “pause and review” the Conservative government’s plan to scrap applied general qualification (AGQ) courses. But in July, the new Labour government announced it would only pause the defunding of a limited number of level 3 qualifications set to be defunded from August 2024 – which had minimal enrolments and were already removed from most school and college rosters. Instead, the government proposes to conduct a “focused review” of the AGQs and other qualifications set to be defunded from 2025 and beyond. This review will conclude by the end of this calendar year, meaning that schools and …

IDF announces daily ‘tactical pause’ along aid corridor in southern Gaza

Published by Sam

The Israeli military on Sunday announced it had begun a daily 11-hour pause of operations along an aid corridor in southern Gaza to safeguard deliveries of humanitarian relief — a move that some within the government denounced. The limited “tactical pause” will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 7 p.m. each day “until further notice along the road that leads from the Kerem Shalom Crossing to the Salah al-Din Road and then northwards,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement Sunday. The IDF later clarified that there is “no cessation of fighting” elsewhere in southern Gaza, including Rafah. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir denounced the plan, saying on X that “whoever decided on a ‘tactical truce’ … is an evil and a fool who should not continue in his position.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the pause announcement “delusional” and “detached,” adding that the “‘humanitarian aid’ that continues to reach Hamas keeps it in power and may put the achievements of the war down the drain.” The announcement came as Muslim families …

Israeli army announces daily ‘tactical pause’ in south Gaza to boost incoming aid

Published by Sam

Israel’s military announced on Sunday that it would pause fighting throughout daytime hours along a route in southern Gaza to free up a backlog of humanitarian aid deliveries destined for desperate Palestinians enduring a humanitarian crisis sparked by the war, now in its ninth month. The “tactical pause,” which applies to about 12 kilometers (7½ miles) of road in the Rafah area, falls far short of a complete cease-fire in the territory that has been sought by the international community, including Israel’s top ally, the United States. It could help address the overwhelming needs of Palestinians that have surged in recent weeks with Israel’s incursion into Rafah. The army said that the daily pause would begin at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT) and last until 7 p.m. (1600 GMT) and continue until further notice. It’s aimed at allowing aid trucks to reach the nearby Israel-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, the main entry point, and travel safely to the Salah a-Din highway, a main north-south road, the military said. The crossing has had a bottleneck since Israeli ground …

Israel reacts to Biden weapons pause over Rafah

Published by skeptic

TEL AVIV — Israel is recalibrating the next steps of its war against Hamas following warnings by President Biden that the United States will cut off offensive weapons shipments if the Israeli military advances into Rafah, the southern Gazan city that is harboring more than 1 million Palestinians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to respond to Biden’s unprecedented policy shift. But Yaakov Amidror, a former national security adviser to Netanyahu, said that “the surprise” of the warning has caught Israel off guard and will compel the war cabinet to reconsider whether and how it will enter Rafah — “if it will bear the consequence of going in without American support, or if it will stop the operation, which will allow Hamas to be unharmed in the area.” Source link

Stormy seas pause construction of Gaza pier, Pentagon says

Published by skeptic

The U.S. military had to pause its project of building a pier off the coast of Gaza to deliver humanitarian due to bad weather, the Pentagon said Friday. U.S. Central Command officials “temporarily paused offshore assembly of the floating pier” off the coast of Gaza after high winds and sea swells caused unsafe conditions for soldiers working on the surface of the partially constructed causeway, the command said in a statement. “The partially built pier and military vessels involved in its construction have moved to the Port of Ashdod,” in Israel, where assembly will continue. As many as 1,000 American service members are helping set up the floating pier in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Gaza, a project that the Pentagon has initially estimated will cost $320 million. Announced during President Biden’s State of the Union address in March, the structure will consist of an 1,800-foot-long causeway that will be attached to the shore and is meant to support the U.S. government and its partners in getting more humanitarian aid to civilians in the …

Don’t Want To Pause Your Game? These Exercises Can Be Done While Gaming

Published by skeptic

I love video games. I love to settle down for the evening with some snacks, a big blanket and a good, immersive game that I’ll easily lose myself in for hours. It’s a great way to wind down and while they were once associated with being bad for our mental wellbeing, they’ve advanced so much now that studies have found that certain games can even lower your risk of dementia. All that being said, I have to admit that I can get lost in a game for a little too long and often come away from a gaming session feeling achy and like certain muscles are feeling a little weakened. It’s not ideal. However, according to Marin Cristian-Ovidiu, founder of OnlineGames.io, there are some exercises that can be done during a gaming session that don’t take too much work but will make a big difference. The best exercises to do while gaming Chair squats Cristian-Ovidiu advises that during loading screens or cutscenes, gamers should stand up from their chair and do some squats. He advised: …

Biden’s LNG pause a sensible step for climate stability, health of communities

Published by skeptic

Early this year, the Biden administration announced that the Department of Energy would be pausing permit approvals for new liquified natural gas (LNG) export facilities. This temporary move was transformed into an unlikely political lightning rod, as Republican critics have launched hyperbolic rhetoric about President Biden’s supposed war on American energy. And now they are going to extreme lengths to undo this pause by tying it to unrelated spending bills. First things first, let’s start with a reality check. The White House policy amounts to a review of the scientific and economic implications of exporting gas overseas. There are several major areas of concern: How much climate pollution is generated by fracking and transportation? What is the environmental toll on communities near these facilities? And do American consumers pay more when gas is sent to overseas markets? The pause is meant to assess these and related questions, to help determine whether it is in the public interest to build new export facilities. The evidence against LNG expansion is overwhelming. From a climate pollution perspective, the …

Scottish health boards pause prescription of puberty blockers for young people | UK News

Published by Sam

Scotland’s only gender identity clinic for under-18s has paused the prescription of puberty blockers to young people. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) – which controls the Sandyford clinic in Glasgow – said it made the decision following a landmark review of gender services for under-18s in England and Wales. Dr Hilary Cass’ review said children had been let down by a lack of research. She also reported that there was “remarkably weak” evidence on medical interventions in gender care. NHS England confirmed it would stop prescribing puberty blockers in March. NHS Lothian has also formally paused the prescription of puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormones for new young patients seeking gender-affirming care. Existing patients who are currently receiving hormone suppressants or gender-affirming hormones will not be affected by this pause. Announcing the move on Thursday, NHSGGC said it received the support of Scotland’s chief medical officer Professor Sir Gregor Smith. On clinical advice, NHSGGC and NHS Lothian deferred starting new patients on treatments in mid-March in response to the position taken by NHS England and …

Skeptic Society Magazine

for honest conversations

Years

Authors

Filter by Month

Filter by Categories

Filter by Tags

All posts tagged: pause

Pause in Ofsted SEND inspections ‘opens accountability gap’

100s of leaders make last-ditch plea for BTECs bonfire pause

IDF announces daily ‘tactical pause’ along aid corridor in southern Gaza

Israeli army announces daily ‘tactical pause’ in south Gaza to boost incoming aid

Israel reacts to Biden weapons pause over Rafah

Stormy seas pause construction of Gaza pier, Pentagon says

Don’t Want To Pause Your Game? These Exercises Can Be Done While Gaming

Biden’s LNG pause a sensible step for climate stability, health of communities

Scottish health boards pause prescription of puberty blockers for young people | UK News