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One in seven schools are failing to ensure 30% of their pupils achieve five good GCSE grades, including English and maths, official figures showed.

More than 300,000 teenagers left secondary school last year without at least five C grades, including the two core subjects. Ministers announced last June they wanted no school to be in this position by 2011.

Statistics published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families show that 440 schools are falling short of this target, down from 631 last year.

Schools that fail to meet this target are judged to be under-performing and fall under the Government's controversial National Challenge initiative. They could face closure or being turned into an Academy if their results do not improve.

The figures show that 47.6% of the 653,045 pupils who took the exams last summer achieved five or more good GCSE's (A*-C) including English and maths, meaning about 340,000 did not reach this benchmark.

At the 63 academies where pupils took exams in August, 35.6% of pupils achieved this target, while 60.4% got five C grades in any subjects.

The statistics show that at all schools, 65.3% of pupils achieved at least C grades in any five subjects, while 91.6% of pupils are gaining five or more GCSEs grades A*-G, which is considered a pass. The figures also show just 30% of pupils achieved grades A*-C in any modern language. This is the first year such data on modern languages has been included.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls welcomed the statistics and said the Government was on target to see no school falling under the 30% threshold by 2011.

He said: "We always said that around a third of National Challenge schools were on track and the figures published today prove this point. We now need to continue to concentrate on the remaining schools and ensure we are giving them the support and challenge they need to make sure no child is left behind.

"This is no time for excuses - I want every child to go to a good school and that means every school getting above 30%. We are putting in the extra resources to help heads reach this and local authorities will shortly be announcing their plans to make sure all schools reach this target by 2011."

-Nova

[OMEN]

The Taoiseach has condemned Israeli actions in Gaza and has told an audience in Tokyo that the war in Iraq had exposed the limitations of US power.

He was delivering a foreign policy address in the Japanese capital.

The review of Irish foreign policy was delivered as the handover approaches in Washington.
Mr Cowen praised the approach of Barack Obama, telling his audience he hoped it would usher in the same kind of multilateral approach that marked the Clinton years.

He said the war in Iraq had exposed US limitations, and Washington's need for friends and partners, and he again condemned Israeli response to Hamas rocket attacks as disproportionate.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Trade & Commerce John McGuinness said the time for tough economic decisions has come even if they cause upheaval and strikes.

Mr McGuinness, who is also on the Japanese trade mission, said that any discussions with the social partners had to make immediate decisions or there should be quick consultations before political choices that could be painful.

He also said that if the Taoiseach decided on a cull of the junior ministerial ranks then so be it; however he maintained that there was a job of work for a trade minister in the current situation.

RTE

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[OMEN]

A 39-year-old man has been charged in connection with the murder of a leading loyalist paramilitary nearly a decade ago.

He was arrested by the Historical Enquiries Team earlier today to face questions about the killing of Ulster Defence Association member Tommy English in 2000.

The PSNI did not disclose details of the specific charge or charges facing the suspect, who is expected to appear in court in Belfast tomorrow.
Last week former leading loyalist Mark Haddock was charged with the murder of Mr English by the HET after being arrested in Northern Ireland's top security Maghaberry Prison in Co Antrim where he is nearing the end of a 10-year sentence for an attack on a nightclub doorman.

Belfast Magistrates Court was told that the case against Haddock was based on the evidence of two brothers who have already admitted involvement in the killing of Mr English.

Mr English, 40, was gunned down in front of his wife and children in north Belfast.

He was one of a number of people to die during a bitter feud between the UDA and rival Ulster Volunteer Force.

On Monday, Haddock, previously named in court as a leading member of the UVF, dropped a long-running legal action seeking to stop the media from publishing his new name and address after he leaves prison.

He had claimed his life would be at risk after his release if his new identity was known.

RTE

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[OMEN]

Representatives from the Stardust Victims Committee have left the security hut at Government Buildings but insist their protest against the Government's handling of the inquiry will resume tomorrow.

Earlier today they had arrived at Government Buildings hoping to meet an official about a report into the possibility of a re-opening of a public inquiry into the fire that left 48 people dead.

The four-person delegation arrived at noon and was demanding to meet someone from the Department of the Taoiseach.


The report in question was sent to Government before Christmas however, the families say they have not been given any indication as to when they will be given a copy.

48 people died in February of 1981 when a fire broke out at the Stardust nightclub in Artane.

Last year an examination into whether a new public inquiry should be launched took place; computer simulations and witness evidence were examined.

Several weeks ago Paul Coffey, who chaired the hearings, gave his report to Government.

But despite the fact the report has been seen by members of Government and officials, the families remain in the dark.

Earlier today the group said it will take its case to the European courts if they do not get information contained in the report.

Speaking this afternoon going into Government Buildings, the committee's Antoinette Keegan said the families are tired of being ignored.

The group says if it does not get sight of the report, which runs to around 100 pages, it will bring legal proceedings against the Government.

RTE

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[OMEN]

A Russian ex-KGB agent could soon be in control of London daily newspaper the Evening Standard.

Billionaire businessman Alexander Lebedev is believed to have made an offer for a 76% share of the paper.

He has previously revealed that he used the paper to find out information when he was a young spy based in London.

Owner Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) is believed to be considering the offer, although the company has made no official comment.

DMGT chairman Lord Rothermere is thought to have already rebuffed a bid Mr Lebedev made for the paper last month.

BBC media correspondent Torin Douglas said the paper had been hit by the advertising downturn and a fierce free newspaper battle in London.

An announcement could be made later.

Mr Lebedev has described the Standard as a "very good newspaper" with some "brilliant journalists".

His fortune, which is reported to be worth around $3.1bn (£2.1bn), was made mostly through banking, insurance companies and from his stake in the Russian airline Aeroflot.

In 2006, he teamed up with ex-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to buy the Russian paper Novaya Gazeta.

BBC

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[OMEN]

A social worker at Doncaster Council claims the cases of at least 60 children who may be at risk are being ignored because of a backlog of work.

Serious case reviews have been ordered into the deaths of seven children who have died in Doncaster since 2004 in cases involving abuse or neglect.

Last month Ofsted branded children's services in the town "inadequate".

The social worker, whose identity is being protected, said between 60 and 100 referrals had not been looked at.

The worker told BBC News: "I would say that there are neglect issues, lots and lots of neglect issues, that have not been dealt with because no-one's opened up the cases to actually start doing any analysis of what they've got in front of them.

"Some of those could be children that are in need of protection."

December's Ofsted report said of the 317 children on the local protection register, one in four had not been allocated a social worker.

'Want the best'

It also said that most of the town's children's homes failed to meet minimum national standards.

The council told BBC News that the situation had improved since the Ofsted inspection, and that every child in need now had a social worker.

Dr Paul Gray, director of Doncaster children's service, said work was still ongoing to get five homes up to standard.

He said: "We have a very robust set of action plans for the five homes to make sure that within the next four months they are up to standard.

"I don't want inadequate homes, I don't want an adequate children's service.

"I want the best children's service in the country for Doncaster. That is what Doncaster people deserve and that is what we can build."

BBC