2026-11-06 — Competition and Education Briefing

Ireland

Teachers Plan 12 November Strike and Further Restrictions from 16 November

Updated — 5 November 2026 | Republic of Ireland

INTO has confirmed a planned 24-hour strike on Thursday, 12 November, alongside public-sector rallies, while negotiations over a new pay agreement continue.

The union has also directed members to stop supervision before school opening time and organised school activities outside school hours, including voluntary extracurricular activities, from Monday, 16 November. These measures could affect families’ childcare and school arrangements; parents should check communications from their school.

INTO — Strike Plans and Industrial Action Directives. Irish National Teachers' Organisation

United Kingdom

Research Finds at Least One in Six SEND Transport Requests Rejected

Reported — 5 November 2026 | England

Research by community interest company FairGo suggests councils rejected at least one in six requests for help transporting children with special educational needs and disabilities to school.

The report also highlights inconsistent information about appeals. Schools Week reports that the Department for Education’s efforts to improve transport spending data will still leave gaps in information about refusals and appeals.

Schools Week — SEND Transport Refusals and Appeals. schoolsweek.co.uk

Pearson Apologises After SATs Documents Arrive Three Weeks Late

Reported — 5 November 2026 | England

Pearson has apologised for technical problems that delayed the release of SATs documents by three weeks.

The latest difficulties follow a nine-day delay to SATs results last summer. An independent review into the earlier failures was due to reach ministers in October.

Schools Week — Technical Problems Delay SATs Documents. schoolsweek.co.uk

Government Confirms Higher Inspection Fees for Independent Schools

Reported — 5 November 2026 | England | Planned implementation: January 2027 onwards

The Department for Education has approved increases to Ofsted inspection charges for independent schools, phased over five years from January 2027, with secondary legislation required.

The changes concern approximately 1,250 independent schools inspected by Ofsted. Pre-registration inspection fees for new schools are also scheduled to rise, from £2,500 to £6,900 by 2031.

Schools Week — Independent School Inspection Fee Changes. schoolsweek.co.uk

United States

Justice Department Issues New Position on Magnet School Grant Eligibility

Issued — 5 November 2026 | Federal

The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel has issued an opinion restricting when the Education Department may consider race in administering the Magnet Schools Assistance Program, which funds school districts.

The opinion says race-conscious grant decisions must be narrowly tailored to remedy identified unlawful discrimination. It rejects racial diversity or reduced racial isolation alone as sufficient grounds for approval. This is an executive-branch legal opinion, rather than a court judgment, and is significant for districts seeking magnet school funding.

US Department of Justice — Opinion on Magnet School Assistance Grants. United States Department of Justice

Pennsylvania Proposes Changing Thresholds for Tests Already Taken

Reported — 5 November 2026 | Pennsylvania | Board vote expected: 19 November

Pennsylvania education officials have proposed revising performance thresholds for PSSA and high-school Keystone examinations, applying the changes to tests students took earlier this year.

The proposal would lower the threshold for an “advanced” classification in nearly all affected PSSA grades while retaining the 1,000-point proficiency threshold. Officials acknowledged that the review contributed to delayed results.

The changes remain proposed, with a state board vote expected on 19 November. Delayed scores are particularly relevant to Philadelphia families applying to selective high schools.

Chalkbeat — Proposed Pennsylvania Test Scoring Changes. Chalkbeat

International Competitions

World Robot Olympiad Releases “Smart Warehouse” Challenge for 2027

Recent rules release — 2 November 2026; participant page updated 4 November | Singapore-based organiser

World Robot Olympiad has published a new Future Engineers “Smart Warehouse” challenge, beginning with the 2027 season. Teams will develop autonomous robots that navigate a warehouse environment, make decisions and handle objects.

School-age eligibility: The Senior category covers students aged 14–19 during 2027, corresponding to birth years 2008–2013. Teams require two or three students and a coach. An Advanced category covers ages 18–23.

Geographic eligibility: This is a global competition accessed through participating countries’ national organisers. Teams enter national events and may qualify internationally; category availability varies by country.

Deadline: The announcement does not specify a common worldwide registration deadline. Schools must confirm their national organiser’s 2027 entry dates and whether Future Engineers is offered.

WRO — Smart Warehouse Challenge · Official 2027 Rules · National Entry Routes. WRO Association