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Mortgages and AI to be added to the curriculum in English schools
Getty ImagesChildren will be taught how to budget and how mortgages work as the government seeks to modernise the national curriculum in England’s schools.
They will also be taught how to spot fake news and disinformation, including AI-generated content, following the first review of what is taught in schools in over a decade.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the government wanted to “revitalise” the curriculum but keep a “firm foundation” in basics like English, maths and reading.
Head teachers said the review’s recommendations were “sensible” but would require “sufficient funding and teachers”.
The government commissioned a review of the national curriculum and assessments in England last year, in the hope of developing a “cutting edge” curriculum that would narrow attainment gaps between the most disadvantaged students and their classmates.
It said it would take up most of the review’s recommendations, including scrapping the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), a progress measure for schools introduced in 2010.
It assesses schools based on how many pupils take English, maths, sciences, geography or history and a language – and how well they do.
The Department for Education (DfE) said the EBacc was “constraining”, and that removing it alongside reforms to another school ranking system, Progress 8, would “encourage students to study a greater breadth of GCSE subjects”, like arts.
The former Conservative schools minister, Nick Gibb, said the decision to scrap the EBacc would “lead to a precipitous decline in the study of foreign languages”, which he said would become increasingly centred on private schools and “children of middle class parents who can afford tutors”.
Other reforms coming as a result of the curriculum review include:
- Financial literacy being taught in maths classes, or compulsory citizenship lessons in primary schools
- More focus on spotting misinformation and disinformation – including exploring a new post-16 qualification in data science and AI
- Cutting time spent on GCSE exams by up to three hours for each student on average
- Ensuring all children can take three science GCSEs
- More content on climate change
- Better representation of diversity
The review also recommended giving oracy the same status in the curriculum as reading and writing, which the charity Voice 21 said was a “vital step forward” for teaching children valuable speaking, listening, and communication skills.
However, the government is not taking up all of the review’s recommendations.
It is pushing ahead with the reading tests for Year 8 pupils reported in September, whereas the review recommended compulsory English and maths tests for that year group.
Asked why she stopped short of taking up the review’s recommendation, Phillipson told the BBC that pupils who are unable to read “fluently and confidently” often struggle in other subjects.
And she addressed the claims that scrapping the EBacc could lead to fewer pupils taking history, geography and languages at GCSE, saying the measure “hasn’t led to improved outcomes” or “improvement in language study”.
“I want young people to have a good range of options, including subjects like art and music and sport. And I know that’s what parents want as well,” she said.
She said ministers recognised “the need to implement this carefully, thoroughly and with good notice”, adding that schools would have four terms of notice before being expected to teach the new curriculum.
Prof Becky Francis, who chaired the review, said her panel of experts and the government had both identified a “problem” pupils experience during the first years of secondary school.
“When young people progress from primary into secondary school, typically this is a time when their learning can start falling behind, and that’s particularly the case for kids from socially disadvantaged backgrounds,” she told the BBC.
She said the approach to the review was “evolution not revolution”, with England’s pupils already performing relatively well against international averages.
She said the call for more representation of diversity in the curriculum was not about “getting rid of core foundational texts and things that are really central to our culture”, but was more about “recognising where, both as a nation but also globally, there’s been diverse contribution to science and cultural progress”.
Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott said the changes “leave children with a weaker understanding of our national story and hide standards slipping in schools”.
“Education vandalism will be the lasting legacy of the prime minister and Bridget Phillipson,” she added.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the review had proposed “a sensible, evidence-based set of reforms”.
But he said delivering a “great curriculum” also required “sufficient funding and teachers”, adding that schools and colleges did not currently have all the resources they need.
He said a set of “enrichment benchmarks” – which the government said would offer pupils access to civic engagement, arts and culture, nature and adventure, sport, and life skills – had been announced “randomly” and “added to the many expectations over which schools are judged”.
Additional reporting by Hope Rhodes
New Delhi: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has deactivated more than 2.5 crore Aadhaar numbers of deceased persons till date. This is as part of a nationwide clean-up effort to maintain the continued accuracy and integrity of the Aadhaar database, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Shri Jitin Prasada in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Aadhaar is the world’s largest biometric identity system with approximately 134 crores live Aadhaar holders.
In case of the death of a person, it is essential that his/her Aadhaar number is deactivated to prevent potential identity fraud, or unauthorized usage of such Aadhaar number for availing welfare benefits.
The State / UT mentioned in the address of an Aadhaar number holder in the Aadhaar database may vary from the State / UT where death was registered.
Measures to prevent potential identity fraud
Government has said that several measures have been taken to reduce the risk of identity fraud and ensure leak-proof delivery of benefits in the country.
The key measures include:
Biometric Lock/Unlock feature enables an Aadhaar number holder to “Lock” his biometrics, preventing any unauthorized authentication attempts.
Aadhaar Lock/Unlock feature for an Aadhaar number holder.
Deployment of Face Authentication having ‘Liveness Detection feature’ to prevent spoofing and ensure the physical presence of the beneficiary during transactions.
Offline Verification: Promotion of Aadhaar Secure QR Code, Aadhaar paperless offline e-KYC, e-Aadhaar and Aadhaar verifiable credentials for offline identity verification.
No sharing of Core Biometric information of Aadhaar number holders in any manner by UIDAI.
Secure Data Storage: Mandatory use of Aadhaar Data Vaults by all requesting entities to store Aadhaar numbers in an encrypted format.
Database Sanitization: Regular de-duplication and deactivation of Aadhaar numbers belonging to deceased persons.
Updation of demographic details of an Aadhaar number holder is allowed only as per documents listed by UIDAI.
UIDAI has launched a new Aadhaar app which facilitates sharing of verified credentials by Aadhaar number holder with the Offline Verification Seeking Entities (OVSE) in a secure and seamless manner.
New Delhi: February 2026 brings a series of important deadlines related to Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) that taxpayers and deductors should not overlook. From issuing TDS certificates to submitting mandatory statutory forms, these compliance dates play a key role in ensuring smooth and accurate tax reporting. Businesses, employers, and government offices must stay alert and complete the required filings on time to avoid penalties or complications under the Income-tax Act. Keeping track of these dates can help ensure hassle-free compliance and prevent last-minute stress.
February 14:
– Deadline for issuing TDS certificate under Section 194-IA for tax deducted on transfer of immovable property in December 2025.
– Deadline for issuing TDS certificate under Section 194-IB for tax deducted on rent paid by individuals or HUFs in December 2025.
– Deadline for issuing TDS certificate under Section 194M for tax deducted on contractual or professional payments made in December 2025.
– Deadline for issuing TDS certificate under Section 194S for tax deducted on transfer of virtual digital assets by specified persons in December 2025.
February 15:
– Deadline for government offices to furnish Form 24G where TDS/TCS for January 2026 was deposited without generating a challan.
– Deadline for issuing the quarterly TDS certificate for non-salary payments for the quarter ended December 31, 2025.
New Delhi: US entrepreneur Elon Musk’s net worth surged past the $800 billion mark after SpaceX acquired his artificial‑intelligence firm xAI, making him the richest person in history by a wide margin.
Musk’s net worth reached roughly $852 billion, almost $578 billion higher than the world’s second-wealthiest person, Google co-founder Larry Page, whose net worth is estimated at $281 billion.
The merger took the combined value of the company to $1.25 trillion and added about $84 billion to Musk’s fortune, according to reports.
Before the merger, Musk owned about 42 per cent of SpaceX which was valued at $800 billion and roughly 49 per cent of xAI, which was valued at $250 billion after a recent private fundraising round. Post‑merger, Musk’s stake in the combined entity touched 43 per cent, worth about $542 billion and SpaceX became Musk’s largest holding by a wide margin, the reports said.
Musk also retains about 12 per cent of Tesla, valued at approximately $178 billion, along with Tesla stock options, estimated at $124 billion. Further, in addition to these, Musk also receives a shareholder‑approved Tesla pay package up to $1 trillion in additional Tesla stock, before taxes over the next decade and the cost of unlocking restricted shares, if performance targets are met.
He crossed several wealth milestones in the past four months such as $500 billion, $600 billion and $700 billion, driven by SpaceX valuation gains and a Delaware Supreme Court ruling that restored his Tesla options.
Musk earlier said that SpaceX’s Starship will begin delivering the much more powerful V3 Starlink satellites to orbit in 2026, with each launch adding more than 20 times the capacity to the constellation as the current Falcon launches of the V2 Starlink satellites.
It will enable launches “every hour carrying 200 tons per flight” and ultimately lifting millions of tons to orbit and beyond, Musk has shared his plan.
Starship will also launch the next generation of direct-to-mobile satellites, which will deliver full cellular coverage everywhere on Earth, he added.
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