Bursars Review | Spring 2018 | Sample

News Spring 2018 www.theisba.org.uk 6 Dr Michael Grey, reader in rehabilitation neuroscience in the School of Health Sciences at the University of East Anglia (UEA), specialises in research on acquired brain injuries such as concussion and sport-related injuries, with particular interests in pitch-side assessment of head injuries. Dr Grey said: “We don’t want to discourage children from participating in sport but there are things we can do to mitigate the risk of concussion. Very young players are inherently at greater risk of concussion and brain injury because their brains are still developing. “We need to think about potentially prohibiting tackling in very young players, without necessarily disallowing it for everyone. For instance, some children are playing rugby based on their age, not their physical maturity. With two children of the same age, there may be one really big fellow and one little guy and the little guy stands to get hurt. Children should be playing in teams where players’ sizes are approximately equal, so selection is made by physical maturity rather than chronological age. “Reducing the risks associated with tackling (e.g. mismatched player sizes) and potentially eliminating tackling in very young players (as has been implemented in ice hockey for young Canadian players), would reduce the incidence of concussion while still encouraging children to play the sport they love”. YOUNG PLAYERS INHERENTLY AT RISK OF CONCUSSION Education sector racing towards GDPR compliance New research has shown that the education sector is rivalling technology for the top spot when it comes to GDPR preparedness. The research, by information security company, Clearswift, surveyed 600 senior business decision-makers and 1,200 employees across the UK, US, Germany and Australia. When asked whether firms currently have all of the necessary processes in place to be compliant, the top five performing sectors included technology and telecommunications (32 percent), education (31 percent), IT (29 percent), business services (29 percent) and finance (29 percent). Clearswift’s Dr Guy Bunker, said: “Those viewing GDPR as an opportunity will be in the best position to not only comply, but evolve their organisations, enhance their security and achieve business growth. “Educating employees about how to safeguard critical information, introducing data protection guidelines and instilling a culture of data consciousness in the workplace will not only bring organisations closer to compliance but help reduce the chances of a data breach”. Dr Bunker added: “The key focuses for GDPR compliance are educating employees and understanding where your data lies. However, organisations that are still looking at how they can prepare should focus on security solutions that can be integrated within existing infrastructures, such as Data Loss Prevention (DLP) tools and content inspection software, which are the biggest priorities in preventing data loss and can be used to demonstrate compliance with GDPR legislation". Turn to page 9 for more GDPR advice. DRAGONS SWIM TO AIRLIFT RHINOS Year 6 at Dragon School, Oxford, achieved something extraordinary recently; they swam 1,416 lengths of the pool (the length of the English Channel) in an hour, to raise funds to airlift rhinos to safety. They were inspired to complete this epic swim by a visit to the school by David Murray of ‘Rhinos Without Borders’, who showed the pupils dramatic images of how the charity airlifts rhinos from areas of poaching in South Africa to protected areas in Botswana. Put engineering on the curriculum Pupils have little exposure or understanding of engineering, which is leading most to choose subjects which effectively rule out this career path early on in their schooling, according to a new report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The report, ‘We don’t know what it is, but we think it’s important: The Culture of Engineering in Schools’, says that although pupils have a vague sense of engineering’s value, its low visibility in schools means they do not feel informed or confident enough to consider it as a future career. Furthermore, teachers and career professionals lack the time, knowledge and resources to communicate the breadth of career opportunities to pupils. This report highlights the need for Government to rethink how it presents and promotes engineering to future generations, especially girls who feel less informed, inspired or inclined towards engineering as a potential career. This failure has made UK engineering one of the least diverse professions in the developed world, with only nine percent of all engineers being women. Peter Finegold, head of education and skills at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and lead author of the report, said: “The lack of exposure to engineering has led to students developing a vague and incoherent understanding of the profession, its career opportunities and what it does for society. “As 2018 has been designated the ‘Year of Engineering’, we recommend that the socially beneficial, problem-solving aspects of engineering are integrated into the existing curriculum, particularly in science and technology subjects, enhancing pupils’ exposure to engineering and its world-changing potential". To read the full report: www.imeche.org/reports Dragons save rhinos