In an example of joined-up thinking, the Health and Food ministries are enlisting new teachers to help them get across important messages to children.Trainee teachers are to be reminded of the importance of learning about food and nutrition in the classroom. 

Higher Education as well as business has emerged as a winner in the Government’s CompetitivenessWhite Paper.Education and Employment Secretary, David Blunkett has announced that over the next three years his department and the DETR will be ploughing fifty million pounds into the new Higher Education Reach Out Fund (HERO), aimed at helping higher education respond better to business needs. 

Millar C.Total Quality Management, (UK), May 98 (9/2&3) Start page: 289 No of pages: 12
Traces the convergence of the managerial contexts of manufacturing and public service over recent years, and notes that public bodies have been encouraged to adopt private sector practices. 

Council education officers have been urged to modernise their relationship with schools.Such Local Education Authorities have been told that they must change their attitude over schools from one of seeking to control, to one of enabling schools to perform their best.
Schools Minister Charles Clarke said: “No change is not an option. LEAs must face up to the challenges now and for the future. 

Public servants have been issued with advice from the Head of the National Audit Office on the selling of public assets.Sir John Bourn says the former Department of Transport could have made up to one and a half billion pounds more from its sale of Railtrack
It says the Department, now part of the DETR, failed to follow previous good practice in phasing the sale of a public asset, so that as share prices rose, future sales of Government shares would result in more profit. 

By D Hird.An important feature of partnerships is pooling resources, particularly of different forms of expertise. Case studies from Kirklees Metropolitan Council and Park Lane College of Further Education in Leeds are quoted showing how this works out in practice between public and private sector partners.

New information just published on young people’s health has been described as a ‘national resource’ by the Chief Medical Officer.Liam Donaldson said: “This special report on children and young people gives us an unprecedented insight into the formative years when the foundation for a healthy life can be laid.”
‘The Health of Young People ‘95-97′ is the most extensive survey of young peoples’ health ever commissioned by the Department of Health. 

The Government has issued some best practice ideas for the hundreds of public service managers who are engaged in consulting users.After consistently urging all sectors of public service to consult, the Public Services Minister Peter Kilfoyle has now issued guidelines on how to do it.
He said: “The Government is promoting top quality public services, that foster partnership and are open and responsive to the people who use them. 

Cedric d’Amico and Julia ReganThis evaluation of the running of Islington’s citizen’ jury includes a questionnaire to jurors and in-depth interviews with the moderators, service manager and a councillor. The report includes guidelines for the running of future juries.
Report by Islington Council. Contact Julia Regan 0171 477 34

The National Audit Office has recommended that the Ministry of Defence tighten up its systems for spending money when modifying equipment already in service.In one of its regular reports on public spending, it reports lack of control over the scope of spending, lack of clear responsibility for management of such projects, and lack of information systems capable of creating an overview of such costs.