Home Authors Shahid Naqvi

Shahid Naqvi

Shahid Naqvi

We must face the terror in our city

The jailing of a fanatic who plotted to kidnap and behead a British Muslim soldier should serve as a wake-up call to the West Midlands, the police officer heading the region's counter-terrorism effort warned. Read

Birmingham pays tribute to its great son, Sir Richard

Sir Richard Knowles, the man credited with leading Birmingham out of its failing industrial past to become a successful, modern global city, has died. Read

More beat officers 'should be priority', say public

A lack of facilities for young people and "youth nuisance" are viewed as the biggest problems by people living in the West Midlands. Read

Police need to save £500k for conferences

West Midlands Police is looking to make £500,000 savings to fund policing two major political conferences in Birmingham this year. Read

City moves to get 10,000 empty homes back in use

A get-tough campaign is to be launched in a bid to bring more than 10,000 unoccupied properties in Birmingham back into use. Read

Learning through play can aid child development

Staff at Elmfield School - a Steiner centre in Stourbridge - believe it's time the state system caught up with its way of thinking. Education Correspondent Shahid Naqvi reports. Read

Ex-city worker angry at losing family home

A former housing officer planning to return to live in Birmingham has found his family home has been taken away by the local authority - after lying empty for more than a decade. Read

Shahid Naqvi: 'University city' tag needs substance - not marketing

So Birmingham is going to be a "university city". How do we know this? Because the suits at Marketing Birmingham tell us so. Read

West Midlands 'in police bug pressure'

An investigation has been launched into West Midlands Police after a former intelligence officer at the centre of the MP bugging row said the force asked him to do a similar thing. Read

Teachers 'unprepared' for new vocational diplomas

A "sense of uncertainty" exists among Midlands teachers over a raft of new vocational qualifications set to be offered later this year, it was warned last night. Read

£10m boost for Midlands science

A £10 million drive has been launched to encourage some of the brightest up-and-coming scientists to come to the West Midlands. Read

NUT hits out at council silence on selection

A teaching union dubbed Birmingham City Council "gutless" for failing to say whether it agreed with academic selection or not. Read

Area's worst school could close as pupil numbers fall

The West Midlands worst school for GCSE and truancy rates is facing closure, it has emerged. Read

Snow threat sees schools close early

Rural schools in Shropshire have been advised to close early today with snow and severe weather forecast to hit the region this afternoon. Read

West Midlands crime 'at lowest level' for 18 years

Overall reported crime in the West Midlands was at its lowest level in 18 years last month, according to police figures. Read

Taking the heart out of our village

Last week, Shropshire announced plans to shut 22 rural schools and merge a further 16 on financial grounds. Read

Mystery surrounds resignation of Villa chief

Aston Villa's chief executive Richard FitzGerald has quit - just over a year after joining the club, it was announced yesterday. Read

Obesity 'timebomb' is not ticking, says schools chief

Britain's obesity problem is exaggerated and children are being dubbed overweight when often it's nothing more than "puppy fat", Birmingham's head of education claimed. Read

Council under fire over academy sponsor cash

Education chiefs in Birmingham have come under fire for using taxpayers' money to underwrite the £2 million sponsorship needed to turn a city school into an academy. Read

Decision on New Street is expected 'shortly'

A long-awaited decision on whether Birmingham's dream of getting a new station to replace the blot of New Street is to be made "shortly" a Government Minister said yesterday. Read

Author Profile

Shahid Naqvi has been working as a journalist in the West Midlands since 1995 and has been The Birmingham Posts Education Correspondent since 2002. Before that he spent two years on The Posts business desk. He also writes a regular blog on education issues and a monthly column.

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