There’ll be no repeat of Tony Blair’s ‘education, education, education’ by a Starmer government. For Blair and Gordon Brown ‘education’ became a key economic policy. Getting ‘qualified’ would, it was argued, sharpen people’s ability to take advantage of opportunities in the new global economy, whereas those who didn’t would be left behind. In other words, … Continue reading No repeat of ‘education, education, education’ under a Starmer government
Labour comes after the NEETs
Kendall: 'no option of a life on benefits' According to the shadow work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall, under a Labour government there would be “no option of a life on benefits”. Labour’s is targeting the NEETs, (young people Not in Education, Employment or Training’). Figures announced at the end of February show the percentage … Continue reading Labour comes after the NEETs
Young people and wellbeing : does education damage your health?
Despite the economy being in ‘technical’ recession (though this is increasingly expected to be ‘mild’) the labour market continues to boom. With the jobless rate at under 4%, some Tories are pointing to ‘full-employment’ – a term used to describe the prosperous years of the post-war period. Indeed, labour shortages have pushed up wage levels … Continue reading Young people and wellbeing : does education damage your health?
The post-war educational project comes off the rails (version 2 and policy critique)
Rab Butler - instigator? 2024 marks the eightieth anniversary of the momentous 1944 Butler Act, considered a triumph for progressive reform. Though times may have changed, post-war assumptions about education remain. First, that for economic growth to continue and to keep pace with other countries, there is a need for greater levels of ‘human capital’ … Continue reading The post-war educational project comes off the rails (version 2 and policy critique)
Eighty years on, the post-war education project has come off the rails.
2024 is just around the corner. It will mark the eightieth anniversary of the momentous 1944 Butler Act, considered a ‘triumph for progressive reform’. Yet, even though times have changed, in many respects education continues to operate around the social and economic assumptions growing out of the post-war reconstruction. 'One Nation Tory' Rab Butler First … Continue reading Eighty years on, the post-war education project has come off the rails.
‘Work or we’ll cut your benefits’ Hunt seeks to rebuild the ‘reserve army’.
'Work or we'll cut your benefits' Compared to many others, the UK economy is labour intensive and low-skill. In recent years the limited amount of growth that has been achieved has come by adding to the labour force, rather than increasing productivity through investment in technology. Hunt’s Autumn Statement will do little to change this. … Continue reading ‘Work or we’ll cut your benefits’ Hunt seeks to rebuild the ‘reserve army’.
Dave might be back…. but what’s happened to his apprenticeship promises?
As the sitting Prime Minister, David Cameron put a promise to create another 3 million high quality apprenticeships for young people at the centre of his 2015 election campaign. Yet apprenticeships have provided few alternatives to continuing to higher education for young people – key to Cameron’s intentions. In fact apprenticeship starts had already peaked … Continue reading Dave might be back…. but what’s happened to his apprenticeship promises?
The Department for Education gives a thumbs down to AI.
While prime minister Sunak was snuggling up to the tech giants in a pretence about AI security, the Department for Education had already published bland guidelines about some of the implications for education. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/generative-artificial-intelligence-in-education While accepting that AI is an important tool: Generative AI tools are good at quickly: analysing, structuring, and writing text turning … Continue reading The Department for Education gives a thumbs down to AI.
Education spending if Labour wins next time.
‘Education, education, education’ was a priority for the previous Labour government. Under Blair, spending neared record levels. Reaching almost £120 billion by 2010 - up from £70 billion in 1997, education spending constituted 5.4% of GDP, its highest since the mid-1970s. The ‘austerity’ programme imposed by the Tories lead to a sharp decline. Expressed as … Continue reading Education spending if Labour wins next time.
A step forward or a step Bacc? Sunak’s proposals for abolishing A-levels
At first glance, the proposals in A World-Class Education System. The Advanced British (distinctly English!) Standard, (ABS) being presented to Parliament next week, represent a complete turnaround in government plans for post-16 education – from separate academic and vocational ‘pathways’ to a new baccalaureate-style qualification, which according to Secretary of State Gillian Keegan will draw … Continue reading A step forward or a step Bacc? Sunak’s proposals for abolishing A-levels
The return of the NEET
. This month’s labour market statistics show the employment rate at 75.5%, a fall of half a percentage point on the previous quarter. Unemployment has also risen by over half a percentage point to 4.3% - up from 3.7% a year ago, though rates of economic inactivity (the number of people not working, but not … Continue reading The return of the NEET
Results day. How low can it get?
Not so long ago, ‘results day’ in England would see leading figures in education, from Tory ministers to National Union of Teachers General Secretaries line up to unequivocally congratulate young people on their achievements and celebrate rising standards. But with education increasingly like running up a downwards escalator, where you have to run faster simply … Continue reading Results day. How low can it get?
T-levels struggle on
If next month’s A-level results will be subject to detailed scrutiny – in particular for indications that grade distribution is now ‘back to normal’ after Covid; results for the second cohort of T-level students will also be published. Last year, the first cohort, just over a thousand (1,029) students, received results in the three subject … Continue reading T-levels struggle on
‘Rip off’ universities and ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees – the latest stage in education’s ‘Great Reversal’?
Rishi Sunak’s provocative remarks about ‘rip off’ universities and ‘Micky Mouse’ degrees are merely the latest stage in Tory attempts to limit the number of students attending HE. There have been a series of initiatives, in particular the 2019 Augar report which sought to leaver more young people into job-related courses in FE; the 2021 … Continue reading ‘Rip off’ universities and ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees – the latest stage in education’s ‘Great Reversal’?
Education, qualifications and skills. A critique.
Post-16 Educator Issue 112 A comment on issues raised by Dave Ridley in the current and previous edition of http://post16educator.org.uk/ Does gaining educational qualifications really improve performance and productivity in the workplace? For crude versions of what has become known as human capital theory (HCT) this is indisputable: for the economy as a whole, increasing levels … Continue reading Education, qualifications and skills. A critique.
Skill deficits or labour shortages?
As the UKs economic difficulties persist, there’s a continued focus on skill shortages. Most discussions ignore issues of job quality, yet it’s evident that labour supply issues are more visible in jobs deemed ‘low skilled’ with lower wages and poor employment conditions. In otherwords, rather than productivity and increased output being held back by skill … Continue reading Skill deficits or labour shortages?
Chinese youth: racing after qualifications, or ‘lying flat’?
Chinese graduates face an increasingly difficult jobs market. Churning out 12 million of them every year, China’s economy is suffering from a mismatch between the jobs available and the qualifications of jobseekers. Between 2018 and 2021 the number of graduates increased by more than 20%. In response, Chinese authorities have announced subsidies for companies that … Continue reading Chinese youth: racing after qualifications, or ‘lying flat’?
What did happen to ‘Core Skills’?
The think tank Demos has launched a major attack on the inadequacies of the current school curriculum and how it is failing many young people seeking employment. https://demos.co.uk/research/the-employability-badge-skills-for-life-work-and-a-stronger-society/ Demos reports that transferable skills are now more valuable to employers - skills like leadership, teamwork, problem solving and emotional resilience for example. It argues that schools … Continue reading What did happen to ‘Core Skills’?
Burnham proposes new MBacc
Andy Burnham has launched proposals for a 'Greater Manchester Baccalaureate' to promote technical education courses for those young people (the forgotten half as Ed Miliband referred to them) who will not follow the academic route to HE. It’s designed to lead to skilled jobs in the local economy and to avoid the huge debts associated … Continue reading Burnham proposes new MBacc
Still more Master apprentices
Latest statistical releases this month show total apprenticeship starts in England, from Aug 2022 to Jan 2023 down by 4.1% to 195,600 compared to 203,990 reported for the same period in the previous year. But starts for Higher level apprenticeships continue to grow substantially, accounting for over a third of all starts, up by 7% … Continue reading Still more Master apprentices
‘Farewell to the working class’? Or good-bye to parts of the middle?
It’s getting on for forty-five years since the publication of Andre Gorz’s Farewell to the Working Class led to controversy – and accusations of heresy, from socialist and labour movement quarters. Gorz claimed that as a result of developments within capitalist society, particularly the increased role of machinery, groups of workers would be ejected from … Continue reading ‘Farewell to the working class’? Or good-bye to parts of the middle?
Sunak’s maths jolly. Does it really add up?
Rishi Sunak has announced a review of maths education in England. He’s setting up a group of advisers, including mathematicians and business representatives to examine the "core maths content" taught in schools. The advisors will also consider whether a new maths qualification is necessary. He wants all school pupils in England to study some maths … Continue reading Sunak’s maths jolly. Does it really add up?
Book review. A Nation of Shopkeepers.
There’s been an absence of serious books about class for some years. In A Nation of Shopkeepers, The Unstoppable Rise of the Petty Bourgeoisie, Dan Evans draws on academic, political sources and his own personal experiences to tackle difficult issues about the 'middle' of society. Even if the perspective he adopts is not without controversy. Though … Continue reading Book review. A Nation of Shopkeepers.
Want an apprenticeship? Join the military!
https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships Apprenticeship data updated yesterday shows starts between August and January down by 4.1% to 195,600 compared to 203,990 reported for the same period in the previous year. Covering a period when young people traditionally leave school or college, under 19s accounted for just 28.4% of these (55,580). These figures will now feature in 2022/3 totals. The … Continue reading Want an apprenticeship? Join the military!
ChatGPT: the end of the essay?
ChatGPT is becoming one of the most talked about developments in AI and machine learning. Although it is still in its infancy, ask it a question, or give it a prompt on its website and you will get an instant 'human-like' written response. ChatGPT can be used as a tool to generate text, translate language, … Continue reading ChatGPT: the end of the essay?
‘Off to work we go’?
Jeremy Hunt’s budget is unlikely to get many more people into the labour market. Most of the newspaper headlines have focussed on the child care reforms – particularly providing up to 30 hours for very young children (from 9 months to 2 years) but, as child care sector representatives have been quick to point out, … Continue reading ‘Off to work we go’?
Youth joblessness
The UK labour market remains tight, with government now concerned about the shortage of workers pushing up inflation. Though ONS monthly figures show a marginal increase in the unemployment rate for October to December 2022 by 0.1 percentage points on the quarter, to 3.7%, the ‘economic inactivity’ rate (those not in, but not actively looking … Continue reading Youth joblessness
Defending Btec’s : unlikely allies?
Former New Labour education minister David Blunkett and Kenneth Baker, architect of the National Curriculum under Thatcher continue to sound alarm bells on the government’s plan to scrap popular vocational and technical qualifications in England and push students into taking new T-levels. Supported by former Tory University ministers David Willetts and Jo Johnson, also members … Continue reading Defending Btec’s : unlikely allies?
Teachers back on strike
Thousands of teachers, members of the National Education Union in England and Wales have joined up to half a million other public sector workers taking strike action. (EIS members in Scotland have already started a programme of industrial action.) 70,000 UCU members in over 100 universities, were also due to be on strike. This has … Continue reading Teachers back on strike
Qualifications: creating or chasing jobs?
Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal the qualifications divide between different parts of England. Subsequent comment has focussed on almost half of people in London (46.7%) holding a degree or similar qualification compared with under a third (28.6%) in areas like the north-east. The percentage in London was considerably higher than in … Continue reading Qualifications: creating or chasing jobs?
Apprenticeships: still not a real alternative for young people.
Some eight years after David Cameron promised 3 million more, apprenticeships have failed to provide real opportunities for all but a few of those young people not able to or not wanting to continue to higher education. This, rather than a 'skills crisis' is the real reason for the introduction of yet another full-time vocational … Continue reading Apprenticeships: still not a real alternative for young people.
With Millennials voting, things can only get better?
While most people accept that data from recent general elections show young people unlikely to vote Tory. https://www.britishelectionstudy.com/bes-findings/age-and-voting-behaviour-at-the-2019-general-election/#.Y7KwWyjMJOg It has also been argued that political sympathies are likely to change with age. The popular press continues to bang on about ‘generation gaps’, while pollsters have reported big shifts in allegiance amongst more elderly voters in … Continue reading With Millennials voting, things can only get better?
Towards a new ‘general intellect’.
A lot has been written about the potential of digital technology and AI to ‘upskill’ the workforce and raise standards of living, but as previous posts have argued, there’s little sign the ‘knowledge economy’ has developed in the way its advocates expected. Digitalisation and AI have indeed become integral to new types of production. But … Continue reading Towards a new ‘general intellect’.
Filling (or digging?) a ‘black hole’
With the economy slipping into recession, (by all accounts maybe the longest ever), you’d think it would be generally accepted that at the very least, as even right-wing Tory Ian Duncan-Smith acknowledged on TV at the weekend, a bit of ‘Keynesian’ public spending is necessary, if only to stop things getting significantly worse. But paving … Continue reading Filling (or digging?) a ‘black hole’
Background paper for NEU post-16 Conference
Education without jobs? Martin Allen ‘Post-16’ education’ is a relatively new concept. Fifty years ago, 40 % of working class[i] students left school without any significant qualifications (many of these being ‘early leavers’ with no grades in anything). At that time, there were clear transitions to local employment, especially for the boys. Though … Continue reading Background paper for NEU post-16 Conference
Books Reviews – Whatever happened to the ‘Knowledge Economy’?
Over the last decade, several publications have provided uncompromising accounts of how technological progress will reshape economy and society. These changes (it has been claimed) have constituted either a Second Machine Age (Brynjolfsson & McAfee, 2014) or a Fourth Industrial Revolution (Schwab, 2017). While authors have been aware of the potential social upheavals resulting from … Continue reading Books Reviews – Whatever happened to the ‘Knowledge Economy’?
PSE journal article. ‘A difficult summer for 18-year-olds’
It was a difficult summer for thousands of 18-year olds completing their post-16 education in either school sixth-forms or colleges. Arguably, this cohort had to endure more stress and uncertainty than the previous ‘Covid generation’ - when exams were cancelled and work was teacher-assessed. Read the article in full and download others from PSE issue … Continue reading PSE journal article. ‘A difficult summer for 18-year-olds’
As Neo-liberal factions slug it out, how do we pay for energy and public services?
Recent days have seen two factions of Neo-liberalism going head-to-head in a bruising encounter, with mainstream Neo-liberalism moving quickly to crush a rebellious (and even more right wing) tendency led by Prime Minister Truss and Chancellor Kwarteng. Mainstream Neo-liberalism ( in the UK, also referred to as ‘Treasury Orthodoxy’ and most recently associated with defeated … Continue reading As Neo-liberal factions slug it out, how do we pay for energy and public services?
Think what £65 billion could be spent on!
With the pound still falling, the Bank of England has used its inflation mandate to restart Quantitative Easing – a process that, at least until a few days ago was being slowly reversed. QE involves the Bank buying government debt – mostly gilts –from private and institutional investors. Of course, technically, QE doesn’t reduce the … Continue reading Think what £65 billion could be spent on!
The Pound tumbles, but how would Labour pay for it?
Truss and Kwarteng’s tax cutting mini budget has caused disarray on the currency markets, with Sterling tumbling to its lowest ever, meaning rising import prices are likely to cause further inflation. The Bank of England has gone ahead with interest rate rises, warning of more to come – even if it has stopped short from … Continue reading The Pound tumbles, but how would Labour pay for it?
Small state Tories?
Once again, a new Tory Prime Minister and Chancellor are banging on about the need for a smaller state. The modern-day reality is that this is pure fantasy. If public spending as a proportion of GDP is used as a bench mark, then as the charts below show, the UK has continued to fall well … Continue reading Small state Tories?
‘Generation Rent’ now can’t afford to.
It’s true that many young people, especially those referred to as ’ millennials', say that don’t want to own their own homes – surveys put this as high as a third. Young people give a range of responses from ‘I don’t want to be ‘tied down’ to ‘I’m thinking of going off travelling’. This is a … Continue reading ‘Generation Rent’ now can’t afford to.
BTEC chaos as Blair wades in
200,000 students were due to get their BTEC Level 3 final grades at the same time as A-level pupils on Thursday. The awarding body, the education conglomerate Pearson, says only a “very small percentage” of students have experienced a delay, but has not put a figure on those affected as more results are still being … Continue reading BTEC chaos as Blair wades in
A-level results : when they were down, they were down……
After record results last year, when almost one in five (19.1%) grades were A*, A-level top grades were down to 1 in 7 this time around, while the proportion of candidates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland receiving A or A* has fallen from 44.8% last year to 36.4%. The number of 'high-flyers' who got three A*s … Continue reading A-level results : when they were down, they were down……
Why don’t young people join trade unions?
Surveys continue to highlight a wide range of progressive views held by young people (among both Generation Z and Millennials). Polling returns also show high levels of support for Labour (and particularly the Green Party) even if this isn’t reflected in party membership. Yet barely 1 in 10 workers under 24 belong to a trade … Continue reading Why don’t young people join trade unions?
Tory leadership contest. Tax cuts, debt and ‘future generations’
Sunak and Truss continue to squabble over economic policy, Sunak repeatedly claiming his opponent's promise of immediate tax cuts is akin to putting increases in national debt on 'credit card' for future generations to pay. Despite being told by his ex-boss to spend billions on Covid support and the furlough, Sunak is on the ‘balance … Continue reading Tory leadership contest. Tax cuts, debt and ‘future generations’
Young people and ‘click-work’
The number of people relying on ‘platform work’ continues to grow and has been intensified by the pandemic. According to the TUC, people in England and Wales who said that they performed work they had found via an online platform at least once a week grew from 5.8 per cent of the working population in … Continue reading Young people and ‘click-work’
When they were up they were up. When they were down they were down….
Universities have agreed that the number of candidates awarded first class degrees and 2:1s should be drastically reduced. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/jul/05/proportion-of-top-degree-grades-in-england-could-fall-by-nearly-25 Universities UK and GuildHE, bodies representing institutions across the higher education sector, have jointly announced plans to return to pre-pandemic award grade levels. It's reported that the proportion of top degree grades awarded to undergraduates inEngland … Continue reading When they were up they were up. When they were down they were down….
T-levels: Too big to fail?
The Government continues to roll out its programme of T-levels, new technical qualifications in England, originating from a review commissioned by David Cameron and then a White Paper published by Teresa May The first 3 T Levels were launched in September 2020, in digital, construction and childcare. A further 7 began in September 2021 (2 … Continue reading T-levels: Too big to fail?
The looming recession, young workers and young NEETs
Rates for UK youth unemployment have been falling sharply since the end of the pandemic. At the height of Covid just over 1 in 7 (13.7%) of the 16-24 age group were recorded as jobless. This had fallen to 10.6% for the first quarter of this year. Young people were the group worst affected by … Continue reading The looming recession, young workers and young NEETs
Education, Economy and Society 