The Tories are pushing ahead with T (Technical) -Levels promising they represent a major reform of secondary education. Worryingly, Labour is also backing them, mistakenly thinking they will provide real opportunities for the 50% of 17-18 year olds not going university by providing the employment skills needed for social mobility in the new 21st century … Continue reading Should Labour be supporting T-levels?
Author: Martin Allen
Lining up one generation against another
David Willetts, once Universities minister under David Cameron, now Chair at the Resolution Foundation has made his name arguing that the current difficulties faced by young people are the result of the excesses enjoyed by their parents - the ‘baby boomer’ generation of the post-war years. Willetts – as architect of the current tuition fees scandal, … Continue reading Lining up one generation against another
A National Education Service, but also new policies for young people
A discussion paper by Martin Allen & Patrick Ainley While welcoming the Labour Party’s policies for state education, this contribution locates them in a wider historical perspective and argues that proposals for a National Education Service now need to be part of a much wider range of policies for young people. Young people have been … Continue reading A National Education Service, but also new policies for young people
Fees: Tories on the retreat?
Theresa May’s proposed ‘independent’ review of HE & FE funding received huge media attention –wrongly being sold as a commitment to lower tuition fees – a more ‘sensible’ response than Jeremy Corbyn’s promise to abolish them. In fact, there’ll be no definite proposals for a year and rather than having any independent status, the review … Continue reading Fees: Tories on the retreat?
Apprenticeships: the demise continues
The latest official figures on quarterly apprenticeship starts (August to October 2017) may be disappointing reading for government, in view of David Cameron’s 2016 General Election promise to create an additional three million by 2020, but as posts on this site have emphasized, apprenticeships have never benefited many young people, never provided an alternative pathway to … Continue reading Apprenticeships: the demise continues
The unemployed, the economically inactive and the NEETs
Figures released today by the ONS show youth unemployment (16-24-year olds) down to 12.2%, still nearly three times the rate for the population generally, but close to the 2001 low of 11.6%. (Youth joblessness reached 22.5% in 2011.) But in many respects, these figures are of limited use. For example, over a third of those recorded … Continue reading The unemployed, the economically inactive and the NEETs
Education and the digital age
Discussion continues about the employment implications of Artificial Intelligence and robotics. If there is an emerging consensus, then it’s that there will be continued automation of ‘routine’ work –particularly clerical, administrative and secretarial jobs in offices/banks for example, but that ‘non-routine’ and ‘personalised’ jobs, that are more difficult and more expensive to automate will likely … Continue reading Education and the digital age
Apprenticeship troubles continue
It’s nine months since the introduction of an employer’s levy – designed to raise an additional £3 million for the apprenticeships programme and help government reach its total of 3 million more apprenticeship starts by 2020. But the apprenticeship levy only applies to large employers with a wage bill of more than £3 million (approximately … Continue reading Apprenticeship troubles continue
Patrick Ainley – discussion paper on Michael Gove
Revisiting Michael Gove et al’s 2005 pamphlet, DIRECT DEMOCRACY, An Agenda for a New Model Party, this article finds in it the blueprint for power Gove made in campaigning to leave the EU that indicates an unfinished Agenda for English primary and secondary education under ‘hard Brexit’ complementing measures proposed for tertiary education in the … Continue reading Patrick Ainley – discussion paper on Michael Gove
The Tories have increased social mobility!
Patrick Ainley Guardian Letter Contrary to the assertions of Alan Milburn (Observer 2 December*), the Tories have dramatically increased social mobility. However, it is general, absolute, DOWNWARD social mobility that has increased, whilst the limited, relative, upward social mobility of the post-war, welfare state period is nowadays so statistically insignificant as to be exceptional. As … Continue reading The Tories have increased social mobility!
