At last! Sanity emerges on the British Left !! 'Now that socialism is re-emerging as a political force that can no longer be ignored or ridiculed, the struggle for more time for leisure, family and relaxation should be linked to broader fights. Increased public ownership of the economy should be structured to create more worker … Continue reading Sanity arrives? Owen Jones in today’s Guardian.
Author: Martin Allen
Education without jobs
Today’s ONS Labour Market Bulletin, provides further data about the changing relationship between young people, education and employment. Even if it’s still much higher than for other age groups, youth unemployment continues to fall. For July to September 2017, joblessness for 16 to 24 year olds was 11.9% ( down from 13.1% a year earlier … Continue reading Education without jobs
Apprenticeship starts down
Official figures show a 2.7% decline in apprenticeship starts for the period August 2015-2106 compared to the previous year. It’s the fall in participation rates for those under 19 (7%) that is most significant. The number of 19-24-year-old starts have also fallen, while the number of adult starts is narrowly up. More specifically, the number of … Continue reading Apprenticeship starts down
Labour – past, present and future:
Patrick Ainley and Martin Allen (in the next edition of Post-16 Educator) Labour’s pedagogic project Like other social democratic parties, Labour was established in opposition to revolutionary communist parties. Backed by the trades unions seeking a better deal for their members, it sought to reform society in the interests of working people through governments that … Continue reading Labour – past, present and future:
GCSE – do we really need it?
This year’s GCSE results have been met with (deserved) criticism over the new grading system, the changes to assessment and the emphasis that continues to be placed on ‘high status’ Ebacc subjects at the expense of others. All of these have resulted in further pressure and anxiety for the ‘exam generation’ – yet discussion about … Continue reading GCSE – do we really need it?
A-level. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
This years A-level cohort is the first to take the new style qualifications – part of wider changes introduced by Michael Gove to make exams ‘fit for purpose’. Gove ended the AS level as a half way point to a full award and set strict limits on the amount of coursework – most subjects would be … Continue reading A-level. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Capital’s ‘reserve army’ (part 2)
UK unemployment continues to fall, it’s now at 4.4%, down from 4.9 % a year ago. Yet much more significant is the greater increase in the size of the workforce. For example, the most recent monthly ONS data shows a fall in unemployment of just under 160,000 over the year, but a 340 000 increase in those working. … Continue reading Capital’s ‘reserve army’ (part 2)
Brexit and skills shortages
Alarm bells continue to ring about the implications of (a hard) Brexit for UK skill levels, future growth and prosperity. By the end of 2016 there were 2.2 million working EU migrants -7% of the labour force. Most recently there’s been specific concern about the effect of Brexit on an already understaffed NHS. EU immigrants … Continue reading Brexit and skills shortages
The Bac is back (or is it?)
More than a year after it was supposed to, the government has finally published its response on Implementing_the_English_Baccalaureate_ Since then, Nicky Morgan has been replaced by Justine Greening and the Ebacc has been slammed by just about everybody from teacher unions to employer organisations. Though government only sought views about the implementation and … Continue reading The Bac is back (or is it?)
Unions slam the Taylor Review
Matthew Taylor’s review of employment practices has been slammed by trade union leaders and the Labour front bench for not being bold enough over zero-hours contracts and in its response to the growth of imposed self-employment. The review doesn’t call for an end to zero-hours – only for a right for those on them to … Continue reading Unions slam the Taylor Review
Education, Economy and Society 