Author: Martin Allen

GCSEs, Margaret Thatcher and Michael Gove

The recent publication of official papers from the 1980s provides further context to the introduction of GCSEs. http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/dec/30/national-archives-revelations-released-documents .  The new common exam, reflected the growth of comprehensive schools, many being given the go ahead by Thatcher herself,  while  a dual system of CSE and GCE O-level examinations, the former  still acting primarily as a … Continue reading GCSEs, Margaret Thatcher and Michael Gove →

Organising Ideas -new website to support the NUT’s Manifesto for Education

                                                                                                     http://sufenut.wordpress.com/   We are an informal group of academics and educational researchers who support the broad policy agenda presented in the NUT‘s Stand Up for Education campaign.  The Stand Up for Education manifesto can be downloaded here. We see the Stand up for Education initiative as a welcome attempt to present a much … Continue reading Organising Ideas -new website to support the NUT’s Manifesto for Education →

Patrick Ainley, Philosophy of Education Seminar, 10/12/14

THE ETERNAL RECURRENCE OF THE SAME: VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN THE SECOND MACHINE AGE  Philosophy of Education Seminar, Institute of Education 10/12/14  Patrick Ainley, Professor of Training and Education at the University of Greenwich School of Education and Training  Whereas Michael Gove’s delusion that ‘a grammar school education for all’ would restart the limited upward social … Continue reading Patrick Ainley, Philosophy of Education Seminar, 10/12/14 →

Gove’s exam reforms may still come off the rails

After months of concern, alarm  bells are ringing over accreditation of new A-level syllabuses http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/dec/02/headteachers-criticise-government-chaotic-a-level-reform-delays Maths and further maths have been put back a year to 2017, while chemistry and English literature syllabuses, due to be taught from 2105  have yet to be given the green-light by Ofqual. With continued doubts  about the new GCSEs also … Continue reading Gove’s exam reforms may still come off the rails →

Apprenticeship numbers are falling not rising

 The Guardian  (01/12/14) has carried a story about apprenticeships going to workers over 25 rather than to young people and  claiming that 350 000 of the UK’s 851 000 apprentices are  25+   www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/30/hundreds-thousands-apprentices-in-uk-paid-little-2-73  Although large numbers of  existing employees are still being reclassified as ‘apprentices’ this report is only partially correct. You get a more accurate indication of … Continue reading Apprenticeship numbers are falling not rising →

Patrick Ainley – Contribution to Croydon Assembly

Patrick Ainley . Contribution to Croydon Assembly.  Education Workshop ........... Both Gove and Willis – even though they reportedly hated each other – agreed that too many kids were in academic education, or rather, that too many of the wrong sort of kids had gone to the wrong sort of universities under Blair’s parentally popular policy of … Continue reading Patrick Ainley – Contribution to Croydon Assembly →

Apprenticeships – a jobs and employment problem

Statistics from the Skill Funding Agency show a fall in the number of apprenticeships starts for the twelve months to July 2014 –a total of 423,500 down from 510,000. This is mostly the result of a fall in the number of ‘adult’ (over 25) apprentices and in the practice where employers re-categorise existing workers. There … Continue reading Apprenticeships – a jobs and employment problem →

Now Milburn calls for more apprenticeships

The latest ONS labour market statistics show large falls in youth unemployment –down 89 000 for 16-24 year olds, but still 16% and nearly three times the adult rate (www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-market-statistics/october-2014/statistical-bulletin.html).  The 733 000 unemployed 16-24 year olds include 266 000 full-time students. A more accurate picture is provided by the number of 18-24 year olds … Continue reading Now Milburn calls for more apprenticeships →

Ed Miliband and Apprenticeships

                                      Latest research on apprenticeships  http://radicaledbks.com/  Labour has promised to overhaul apprenticeships –correctly arguing that compared with the demand for them, there has been nowhere near enough and that most have been low level only lasting for a year, often in low paid sectors of the service economy rather than in manufacturing, engineering and construction. Until … Continue reading Ed Miliband and Apprenticeships →