Author: Martin Allen

Michael Gove’s Stratford Speech.

Martin Allen and Patrick Ainley Attack is the best means of defence so Michael Gove earns top marks for coming out fighting in his speech at the London Academy of Excellence today. He has reinvented himself as the champion of social justice and opportunity to distract from his controversies with Ofsted! Gove has gone further … Continue reading Michael Gove’s Stratford Speech. →

Ebacc subjects bedding in

 While the recent league tables for secondary schools show a reduction in ‘underperforming schools’ they also show significant increases in numbers taking Ebacc GCSEs. •72,000 more pupils took the EBacc than in 2012. In total, 202,000 pupils entered the EBacc (35% of the total), up from 130,000 (23%) in 2012 •in 735 schools, at least … Continue reading Ebacc subjects bedding in →

Labour market fragility

January labour market figures show 450,000 more people in employment, 172,000 fewer unemployed people, 75,000 fewer economically inactive people aged from 16 to 64 and government hailing a 'jobs boost'. Of course, any real assessment of the health of the labour market  needs to examine the sort of employment that’s being created –the ONS statistics showing only … Continue reading Labour market fragility →

More ‘schools and skills’ nonsense – this time from George Osborne

Though primarily outlining plans for more austerity and further  reductions to welfare in the next Parliament, (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25617844)  George Osborne  used  the final part of today’s speech at a west Midlands factory to prop up the Coalition’s education policies. Once again emphasising  the importance of the Academies and Free School programme in raising standards, despite huge … Continue reading More ‘schools and skills’ nonsense – this time from George Osborne →

Guardian correspondence

Graduating with loads of debt and no job: is this really a 'lost  generation'?                                                                                                                          http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/dec/27/graduating-debt-no-job-lost-generation Patrick Ainley responds   www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jan/02/lost-generation-higher-education    Both left and right have failed the jobless young http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/03/right-left-failing-young-people-jobs?commentpage=6 Martin Allen responds http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/08/structural-changes-youth-unemployment Rather than being the caused   by the limitations of education system, whatever they may be , or the absence of role models; … Continue reading Guardian correspondence →

In 2014: one in ten young people ‘have nothing to live for’

2014 can  be a year for putting young people back near the top of the political agenda – and as a matter of urgency.  This week’s report on research commissioned by the Princes Trust  showed 40% of young people who were  long term unemployed  experienced symptoms of mental illness including suicidal thoughts.  But it also … Continue reading In 2014: one in ten young people ‘have nothing to live for’ →

Youth unemployment falls slightly –but almost 1 in 5 still NEET.

  This month’s unemployment figures show a slight fall in youth joblessness. There are 941 000 young people looking for work (32% of these are in FT education) with the rate of unemployment falling by 0.5% to 20.5%. For those young people not in FT education the figure is 18.5%, a fall of 0.8% on … Continue reading Youth unemployment falls slightly –but almost 1 in 5 still NEET. →

Worse off than your parents – unless you inherit?

Inheritance  remains the key Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies confirms the trend that continued increases in the standard of living – a feature of post-war economic expansion, are being reversed.   (http://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/7017) It’s now widely accepted that young people will be worse off than their parents generation and that many risk downwards social mobility … Continue reading Worse off than your parents – unless you inherit? →

Book Review: Baker’s proposals are not a real alternative to Gove.

Kenneth Baker’s 14-18 A New Vision for Secondary Education was published earlier this year, as Michael Gove’s offensive on the secondary curriculum continued unabatedly.  Concerned about how the emphasis on Ebacc subjects  would marginalise  vocational learning  and openly critical of Alison Wolf’s proposal that vocational options should be restricted to 20% of the Key Stage … Continue reading Book Review: Baker’s proposals are not a real alternative to Gove. →