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?
Author: Martin Allen
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.
Will Autumn Statement really help young people?
Measures set out in the Autumn Statement designed to improve young people’s chances in the labour market may not have the effect they are supposed to. Removing the cap on university numbers may increase places but it’s equally likely to benefit more prestigious institutions who can now recruit students who would have had to gone … Continue reading Will Autumn Statement really help young people?
South Korea’s never ending schooling.
Another round of PISA tables puts the educational establishment on the defensive about the UK’s mediocre performance. It’s certainly true the way the comparisons are made is open to dispute (www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10191157/International-school-league-tables-utterly-wrong.html) and it’s also right to argue that Michael Gove’s policies continue to undermine teacher trust and lower morale still further. It’s equally the case … Continue reading South Korea’s never ending schooling.
New Book – Education in Europe: the Politics of Austerity
Edited by Ken Jones www.radicaledbks.com ISBN 978-0-9575538-3-5 Across Europe, governments have cut educational spending and remodelled education systems. Some of this has been done in the name of austerity. Much of the rest is an attempt to ‘economise’ education, introducing private sector interests, market competition and business-inspired management regimes. Governments in these ways try to replace … Continue reading New Book – Education in Europe: the Politics of Austerity
The grads and the rest.
Martin Allen and Patrick Ainley Last week the Office for National Statistics published extensive data about graduates in the labour market (www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lmac/graduates-in-the-labour-market/2013/index.html). It showed that the number of recent graduates working in ‘non-graduate’ jobs had risen from 37% in 2001 to 47%. Of course, there’s been a huge increase in graduate numbers with the percentage … Continue reading The grads and the rest.
Well attended book launch
At a well attended launch of Education Beyond the Coalition and Education in Europe on 19th November at Goldsmiths, Ken Jones and Martin Allen outlined how the books related to current issues and struggles and Christine Blower, NUT General Secretary, described how the current teachers industrial action was also about the future direction of state education. These books … Continue reading Well attended book launch
The ‘hour glass’ economy?
A recent report from Resolution Foundation (www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/polarising-crisis/) confirms a number of trends seen to be taking place in the labour market. Particularly that the number of low-skill jobs created post recession exceeds the number of those considered high-skill and that the downturn has accentuated the decline of ‘routine’ and ‘middle-skill jobs’ – more likely to … Continue reading The ‘hour glass’ economy?
Labour market notes
Government representatives have made much of the fact that the monthly ONS figures show 30 million Britons are now in some form of employment. Though this is an all-time high, it’s still lower in percentage terms than before the downturn –as a result of a rising population. Nevertheless, unemployment fell by 48,000 to 2.47 million, … Continue reading Labour market notes
Restoring ‘economic competitiveness’. Will apprenticeships provide the answer?
Michael Gove’s determination to hold education entirely responsible for the UK’s failing international competitiveness is mirrored elsewhere. The week before Gove announced his latest GCSE proposals, David Cameron also called for a ‘new era’ of apprenticeships (www.express.co.uk/news/uk/439595/Firms-sign-up-to-apprentice-schemes) with more academic assessment, particularly in maths and English. Cameron’s announcement was also a response to recommendations in the … Continue reading Restoring ‘economic competitiveness’. Will apprenticeships provide the answer?
