Patrick Ainley Guardian letter 08/01/2012To see the future development of "free schools" and academies (Free for all, Weekend, 5 January), look to the US charter schools.As Diane Ravitch, once George Bush's assistant secretary of education, wrote in her Death and Life of the Great American School System (Basic Books, 2010), "The regular state schools are … Continue reading Tory Ideology is destroying education in England
Author: Martin Allen
Here comes the Baker-laureate
Lord (Ken) Baker who, in another life as Margaret Thatcher’s education minister brought us the National Curriculum and more recently the University Technical Colleges (UTCs); has been busy again – this time upstaging Ed Miliband, (https://radicaled.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/milibands-proposals-for-training-without-jobs/) by announcing plans for a new Technical Baccalaureate and also warning that Michael Gove’s English Baccalaureate is a ‘huge … Continue reading Here comes the Baker-laureate
‘Hard Times for education in England’ (Educational Futures, BESA Journal)
'Hard Times for education in England' Patrick Ainley & Martin Allen, Educational Futures Journal of the British Educational Studies Association, http://www.educationstudies.org.uk/journal/ef_vol_51 “Unrealistic hopes have been repeatedly invested in English education. First, that selective state secondary schooling would sustain traditional industry in the 1940s and '50s and then in the 1960s and '70s that comprehensive … Continue reading ‘Hard Times for education in England’ (Educational Futures, BESA Journal)
A brief comment on December’s unemployment figures
Though the Tories and sections of the media have celebrated the ‘record fall’ in unemployment, the figures tell a different story, particularly for young people. The ONS data shows a 75 000 fall in joblessness for 16-24 year olds; but only 13 000 more in work. This is because of a fall in the overall … Continue reading A brief comment on December’s unemployment figures
Sign the National Petition against EBacc
The official ‘consultation’ period for Michael Gove’s English Baccalaureate qualifications has now ended; though consultation was only ever about how the qualifications should be implemented. Not whether they should be introduced in the first place. EBacc has met with opposition throughout the education sector, with the Financial Times (6/12/12) reporting even Ofqual having doubts … Continue reading Sign the National Petition against EBacc
Youth unemployment falls: but less are working
The 49 000 fall in unemployment for the Q3 2012, taking the figure down to 7.8% has been attributed to the fall in youth unemployment (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20323096) The monthly ONS figures do indeed show a 49 000 fall in the number of 16-24 year olds unemployed –now down below the one million figure, the first time … Continue reading Youth unemployment falls: but less are working
Reforming Key Stage 4 Qualifications: Michael Gove Moderniser or Reactionary? Greenwich University Seminar.
Martin Allen 08/11/12 Michael Gove’s schools revolution continues. The Secretary of State has used the debacle over this summer’s exam grades to announce proposals to abolish GCSE, an examination which he considers ‘no longer fit for purpose’; but also to reaffirm the importance of English Baccalaureate subjects in the secondary school curriculum. Having already ended … Continue reading Reforming Key Stage 4 Qualifications: Michael Gove Moderniser or Reactionary? Greenwich University Seminar.
The Great Reversal
Forthcoming on http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/ Patrick Ainley and Martin Allen Introduction Resistance to the latest undergraduate fee tripling needs to relate also to schools and colleges to grasp the full implications of the Coalition’s education policy. We can then see David Willetts hand-in-glove with Michael Gove in attempting to return via the market to the 1950s … Continue reading The Great Reversal
George Osborne’s ‘One million new private sector jobs’
When entering government Chancellor George Osborne insisted the cull in public sector employment the Coalition was scheduling, would be more than compensated by the increase in private sector jobs. In many ways Osborne has been true to his word –in the run up to his Conservative Party Conference speech he made much of the fact … Continue reading George Osborne’s ‘One million new private sector jobs’
Miliband’s proposals for ‘Training without Jobs’
A Tech-Bacc by itself isn’t going to help the ‘forgotten 50 %’ who don’t go to university. Neither is it going to raise the status of vocational education. It fits well with and legitimates, rather than challenges, Gove’s plans for creating more elitist academic qualifications. It also dovetails many of the proposals from the Wolf … Continue reading Miliband’s proposals for ‘Training without Jobs’
Education, Economy and Society 