Author: Martin Allen

Gove, Lord Baker and vocational learning

Since becoming education minister, Gove has largely concentrated on  reforming  the academic curriculum, introducing an English Baccalaureate made up of five traditional curriculum areas, arguing that  A-levels have  to be made harder,  trying to reintroduce O-levels and so on. Though claiming  changes have to be made to bring the British education system more in line … Continue reading Gove, Lord Baker and vocational learning →

Education in a declining economy

Martin Allen Many assumptions about education continue to be unchallenged. Most education policy makers still operate with a ‘human capital’ model of education. This assumes the higher the level of education enjoyed by the population, the greater the national economic benefit. During the early post-war period, the content of education was largely left to teachers, … Continue reading Education in a declining economy →

Patrick Ainley Guardian letter 05/07/2012

Another ‘lost generation’ piece by Polly Toynbee  http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/02/lost-generation-will-cost-more?fb=native&CMP=FBCNETTXT9038  follows UCAS announcing a 10% drop in English undergraduate applications but still leaving 100,000 without a place. Given the lack of any alternatives, it is no wonder so many still apply but the graduatisation of remaining jobs (barrister to barista etc) pushes those ‘further down the food … Continue reading Patrick Ainley Guardian letter 05/07/2012 →

Raising standards? Nothing of the sort!

Michael Gove’s ‘leaked’ plans for reinventing GCE ‘O’ levels (and ‘CSE’ alternatives for those students not able to pass them) should not be any real surprise; coming in the same week as his proposals for restoring traditional A-levels – and abolishing AS levels and course work – have been unveiled by Ofqual (www.ofqual.gov.uk/news-and-announcements/130-news-and-announcements-press-releases/914-ofqual-launches-a-level-consultation) and where … Continue reading Raising standards? Nothing of the sort! →

Young and old both suffer in a changing labour market

http://www.ier.org.uk/publications/federation-news-spring-2012-meeting-challenges-age          Martin Allen and Patrick Ainley      Federation News  Spring 2012 UK youth unemployment continues to be alarmingly high and one of the biggest issues facing government. Based on the April Office for National Statistics – figures which cover the period December 2011 to Feb 2012 – youth joblessness is well over a million, equals 22.2% … Continue reading Young and old both suffer in a changing labour market →

Book Review: ‘Capsule Education’

Patrick Ainley FORTHCOMING IN HIGHER EDUCATION REVIEW The Consumer Experience of Higher Education, The Rise of Capsule Education by Deirdre McArdle-Clinton, Continuum 978-1-4411-7919-7 (pbk), £27.99 I read this book as a treat after two week’s marking. At this point I should stop because the state of higher education in Ireland so presciently described by Deirdre … Continue reading Book Review: ‘Capsule Education’ →

Alan Milburn,social mobility and education

Martin Allen and Patrick Ainley ‘Social mobility,’ Nick Clegg declared on 26th May, ‘is the central preoccupation of this government.’ His speech trailed a report by Alan Milburn, former New Labour Minister and now the Coalition’s ‘social mobility Tsar’, which attacked the professions for failing to be more socially inclusive. The Report (Fair Access to … Continue reading Alan Milburn,social mobility and education →

Book Review : Peter Latham The State and Local Government

                                                                       Patrick Ainley  reviews Peter Latham's The State and Local Government: Towards a New Basis for 'Local Democracy'  and the Defeat of Big Business Control                        http://marxandphilosophy.org.uk/reviewofbooks/reviews/2012/541#.T80czA5BSdQ.email