Author: Martin Allen

Most young people did not riot, but can the ‘Lost Generations’ find their way?

Martin Allen and Patrick Ainley There is more than one ‘lost generation’. We have seen at least two in the past months as young people have taken to the streets. Students have protested against fee rises and now a hard core urban youth have taken the stage.  On both occasions, the media have focused on … Continue reading Most young people did not riot, but can the ‘Lost Generations’ find their way? →

The rise and rise of workless youth. ‘Unemployment’ might be falling but not youth joblessness

Martin Allen The latest ONS unemployment statistics show a further fall in youth unemployment – 917 000  16-24 year olds are out of work, down 42 000 on the previous quarter.  Conduct a more thorough analysis however and you’ll quickly discover a different picture          To begin with, as ONS itself recognises, there are problems with … Continue reading The rise and rise of workless youth. ‘Unemployment’ might be falling but not youth joblessness →

Defend pensions: campaign for a different education

Martin Allen The increasingly acrimonious public sector pensions dispute will be dominated by the teacher unions - more so with the decision by the National Association of Headteachers to ballot its members and the near certainty that the NASUWT the second largest union, almost certain to do the same. If the 30th June   strike is … Continue reading Defend pensions: campaign for a different education →

A Youthful Precariat ?

Martin Allen and Patrick Ainley Guy Standing’s challenging new book The Precariat seeks to explain the implications of globalisation for occupational class structures. Rather than remaining within the ranks of Marx’s proletariat; increasingly large numbers of people have now been pushed into a new and insecure ‘precariat’ - lacking adequate incomes and ‘security’ in the … Continue reading A Youthful Precariat ? →

‘Blue Skies Thinking’ Shows ‘Two Brains’ May not be as daft after all!

  Patrick Ainley reviews Blue Skies: New thinking about the future of higher education – a collection of short articles by leading commentators edited by Louise Coiffait, published by Pearson Centre for Policy and Learning     http://pearsonblueskies.com   Campaign for the Public University  http://www.publicuniversity.org.uk  A  sorry collection Under New Labour ‘Blue Skies Thinking’ or ‘Thinking the Unthinkable’ … Continue reading ‘Blue Skies Thinking’ Shows ‘Two Brains’ May not be as daft after all! →

Youth unemployment falling?

Though the most recent ONS  figures (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/lmsuk0511.pdf) show a slight fall in levels of unemployment, 20% of 16-24 year olds are still recorded as being out of work. If the count is restricted to those ‘not in full-time education or training’ – a more accurate measurement, 18.3% of 16-24 year olds and 17.3% of those … Continue reading Youth unemployment falling? →

Two-Brains Speak with Forked-Tongue

Patrick Ainley Post-16 Educator  Issue 63  May/June 2011 http://www.post16educator.org.uk  ‘Two-brains’ Willetts, the Tory HE Minister, is schizophrenic. One brain acknowledges that from 2012 an undergraduate borrowing £9,000 a year plus maintenance loans ranging from £3,575 to £5,288 (depending on their family’s income) could end up, once they earn over £21,000, indebted up to £83,000 at current … Continue reading Two-Brains Speak with Forked-Tongue →

OXBRIDGE REDIVIVUS

Patrick Ainley  Post-16 Educator (No 62)   http://www.post16educator.org.uk Introduction: Social immobility What is the point of different forms of indirect democracy if MPs do not represent the electorate anyway, viz. Clegg – fees? And if government and opposition are both headed by male Oxbridge humanities graduates – Cameron, Clegg, Miliband, Balls and Osborn? No wonder celebrity … Continue reading OXBRIDGE REDIVIVUS →

Wolf Review ‘doesn’t go far enough’

Martin Allen Though earning top marks from both Michael Gove and Further education minister John Hayes, Professor Alison Wolf’s report on vocational education does not provide what many Tories want.  In particular, Lord Baker, creator of Thatcher’s   National Curriculum and Chair of the vocational charity Edge, used Radio 4’s Today programme (03/03/11) to complain ‘it … Continue reading Wolf Review ‘doesn’t go far enough’ →