Record Employment: but the NEETs are still here

ONS figures published last week show a record number of people working – 32.7 million or 76.1% of the population. At 3.9%, unemployment has hit its lowest level since 1975 while the number of those ‘economically inactive’ - people not looking, or not able to work has also never been lower. But if ‘full-employment’ in … Continue reading Record Employment: but the NEETs are still here →

T-Levels limp on

I've posted previously on T-levels and published widely on the problems and limitations of a 'vocational route' for increasing opportunities for young people. Despite being  reinvented and repackaged every few years,  vocational qualifications have never achieved 'parity' with academic learning and with employment changing and the possibility of swathes of jobs disappearing or being replaced … Continue reading T-Levels limp on →

‘Apprenticeship Week’ but not too much to celebrate?

You could be forgiven for not realising last week was ‘Apprenticeship Week’ - an annual event enabling the apprenticeship industry to promote good practice and celebrate the diversity of opportunities available, the government is also launching a £2 million advertising campaign through TV and social media.   Make no mistake there are some very good … Continue reading ‘Apprenticeship Week’ but not too much to celebrate? →

What future for ‘home education’?

As the chart shows, recent years have seen an increase in the number of children being educated outside of the school system - 48,000 In 2016-17, up from about 34,000 in 2014-15. Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 provides that: “The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive … Continue reading What future for ‘home education’? →

Common’s Chair calls for abolition of GCSE

Calling for GCSEs to be scrapped is not new –  that this time it comes from the Conservative Chair of the Commons education select committee is.  Robert Halfon a Tory ‘moderniser’ who also supports a Norway style Brexit arrangement, is following in the footsteps of a long line of business  leaders,  think –tank directors and … Continue reading Common’s Chair calls for abolition of GCSE →

Nissan: is it still the age of the car?

Nissan’s decision to move producing the X-Trail from its Sunderland plant to Japan has undoubtedly been caused by fears over Brexit. In particular, the recently negotiated free-trade deal between Japan and the EU might result in Nissan’s complete departure from the UK with a catastrophic effect on the Sunderland area. Nissan has been there since … Continue reading Nissan: is it still the age of the car? →

How teaching can be different

Valerie Coultas takes issue with the view that teaching is improved  by extensive supervision and imposed lesson observations. Instead she argues for a return to and enhancement of collaborative teaching approaches to re-establish the principle that teachers and lecturers are able and willing to reflect on their practice without fear of sanctions. She  argues that … Continue reading How teaching can be different →

‘An Economy that Works for all’

Notes accompanying presentation to Ferndale  branch, Vauxhall Labour Party (17/01/19).   Labour’s  policies  for the economy  not only represent a clear alternative to the Tories, but are also significantly different to those of the Blair/Brown years.  Representing a return to the centre-left ‘interventionist’ social democracy of the post-war years, they will encounter (the usual) opposition … Continue reading ‘An Economy that Works for all’ →

A third of 18 year olds now get ‘unconditional offers’ – what’s the problem?

What should we make of the recent UCAS  release that a third of 18 year olds now receive unconditional offers for university places? School and college representatives  are right to argue that this is a reflection of an  ‘out of control’ market based higher education system where universities  have to  chase students or face financial … Continue reading A third of 18 year olds now get ‘unconditional offers’ – what’s the problem? →