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
White van economy?
Latest labour market figures (ONS Jan 2019) show continued growth in employment. There were 32.53 million people in work, 328,000 more than a year earlier. The number of self-employed people has increased by 81,000 to 4.85 million since this time last year and now represents 14.9% of all workers – up by around a million … Continue reading White van economy?
‘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?
Eastern European workers vote with their feet
The countdown to Brexit has seen a 15% fall in the number of Eastern European workers residing in the UK - in all 154,000 fewer than for July to September 2017 and 173,000 fewer than the record high of 1.05 million for July to September 2016. This decline comes at a time when vacancies, after … Continue reading Eastern European workers vote with their feet
Budgets and the ‘magic money tree’
Phillip Hammond’s budget remains firmly located within Neo-liberal economics. The principle aim is to reduce and finally eliminate the budget deficit and so lower the size of the National Debt. For the Neo-liberals public debt is a drag on the ‘real’ economy as it suffocates the private sector. But under pressure from Labour, some of … Continue reading Budgets and the ‘magic money tree’
Book review: Who Are Universities For?
Book review: Who Are Universities For? Re-making higher education by TomSperlinger, Josie McLellan and Richard Pettigrew Patrick Ainley welcomes a book that rethinks the purpose of a university – and offers some radical suggestions of his own (Originally published by the Council for the Defence of British Universities http://cdbu.org.uk/ ) Everyone knows who universities are … Continue reading Book review: Who Are Universities For?
Labour, vocational education and skills
Labour has published its national policy forum response on education. There's a great deal to be welcomed, but for some areas, most notably post-16 and Further Education, proposals are largely absent and where they are addressed, are scant and uniformed. See the following quote on vocational and technical education for example: ‘ The Open University … Continue reading Labour, vocational education and skills
Knowledge and control
In a flashback to the 1970s and early 80s, last Tuesday's Guardian Education profiled sociologist Michael Young, then a curriculum radical, author of books and articles on the relationship between knowledge, power and control and influential in teacher education https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/oct/09/counterculture-class-warrior-turned-to-gove Young and colleagues argued that the school curriculum reflected the culture and interests of the … Continue reading Knowledge and control
