It’s Ed Miliband’s commitment to limiting primary school class sizes that’s received most attention, alongside his pledge to protect the education budget http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31431456. Yet in his speech, delivered at his old school, Haverstock in Camden, Miliband also backed more personal, social and citizenship education, arguing that school should be more than just about passing exams. … Continue reading Ed Miliband’s Haverstock speech: Neo-liberal schooling goes rolling on?
New league tables bed down Gove’s curriculum
Still running the show? Last week’s secondary school league tables began to bed down the first of Michael Gove’s examination changes for 14-19. The 2014 tables excluded performances in resits or in BTEC style vocational qualifications –and gave further prominence to English Baccalaureate subjects. As a result many schools found that though their overall performance in … Continue reading New league tables bed down Gove’s curriculum
Desperate Dave and the three million apprentices
Desperate to have something new to offer, David Cameron now promises 3 million more apprenticeships during the next Parliament. Estimated at £300 million per annum, these would come at the expense of further benefit cuts for families and unemployed young people. According to the Tories, reducing total benefit eligibility ‘within the first few days’ … Continue reading Desperate Dave and the three million apprentices
Youth unemployment on the rise again?
The monthly ONS statistics on the labour market show that unemployment as a whole continues to fall –now down to 1.9 million (5.8% of the ‘economically active population’). Data for the youth labour market points the other way however. The December figures indicated that the fall in youth unemployment during recent months, is now bottoming out, … Continue reading Youth unemployment on the rise again?
‘All in it together’
Radicaled has posted critiques of Labour’s polices for 14-19 year olds to emphasise the continuity with those of Lord (Kenneth) Baker, whose support for a strong academic –vocational separation and in particular, for University Technology Colleges (UTCs) offering employment specialisms, led to Tory tensions with Gove’s ‘grammar school education for all’ approach. https://radicaled.wordpress.com/2014/08/27/tristram-hunt-and-two-nation-labour/ https://radicaled.wordpress.com/2014/04/21/tech-bacc-step-back/ As … Continue reading ‘All in it together’
GCSEs, Margaret Thatcher and Michael Gove
The recent publication of official papers from the 1980s provides further context to the introduction of GCSEs. http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/dec/30/national-archives-revelations-released-documents . The new common exam, reflected the growth of comprehensive schools, many being given the go ahead by Thatcher herself, while a dual system of CSE and GCE O-level examinations, the former still acting primarily as a … Continue reading GCSEs, Margaret Thatcher and Michael Gove
Organising Ideas -new website to support the NUT’s Manifesto for Education
http://sufenut.wordpress.com/ We are an informal group of academics and educational researchers who support the broad policy agenda presented in the NUT‘s Stand Up for Education campaign. The Stand Up for Education manifesto can be downloaded here. We see the Stand up for Education initiative as a welcome attempt to present a much … Continue reading Organising Ideas -new website to support the NUT’s Manifesto for Education
Patrick Ainley, Philosophy of Education Seminar, 10/12/14
THE ETERNAL RECURRENCE OF THE SAME: VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN THE SECOND MACHINE AGE Philosophy of Education Seminar, Institute of Education 10/12/14 Patrick Ainley, Professor of Training and Education at the University of Greenwich School of Education and Training Whereas Michael Gove’s delusion that ‘a grammar school education for all’ would restart the limited upward social … Continue reading Patrick Ainley, Philosophy of Education Seminar, 10/12/14
Gove’s exam reforms may still come off the rails
After months of concern, alarm bells are ringing over accreditation of new A-level syllabuses http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/dec/02/headteachers-criticise-government-chaotic-a-level-reform-delays Maths and further maths have been put back a year to 2017, while chemistry and English literature syllabuses, due to be taught from 2105 have yet to be given the green-light by Ofqual. With continued doubts about the new GCSEs also … Continue reading Gove’s exam reforms may still come off the rails
Apprenticeship numbers are falling not rising
The Guardian (01/12/14) has carried a story about apprenticeships going to workers over 25 rather than to young people and claiming that 350 000 of the UK’s 851 000 apprentices are 25+ www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/30/hundreds-thousands-apprentices-in-uk-paid-little-2-73 Although large numbers of existing employees are still being reclassified as ‘apprentices’ this report is only partially correct. You get a more accurate indication of … Continue reading Apprenticeship numbers are falling not rising
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