Martin Allen The Coalition’s education policies for secondary schools appear to be moving in two contradictory directions.On the one hand new league tables announced by the DfE will publish ‘broader’ indications of success, yet the narrowness of the University Technical Colleges and now the proposed ‘Career Colleges’ seemingly originating from the Department for Business, Innovation and … Continue reading Education or ‘Skills’ ?
New book: Education Beyond the Coaltion
Published Oct 15th www.educationbeyondthecoalition.com Martin Allen, Patrick Ainley, Valerie Coultas, Ken Jones, Richard Hatcher, Clare Kelly, Robin Simmons, John Yandell
‘Hard Times in England’
http://www.hard-times-magazine.de/future.htm Patrick Ainley and Martin Allen In Großbritannien beginnt das anglo-amerikanische Wirtschaftsmodell, wie es seit 1979 die Politik bestimmt hat, seine Geltung zu verlieren; aber eine Rückkehr zum nationalen Wohlfahrtsstaat der Nachkriegszeit ist ebenfalls unmöglich. In dem engagiert-kritischen Beitrag von Patrick Ainley und Martin Allen erscheint das englische Erziehungssystem als eine Art Linse, durch die … Continue reading ‘Hard Times in England’
Youth miss out as the labour market ‘improves’
Once again UK unemployment is recorded as falling. Now down to 7.7% from 7.8%. The employment rate for those aged from 16 to 64 is 71.6%, up 0.2 percentage points from February to April 2013 and up 0.4 from a year earlier. There are now 29.84 million people in employment. (Though with estimates for ‘zero hours’ … Continue reading Youth miss out as the labour market ‘improves’
Education has become like running up a down escalator
http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/19169 Think Piece' for National Union of Teachers . Martin Allen and Patrick Ainley While most teachers rightly consider that education has an intrinsic value and isn’t just about passing exams, for most of their students and invariably their parents, a ‘good education’ enables you to ‘get on’ in life and to pursue … Continue reading Education has become like running up a down escalator
NASUWT AND NUT CONFIRM NEXT PHASE OF INDUSTRIAL ACTION – press release
5 September 2013 The two largest teacher unions, the NASUWT and the NUT, representing nine out of ten teachers, are today confirming the next phase of their jointly coordinated campaign to Protect Teachers and Defend Education. Following the continued refusal of the Secretary of State to genuinely engage with the NUT and the NASUWT to seek to … Continue reading NASUWT AND NUT CONFIRM NEXT PHASE OF INDUSTRIAL ACTION – press release
Exam system ‘unsustainable’. We need a General Diploma for everybody!
Letter 24/08/13 http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/aug/23/gcses-unsustainable-pressure-pupils Martin Allen The pressures and contradictions that young people now face when they take their examinations have indeed become ‘irreconcilable’ and ‘unsustainable’ - as Russell Hobby of the National Association of Headteachers told The Guardian (21/08/13). The education system is now increasingly like trying to run up a downwards escalator where you … Continue reading Exam system ‘unsustainable’. We need a General Diploma for everybody!
‘Young lack the grit to get jobs: Too many school leavers aren’t fit for work’, says Minister
With almost three quarters of a million youngsters about to pick up their GCSE results and the number of 16- to 24-year-olds classed as ‘Neets’ – or ‘not in education, employment or training’ –standing at 1.09million, with over 600 000 estimated as never having had a job; Nick Hurd, (pictured) Minister for Civil Society, Old Etonian and son … Continue reading ‘Young lack the grit to get jobs: Too many school leavers aren’t fit for work’, says Minister
A-level stampede continues as Twigg defends the AS
On the day that 300,000 students received their results, Stephen Twigg, Labour’s spokesperson – not usually prone to intervening in debates about education (!) – criticised the Coalition’s decision to make changes to A-levels, making them linear rather than modular with end of course exams, but also committed Labour to restoring AS level as a … Continue reading A-level stampede continues as Twigg defends the AS
‘Improving’ monthly unemployment figures: but a growing ‘reserve army’.
The official monthly ONS figures on the state of the labour market covering the period March –May 2013, published this week show another small reduction in overall unemployment, (but a rise in youth joblessness, now up to 973 000 -21.3% of economically active 16-24 year olds). Regardless of what this month’s figures may show, it’s … Continue reading ‘Improving’ monthly unemployment figures: but a growing ‘reserve army’.
Education, Economy and Society 