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’
Lost Generation? New Strategies for Youth and Education (Podcast)
Martin Allen and Patrick Ainley Warwick University Feb 8th 2011 http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/pg/current/phdstudents/current/syrgan/publications/podcasts/?podcastItem=lost_generation.mp3 Patrick Ainley 'Lost Generation? New strategies for youth and education' in Educationalfutures, Journal of the British Educational Studies Association, Vol. 3 http://www.educationstudies.org.uk/materials/patrick_final4.pdf http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Generation-Strategies-Youth-Education/dp/1441134700/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296763103&sr=1-1
‘Posh and posher’?
Patrick Ainley With tv programmes like Andrew Neil's 'posh and posher' (BBC2 26/1), the public is being fed the myth that a return to grammar schools will restart upward social mobility and is therefore progressive. However, the official introduction of comprehensive schools from 1965 was coincident with but not a cause of ending the limited … Continue reading ‘Posh and posher’?
(More than) 1 in 5 young people unemployed
With the monthly figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing that unemployment for the three month period August to November had reached 2.5 million, it has been the increase in youth unemployment – a total of 951.000 (20.5% of 16-24 year olds) are now out of work –that has received particular attention. Youth unemployment … Continue reading (More than) 1 in 5 young people unemployed
Taking back the bac
Martin Allen It is not surprising that the knee jerk decision by Michael Gove to introduce league tables based on retrospective performance in his five ‘English Bac’ subjects has been met with angry responses from headteachers. The Heads are not just annoyed about the way that Gove has sprung this decision on them; many of … Continue reading Taking back the bac
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Patrick Ainley and Martin Allen Society for Research into Higher Education (News) http://sociologicalimagination.org The Coalition’s reaction to the Browne Review of student fees complements their slashing of 40% of higher education funding. Their new hard cap of £9,000 a year on fees leaves unfunded arts and humanities to be paid for only by those who … Continue reading Of our elaborate plans, the end
Education, Economy and Society 