Author Archives: Eddie Playfair

About Eddie Playfair

I am a Senior Policy Manager at the Association of Colleges (AoC) having previously been a college principal for 16 years and a teacher before that. I live in East London and I blog in a personal capacity about education and culture. I also tweet at @eddieplayfair

From Toynbee to TELCO via Chicago.

Posted on March 26, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

The evolution of responses to urban poverty and inequality. Part 1. From settlement to social activism Living and working in East London, I am interested in how our part of the city has been shaped by its past, how today’s … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged Barack Obama, Chicago, Citizens UK, East london, Henrietta Barnett, Hull House, Industrial Areas Foundation, inequality, Jane Addams, London citizens, poverty, Samuel Barnett, Saul Alinsky, Toynbee Hall, university settlements | Leave a comment

More fictional dystopias

Posted on March 26, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

Reading Dystopias offered an introduction to the genre of dystopian fiction through 4 classic dystopian novels. Here are four more which are also well worth reading. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953) [211 pages] Fahrenheit 451: The temperature at which … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Fiction, Learning resources, Politics, Reviews | Tagged authoritarianism, dystopia, Fahrenheit 451, It Can't Happen Here, Margaret Atwood, Philip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, reading, Sinclair Lewis, The Handmaid's Tale, The Man in the High Castle, totalitarianism | Leave a comment

In conversation with Eugenia Cheng

Posted on March 19, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

We were delighted to welcome Dr Eugenia Cheng, the author of Beyond Infinity and How to bake pi to Newham Sixth Form College (NewVIc) last week to talk about her passion for maths and her mission to rid the world of … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, NewVIc, Science, Students | Tagged Beyond Infinity, Education, Eugenia Cheng, GCSE Maths, Infinity, Maths, maths education, Newham Sixth Form College, NewVIc, STEM | Leave a comment

A global crisis requires a global politics

Posted on March 12, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

A few days ago, on 10 March, Stephen O’Brien, the United Nations Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs reported to the UN Security Council on the largest humanitarian crisis facing humanity since 1945. Many global challenges vie for our attention, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged Anti-war, conflict, famine, global citizenship, humanitarian crisis, leadership, peace, Stephen O'Brien, UN, United Nations | Leave a comment

Sixth form resolutions for 2017

Posted on January 1, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

Like its predecessor, this year will no doubt be full of challenges and opportunities for colleges and sixth forms. 16-19 year-olds remain the worst funded full-time students in England while rapid qualification and assessment reform continues to affect almost every course … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education policy | Tagged 16-19 curriculum, Area-based Reviews, Education, further education, Post-16 funding, purpose of education, Sixth form | Leave a comment

A 2016 guide to this blog.

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

I’ve continued to blog in 2016 and this eclectic collection of posts now numbers around 300; not all of which will interest everyone. To remain useful, such a resource needs to be well catalogued so I’ve tried to use categories and … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged blogging | Leave a comment

Abdellatif Laâbi: attesting against barbarism.

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

The brilliant Moroccan poet, novelist and playwright Abdellatif Laâbi is the epitome of the engaged writer. Born in Fez in 1942, he studied at the University of Rabat and was one of the founders of the literary magazine Souffles in … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Education, Poetry | Tagged Abdellatif Laâbi, citizenship education, English PEN, France, hope, I attest, Morocco, Poetry, Solidarity, terrorism | 2 Comments

Four cousins went to war.

Posted on December 28, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

This is a very brief account of the lives of 4 young men from around a century ago; all members of the same Scottish family. The accounts are neither special nor representative and they form a tiny fraction of the story … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged Anti-war, conflict, history, Ian Playfair, Lambert Playfair, Lyon Playfair, Patrick Playfair, peace, world war 1 | Leave a comment

What future for Sixth Form Colleges?

Posted on December 24, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

I was asked to give a personal view on the future of sixth form colleges at the 2016 FE Staff Governors Conference on 2nd December, organised by a group of education unions: UNISON, ATL/AMIE, UCU and NAS/UWT together with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education policy | Tagged Area-based Reviews, Colleges, competition, Education, further education, marketisation, Post-16 funding, Sixth form, Sixth form college | Leave a comment

Young people debate free speech in the House of Lords

Posted on December 10, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

Free speech is alive and well, judging by a recent debate in the Chamber of the House of Lords involving over 200 young people from across the UK and sponsored by a number of organisations including Newham Sixth Form College … Continue reading →

Posted in NewVIc, Politics, Students | Tagged British values, censorship, Democracy, English PEN, freedom of speech, House of Lords, Human rights, Newham Sixth Form College, NewVIc, politics, student voice, young people | Leave a comment

Going beyond.

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

Going beyond what is expected. What do we expect from the education of 16-19 year olds in England? Judging from the funding available, the qualifications on offer and the accountability measures which inevitably steer our work, our national aspirations for … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education policy | Tagged ambition, aspiration, citizenship education, Critical thinking, Cultural heritage, curriculum, Education, liberal education, National baccalaureate, Post-16 funding, Sixth form, vocational education, young people | Leave a comment

Les réfugiés francophones de Londres.

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

Nous nous sommes réunis au Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle le 19 Octobre pour rappeler les évènements qui ont bouleversé le monde il y un siècle. Avant d’évoquer le Londres de 1916, je me permets d’évoquer celui de 1966. C’est … Continue reading →

Posted in en Francais, History | Tagged Anti-war, France, in French, Jean Jaurès, London, Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle, Lycee Francais de Londres, refugee, Romain Rolland, world war 1, xenophobia | 1 Comment

University Gold.

Posted on October 1, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

With some help from the Jackson 5: The proposal to classify English universities as Gold, Silver or Bronze is a stroke of genius. The perfect expression of the English obsession with ranking. So obvious, one wonders why we’re not already … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education policy | Tagged class, Equality, Jackson 5, meritocracy, selection, Social mobility, university | Leave a comment

London’s francophone refugees

Posted on September 25, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

We are roughly at the mid point of our commemoration of the First World War. Let’s look back just over a hundred years. London before the outbreak of war in 1914 was the greatest industrial city in the world and … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Learning resources, NewVIc | Tagged Anti-war, France, Goldsmiths University of London, Jean Jaurès, London, refugee, Romain Rolland, world war 1, xenophobia | Leave a comment

Crick reloaded: citizenship education and British values.

Posted on September 25, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

“We aim at no less than a change in the political culture of this country both nationally and locally: for people to think of themselves as active citizens, willing, able and equipped to have an influence in public life and … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Tagged 16-19 curriculum, Bernard Crick, British values, citizenship education, curriculum, Education, Gordon Brown, values | Leave a comment

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