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- Zola : a political reading. August 13, 2023
- Hotter than July? August 5, 2023
- Rethinking work July 30, 2023
- Educating for political literacy in an age of crisis. July 21, 2023
- Savoirs et valeurs : pratiquer et conjuguer July 21, 2023
- ‘Transformative Teaching and Learning in Further Education – Pedagogies of Hope and Social Justice’ July 18, 2023
- Dilemmas of Growth June 14, 2023
- A broader view of skills? June 7, 2023
- In praise of ‘low value’ subjects. February 27, 2023
- Frigga Haug and the mystery of learning December 6, 2022
- Debating Growth. November 29, 2022
- Code red for human survival November 8, 2022
- The politics of silence. September 4, 2022
- Posts on Corsican themes. August 10, 2022
- When Corsica welcomed thousands of Serb refugees (1916) August 9, 2022
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Category Archives: Education policy
Speaking up for 16-19 year olds
SFCA Summer Conference 2015 Our Sixth Form College Association conference is always a great opportunity to meet old friends, make new friends, share our fears and frustrations, hopes and joys, find comfort and support from colleagues across the country. We … Continue reading
Snatching hope from the jaws of despair
What we say and do about post-16 education, like everything else, has to be seen in the context of the outcome of the recent general election. Elections are the great democratic moment when the people ‘speak’ and all our individual choices … Continue reading
Education or training?
The Conservative manifesto includes a commitment to ‘continue to replace lower-level, classroom based Further Education courses with high-quality apprenticeships that combine training with experience of work and a wage.’ Given that we now have a Conservative-only government, we need to understand … Continue reading
Listening to our post-16 conscience.
Frank Coffield is the conscience of the post-16 sector. When faddishness or instrumentalism threaten, he is there to remind us of our values and our purpose. A decade ago, Coffield was one of the first to question ‘learning styles’ and … Continue reading
Welcome back, minister
Dear secretary of state, Congratulations on your reappointment. You have the advantage of being more familiar with your ministerial in-tray than most. This is only a very short addition to it. Among the urgent issues for your consideration are some … Continue reading
Posted in Education policy
Tagged Education, England, Nicky Morgan, Post-16 funding, Sixth form, young people
3 Comments
The Big Hairy Bacc
Those political metaphors are great aren’t they? When he was an opposition spokesperson on education, Boris Johnson used to speak about the importance of ‘crunchy’ subjects, by which he meant Science and Maths, presumably in contrast to the soggy gruel … Continue reading
Posted in Education policy
Tagged curriculum, Education, elections, England, Labour party, National baccalaureate, Tech Bacc, Tristram Hunt
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Is social mobility enough?
Analysing the data in the recently published Sutton Trust Social Mobility Index* has made me reflect a bit on ‘social mobility’ as a goal of public policy. My conclusion: it’s a worthy but inadequate response to the many injustices and … Continue reading
Posted in Education, Education policy, NewVIc, Politics
Tagged Equality, Newham Sixth Form College, NewVIc, Social mobility
2 Comments
Many colleges in one
A science college, an engineering technical college, a media technical college, a music industry college and several super-selective A-level providers offering a narrow range of subjects to high-achieving students. These are just some of the new sixth forms which have … Continue reading
Roberto Unger on school as the ‘voice of the future’
In his excellent book ‘The Left Alternative’ the Brazilian philosopher and politician Roberto Unger proposes a new way for progressives to think about the future and start creating the good society. Unger suggests we should not give up on the central promise … Continue reading
The selection debate
The launch of ‘The Ins and Outs of Selective Secondary Schools’ a collection of essays on selection published by Civitas was an opportunity for advocates and opponents of selection to revisit familiar arguments. The debate was mostly good natured but … Continue reading
The case for sixth form colleges
From ‘What’s next for education?’ (New Visions Group, 2015) By any objective standard, England’s 93 sixth form colleges are among this country’s great educational success stories. They offer more opportunities, higher standards and a broader experience for students aged 16-19 … Continue reading
Unlimited potential (part 2)
Unlimited potential (part 2) Part 2 of my chapter from The ins and outs of selective secondary schools (Civitas, March 2015) 5. Selection at 16 and beyond There is a strong case for extending the comprehensive ideal beyond 16, even … Continue reading
Unlimited potential (part 1)
Unlimited potential (part 1) Part 1 of my chapter from The ins and outs of selective secondary schools (Civitas, March 2015) Summary: In this brief chapter I have tried to make a moral, philosophical, political and pragmatic case against educational … Continue reading
Market madness #7: What markets do to us
The creeping marketization of education has many aspects, each of which changes the way we see ourselves and the way we relate to others. Commodification: If education is seen as a commodity; something which can be consumed and traded, then schools, … Continue reading
Posted in Education policy
Tagged choice and diversity, commodity, competition, Education, inequality, marketisation, Social cohesion, Solidarity
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5 vocational myths to avoid
A checklist for politicians who want to talk about vocational education and apprenticeships during the election campaign: Myth 1. The vocational route is a practical alternative to university Many students on advanced vocational courses progress to university and these courses are … Continue reading
Eddie Playfair 