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Recent Posts
- ‘The Ministry of the Future’ by Kim Stanley Robinson December 20, 2020
- Why the comprehensive college? September 20, 2020
- Exam results – what just happened? August 23, 2020
- Starting to rethink education. June 10, 2020
- Knowledge and education for the future. May 25, 2020
- England’s unexpected exam revolution. May 5, 2020
- Tsitsi Dangarembga’s ‘Nervous Conditions’. May 3, 2020
- Rebecca Solnit on Hope. April 23, 2020
- In praise of lightness – Calvino’s Leggerezza. March 29, 2020
- An A-Z for a world which has to change. March 22, 2020
- Decarbonising education. March 15, 2020
- The mighty pencil November 2, 2019
- Knowledge-rich and skills-rich August 18, 2019
- ‘Unsheltered’ by Barbara Kingsolver August 11, 2019
- ‘The Overstory’ by Richard Powers. March 10, 2019
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Category Archives: Politics
Shaping an alternative education policy.
The Labour Party National Policy Forum Consultation 2017. Labour is currently consulting on its Early Years, Education and Skills policies and the consultation document merits the attention of anyone who is interested in developing alternatives to the current direction of … Continue reading
More fictional dystopias
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
A global crisis requires a global politics
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
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Young people debate free speech in the House of Lords
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
Your dogma, my principles.
Simplex and Sapiens are discussing the government’s plan to open more selective schools. Simplex: Our mission is to build a country that works for everyone. Sapiens: Sounds like a good starting point. Sim: Yes, it’s a vision of a truly … Continue reading
Posted in Education, Education policy, Politics
Tagged comprehensive education, dogma, Education, grammar schools, principle, schools, selection
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Arguments against selection
It looks like the ‘grammar school debate’ is about to be revived within government, so it seems a good time to dust down the case against selection. Here are links to 4 of my posts on this from last year, … Continue reading
Posted in Education policy, Politics
Tagged comprehensive education, Education, Equality, grammar schools, selection
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Jean Jaurès: ‘what is courage?’
Jean Jaurès (1859-1914), member of the French National Assembly, leader of the Parti Socialiste Français and peace campaigner was an eloquent and compelling public speaker. One of his most famous speeches was his 1903 address to young people at the … Continue reading
Posted in History, Politics
Tagged courage, Discours à la Jeunesse, France, Jean Jaurès, peace
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Instinct, heart and reason – Daniel Pennac on the refugee crisis.
The popular French writer and teacher Daniel Pennac, author of Chagrin d’école (translated as School Blues) and Les droits du lecteur (The Rights of the Reader) amongst others, has written a powerful essay on the refugee crisis for a book … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Politics, Reviews
Tagged asylum seeker, Daniel Pennac, France, Instinct Heart and Reason, La Cimade, migration, refugee, xenophobia
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Giving peace a voice.
In 2016 so far, we have witnessed the horrific murder of a British M.P., the Orlando massacre, brutal attacks in Nice, Munich and elsewhere. Shocking terrorist atrocities in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria and many other places account for nearly 10,000 … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged conflict, Nobel Peace Prize, non-violence, Oscar Arias Sanchez, peace, terrorism, values, violence, violent extremism
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The global economy of care.
The economy of ideas #3. Is there a limit to how much we can care about others? Is it natural that we should care more about those who are closest to us? Is it in our nature to ‘look after … Continue reading
Posted in Philosophy, Politics
Tagged care, economy, Equality, global citizenship, selfishness, Solidarity, univeralism
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London Citizens’ Mayoral Assembly: 28th April 2016.
Is it inevitable that politicians are held in low regard and that political debate is reduced to personalities or fleeting soundbites? Is there an alternative to disengagement and cynicism? A politics of respect and engagement is possible – and the … Continue reading
Project Hope: for a democratic Europe.
‘Project Fear’ is well under way. Both sides in the EU referendum are keen to convince us that everything will be worse if we stay / leave and to scare us into the polling stations on June 23rd. No concern … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged Democracy, EU referendum, Europe, European Union, global citizenship, politics, Solidarity
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Young people discuss the future of London
We were delighted to welcome 3 of the candidates for this May’s Greater London Assembly elections to our NewVIc Future London event, held at Stratford Circus Arts Centre on Wednesday 23rd March. The hustings were part of our Future London showcase … Continue reading
Posted in NewVIc, Politics, Students
Tagged Democracy, elections, London, London mayor, Newham Sixth Form College, NewVIc, politics, young people
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Labour split or Labour unity?
This weekend, the case for a Labour split was given prominent coverage in the Observer newspaper. Party members were also able to read a rather more unifying message in an interview with the Labour leader in Labour Today, the party’s … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged elections, Jeremy Corbyn, Labour party, Social mobility, unity
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Getting the children to play nicely
Once upon a time the children used to play nicely. They had quite a lot of freedom and invented all sorts of very involved activities. They played singly, in pairs, in small and large groups. They developed constructive, co-operative, competitive and territorial … Continue reading