Tag Archives: economy

Let’s celebrate vocational success!

Posted on January 16, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

I never cease to be surprised at how little most politicians and commentators know about vocational qualifications and their value. There is no shortage of people who will tell us that we need to ‘do something’ about vocational education in this country … Continue reading →

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Teachers create wealth too!

Posted on July 4, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

It’s become a commonplace to say that wealth has to be created before it can be spent and the received wisdom in mainstream political discourse is that the private sector does the wealth creating which then allows the public sector … Continue reading →

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Defending liberal education

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

I had the pleasure of attending a talk at the London School of Economics given by the U.S. commentator Fareed Zakaria (18th May 2015). The lecture coincided with the launch of his new book ‘In Defense of a Liberal Education’ … Continue reading →

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5 vocational myths to avoid

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

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 →

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Do qualifications create wealth?

Posted on January 18, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

Does education make us richer? A ridiculous question perhaps, but the belief that educational achievement leads to economic growth is strongly held by many politicians despite all evidence to the contrary. The recent Department for Education press release claiming that … Continue reading →

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Vocational education: rejecting the narrative of failure

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

According to Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, we have a ‘lamentable record on vocational education’ which is ‘failing to deliver the needs of both young people and society’. Criticism of vocational courses is echoed by many, including the Labour Party in … Continue reading →

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‘Useful work v. useless toil’ by William Morris

Posted on December 28, 2014 by Eddie Playfair

Introduction: This lecture from 1884 is a clear and powerful statement of Morris’s political and economic manifesto, which also informed ‘News from Nowhere’ (1890) his visionary fable of life after a revolution. His critique of the waste and inequality inherent in … Continue reading →

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Investing in East London’s future

Posted on December 21, 2014 by Eddie Playfair

Our annual analysis of the university destinations of our students always makes impressive reading. While we can’t guarantee that every former NewVIc student who progresses to a degree level course will get a graduate level job in a few years’ … Continue reading →

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Exam success boosts the economy by £1.3 Billion?

Posted on December 14, 2014 by Eddie Playfair

Simplex and Sapiens are discussing the latest press release from the Department for Education. Simplex: Have you seen the latest figures for GCSE results under this government? They’re truly amazing! Sapiens: You mean the proportion of 16 year olds achieving … Continue reading →

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Election 2015: Labour’s draft education manifesto

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Eddie Playfair

Will education feature as a significant campaign issue in the 2015 general election? Will the major parties be offering us distinct visions of the future of education? It’s clear that any incoming government will inherit a divided and incoherent non-system. … Continue reading →

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