Tag Archives: elections

A better future for London?

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

The political parties are currently in the process of choosing their candidates for the 2016 London mayoral and Greater London Assembly elections. For Labour, this means that members in London are pondering who is best placed to help win back the … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Aspiration – what’s that all about?

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

Are you suffering from aspiration fatigue? In a week when Labour leadership contenders were falling over themselves to urge the party to do more to appeal to ‘aspirational’ voters it’s not surprising we’re already tiring of it, especially when it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Why Labour lost: the definitive analysis.

Posted on May 16, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

Your personal guide to why Labour lost. Hoping to explain the election outcome? Insert your own explanations to construct a reassuring account. Satisfaction guaranteed. 1. Why Labour lost. Labour lost because it failed to appeal to [insert demographic of choice] who shop in … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Tribalism or pluralism?

Posted on May 3, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

With no single party likely to win an overall majority in next week’s general election, they are all finding ways of answering, or not answering, the questions about what they will do in hypothetical post-election scenarios. So we are learning … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Big Hairy Bacc

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

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 , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Young people and the election

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

Are young people turned off politics? Will they vote? Do they care who wins the election? Are all parties the same? Are the candidates just hacks mindlessly parroting their parties’ approved slogans? This week’s general election hustings at Newham sixth … Continue reading →

Posted in NewVIc, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Which public service?

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

All 3 major parties are trying to outbid each other in pledging to increase spending on a key public service. They clearly recognise the vital importance of investing in this service for our future economic and social well-being. They also know … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Politics | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The case for sixth form colleges

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

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 →

Posted in Education policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Time for a new Great Education Reform Act

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

27 years ago, Kenneth Baker’s 1988 Education Reform Act changed the direction of travel of English education. It introduced an element of school choice and Local Management of Schools, established more autonomous City Technology Colleges and Grant Maintained Schools as … Continue reading →

Posted in Education policy, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Education 2020: market or system?

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

What will education in England be like in 2020? As the 2015 general election approaches, what are the possible futures for education in England? An election is a democratic moment where we are offered a choice of futures and we … Continue reading →

Posted in Education policy, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Investing in 16-19 education

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

Labour’s promise to maintain education spending from nursery to 19 year olds and increase it at least by inflation is very welcome. No such protection is on offer from the Conservatives who are promising ‘flat cash’ for pre-16’s and apparently … Continue reading →

Posted in Education policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The fruits of democracy

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Eddie Playfair

Reclaiming Education (Nov 15th 2014) The theme of the excellent Reclaiming Education meeting in Birmingham on 15th November was ‘priorities for the next government’ and one of the key questions raised was: how do we ensure that our education system responds to … Continue reading →

Posted in Education policy, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Reading the education manifestos

Posted on October 4, 2014 by Eddie Playfair

What is the point of manifestos, whether for education or any other policy area? Are they even worth the paper they’re written on given that we are fairly desensitised to parties straying from their election pledges in the name of … Continue reading →

Posted in Education policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

London loses out in Headteacher Board elections

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Eddie Playfair

There was a national election before the summer to “improve the education of pupils across England” and “shape the future of the education system”. Missed it? You might be forgiven for this because only academy headteachers had a vote. Also, … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education policy | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Finding Labour’s Education Mojo

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Eddie Playfair

Less than a year before the general election, has the Labour Party developed winning education policies? Tristram Hunt’s latest speech ‘The Choice in Education’ was a bit like a pre-tour band rehearsal. A range of material was tried out, some … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Education policy, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment