Posted by Editors Education Reform, In The News, John Stuart Mill Sunday, August 17th, 2014
“Consider, for example, the case of education. Is it not almost a self-evident axiom, that the State should require and compel the education, up to a certain standard, of every human being who is born its citizen? Yet who is there that is not afraid to recognise and assert this truth?” “Hardly any one indeed […]
Posted by Editors Education Business, Education Reform, In The News, John Dewey, Research, Social Enterprise Sunday, July 6th, 2014
“It is an incident of human history, and a rather appalling incident, that applied science has been so largely made an equivalent of use for private and economic class purposes and privileges. When inquiry is narrowed by such motivation or interest, the consequence is in so far disastrous both to science and to human life. […]
Posted by Editors Academies, ARK, CfBT, Charter Schools, Education Business, Education Reform, Free Schools, In The News, League Tables, Management Consultants, McKinsey & Co., OECD, Ofsted, PISA, Research, Teach First, Teach for America, Teach for Australia, Testing, Unions Monday, June 30th, 2014
We were a little undecided as to whether or not to write this post because of the youthfulness of those involved in Lessons from London Schools: Investigating the Success (LLS), the study that we will critique, and not wanting for youthful enthusiasm to be overly dampened by what is to be said about the LLS […]
Posted by Editors Education Reform, In The News, Policy, Politics, Research, Schools Wednesday, April 23rd, 2014
Hard Times Charles Dickens CHAPTER II MURDERING THE INNOCENTS Thomas Gradgrind, sir. A man of realities. A man of facts and calculations. A man who proceeds upon the principle that two and two are four, and nothing over, and who is not to be talked into allowing for anything over. Thomas Gradgrind, sir—peremptorily Thomas—Thomas Gradgrind. […]
Posted by Editors Education Reform, HE, In The News, Policy, Politics, Schools Wednesday, April 23rd, 2014
This year is the 160th anniversary of the publication of Charles Dickens’ Hard Times, and it remains as relevant to battles over education and schooling as ever. CHAPTER I THE ONE THING NEEDFUL ‘Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing […]
Posted by Editors Academies, Education Reform, Free Schools, In The News, Labour, Politics, Schools, Teach First, Teacher Training, Tories Sunday, March 2nd, 2014
The question to be addressed in this short post is prompted by statements made on a number of occasions by Tristram Hunt, Labour’s shadow Education Secretary. Mr. Hunt has recently made a number of public remarks about how the Tories have been wrong to allow schools to employ unqualified teachers (E.g. here, here, and here). […]
Posted by Editors Andreas Schleicher, Common Core, Daniel Willingham, Education Reform, In The News, Michael Barber, Schools, Standards, Teach First, Teacher Bashing, Testing, Tories, Unions Monday, February 3rd, 2014
The Snob, n. – A person who admires and seeks to imitate, or associate with, those of higher social status or greater wealth; one who wishes to be regarded as a person of social importance. – A person who despises those whom he or she considers to be inferior in rank, attainment, or taste. First […]
Posted by Editors Education Reform, In The News, Policy, Politics, Schools, Teaching, Unions Saturday, October 12th, 2013
On October 17th the main teaching unions in England have organised a day of strikes (also known as industrial action, or walkouts) that will shut most schools and cause a good deal of disruption to the daily routines of millions of people across the country. However, this week alone teacher strikes have also been witnessed […]
Posted by Editors Education Reform, In The News, Management Consultants, McKinsey & Co., Media Watch, NASUWT, NUT, Ofsted, Politics, Social Enterprise, Teach First, Teach for America, Teaching Saturday, July 27th, 2013
Given recent political limelight-sharing speeches, and education news media puff pieces, we thought it important to restore some balance to the current largely light-touch media debate on Teach First. We also thought that it would be useful to collect all the various arguments for and against Teach First in one place. What follows therefore is […]
Posted by Editors Campbell Collaboration, In The News, Merit Pay Wednesday, March 27th, 2013
On March 1st 2013 it was announced at the Campbell Collaboration that a systematic review of merit pay (aka performance-related pay, bonuses, incentives etc.) for teachers was to be conducted this year. The title of this review is: Merit Pay Programs for Improving Teacher Retention, Teacher Satisfaction, and Student Achievement in Primary and Secondary Education: […]