I don't know how many of you are fans of the film Casablanca, but when I hear new labour ministers saying that they are shocked by reports of declining social equality in the UK, I'm reminded of Captain Renault who was shocked, shocked, to discover that gambling was rife in Rick's café as he collected his winnings. This time, it was Captain Milburn's turn to be shocked http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/apr/14/social-mobility-internships , when he was given a research report which had found that the professions have become more, not less, socially exclusive in recent years; full report can be found at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/200480/fair_access_panel_report.pdf The Sutton Trust has stepped forward with some suggestions as to how this trend could be reversed http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article6078322.ece. Over the years, the Sutton Trust have produced some very useful reports, incisive research and bold policy proposals. Unfortunately, this is not one of those occasions. These proposals simply do not relate to the reality of schooling as lived by modern students. For example, a recent study found that it's not cool, especially for boys, to be seen as academically successful and that "the threshold for what is constituted "boffin behaviour" tended to be lower at poorer-performing schools." http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/mar/29/education-schools-bullying or that given a choice, some headteachers are now hiring "Bouncers, ex-soldiers and former police officers …. to provide "crowd control" and cover absent teachers' lessons" rather than appoint a qualified teacher http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/apr/12/school-behaviour-bouncers-discipline I would in jest ask why we don't just bring back grammar schools, and then the bright and compliant children of the lower orders could openly pretend that they were at public schools? However, as I fear that there might still be time for this to be done before the next election, I won't. How about an alternative approach to this problem, one that is based on supporting students in the lives that they actually lead, for example, why not build on existing rapping competitions as a way into public speaking rather than trying to become little Etonians.
Friday, 17 April 2009
Shocked of Darlington
The consequences of recession
Businesses are giving less to charity http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/mar/23/business-charity-donations this includes medical charities http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/slump-forces-medical-charities-to-cut-back-lifesaving-research-1651719.html
Despite the talk of zero inflation, food prices are rising rapidly, especially it would seem ,if you live on pork sausages and rice http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7982056.stm more detail about food prices http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/weak-pound-heaps-food-price-inflation-on-poorest-households-1666124.html
For people on low incomes these are hard times. The charity, Save the Children, have started handing out grants to families in serious financial need http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/apr/07/save-the-children-handouts Oxfam have been conducting surveys of public opinion and are calling upon the government to do more to alleviate poverty http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/apr/08/oxfam-poverty-welfare-state they argue that "the UK is in recession, and things stand to get much worse for the fifth of the population already living in poverty, and for the millions more whose livelihoods will become more vulnerable as a result." They have developed a new acronym FRED, F Forgotten by those in power, R
Ripped-off by taxes and the benefits system, E Excluded from opportunities, D Debt-ridden because they can't afford to get by
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7987601.stm the full report at http://www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/policy/economic_crisis/downloads/close_to_home_uk_poverty_economic_crisis.pdf
In this article http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/apr/05/schools-financial-crisis Nick Cohen raises a number of issues about recession and unemployment, including that "The educated young hurt the most… a 40-year-old who spends a year out of work and then finds a new job shows no long-term ill-effects at 50. A 20-year-old is scarred for life." If this is so, why is early unemployment so damaging? Are education and training the sensible and productive alternatives? Some are already arguing this and that the unemployed should be given more encouragement to pursue education and training http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/mar/24/enrol-for-free Unfortunately, this extra demand is kicking in when "Up to 50,000 sixth-formers will be denied places at university this autumn because of a surge in applications combined with a freeze in undergraduate places"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article6062841.ece and provision also seems inadequate for the anticipated demand at sixth form and colleges http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/apr/10/nut-blower-students-universities-colleges-sixth-forms Albeit that there is some extra money for some universities to provide education and training for identified businesses and workforces http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7991816.stm This is difficult to manage but I hope the government errs on the side of increasing educational and training opportunities or we risk testing Nick Cohen's thesis that we are in danger of creating another 'lost generation'.
Will the recession place greater burdens on family life? Esther Rantzen fears it will http://www.4children.org.uk/information/show/ref/1584 the burden will fall on the "sandwich generation", those adults old enough to have parents or even grandparents who need looking after but still young enough to have dependent children http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/mar/29/social-care-family
Is there no good news? Well, sort of http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/apr/16/recession-butlins-holiday-camps
Social trends
The government has published its annual exposition of the changing face of UK society through the medium of social statistics: social trends. For example, did you know that almost a third of men aged between 20 and 34, now live at home with their parents http://www.statistics.gov.uk/socialtrends39 Other interesting facts are discussed at the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7999579.stm with a more worried view being expressed by the Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/5160857/Death-of-the-traditional-family.html
It’s good news, or is it bad news?
"Overall figures show the country has a higher proportion of qualified 19 year-olds that ever before" http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0062 or it can also be seen as a quarter have no decent qualifications http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/5043917/Half-of-teenagers-missing-out-on-A-level-equivalents.html
A similar choice at primary school: where it can be said that we have seen the best results ever http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0067 or that a quarter fail to make the grade http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article6018146.ece
How about diplomas? Is it that the new diplomas have reached a tipping point http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0070 or that they are about to be abandoned http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/apr/07/education-funding-sixth-form-diploma and in more detail here http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/apr/07/colleges I guess to be fair the press release only speaks of a tipping point having been reached not of what its tipping into.
Science corner
Are science qualifications too easy? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7966688.stm
Has Physics been dumbed down at A level? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/5094243/A-level-physics-students-being-short-changed-at-college.html
David Lammy, now impersonating Homer Simpson
Universities have been told by their minister to be cautious when using the new A*as part of their admissions criteria, as this qualification might conflict with their widening participation objectives http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/apr/08/higher-education-oxford-cambridge-uk-news so minister, who introduced the A*; D'oh!