THE BRIGHTSIDE TRUST

Debt too high, the end of Widening Participation?

2009-07-14T11:42:00.002+01:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jun/26/medical-students-debt-low-income I don't think I buy this. A recent Sutton trust report found that of those school students who said they were unlikely to go onto higher education only 13% mentioned debt as a factor in that decision, even when they were allowed to choose multiple causes. Given that only 10% of students said they were very unlikely or fairly unlikely to go to university then I calculate only around 1 in 100 students said that finance was even a factor when deciding that it was unlikely they would go onto university. We know that many students, once they are in higher education, worry about finances but I have yet to see any evidence that potential undergraduates are actually being dissuaded from applying or going to university because of debt fears. The naïveté and optimism of youth perhaps, but they are simply not reporting debt as a major causal factor in this decision making process. For medical students there is also the knowledge that they will earn very good salaries when they qualify. Could it be that the BMA are exaggerating a problem, surely not?

Get Carter

2009-07-14T11:41:00.005+01:00

"The Digital Britain Report is the Government's strategic vision for ensuring that the UK is at the leading edge of the global digital economy." The full text, in the name of Lord Carter, can be read at http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/6216.aspx . I think it fair to say that this report was not well received by most commentators, with only the proposal to levy a 50p-a-month surcharge on all fixed telephone lines to help pay for bringing next-generation broadband to the whole country triggering popular debate http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital-media/5551635/Digital-Britain-will-deliver-slow-broadband-to-those-who-dont-want-it.html
In an article in the Guardian Lord Carter took issue with his many critics http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jun/22/lord-carter-digital-britain

I too was disappointed by this report, however, not because of its recommendations, but because of the way the problem of broadband access was analysed. Typically for this government, a complex social problem was seen as primarily a technological and managerial problem. This was achieved by 'disappearing' what I regard as the most important social fact that should have dominated the project; that 35% of homes with children, have no internet access. Or looked at in another dimension, around a quarter of households earning £11,500, (the government's threshold for a low income) have broadband at home compared with 77% of homes with incomes of £30,000 or more. In Lord Carter's report, this was addressed in a short paragraph "Affordability is addressed in part through the roll-out of the Government's £300m Home Access scheme for low income families. In part the market will increasingly address this issue through the wide availability of new lower cost devices, new schemes for recycling PCs to low-income households or new prepay mobile broadband." Having dismissed the problem, the way was open to concentrate on how to extend geographically the hardware infrastructure of the internet to all parts of the UK, so that all can have access: a technical/managerial exercise.

I think this was a major mistake: as it caused the inquiry to address the wrong problems in the wrong way. I think they should have begun by asking why the vast majority of those 17 million non-users, or 40% of all households, who don't have internet access and could be connected through the existing cable offers do not. That is the real problem here, those who could connect but don't, not those who want to connect but cannot. This is particularly important for families with children, as we are potentially on the cusp of a major new addition to our divided society; in the very near future, parents will be able to interrogate their children's school's computer networks and see in great detail how their child is performing and then on the basis of that detailed information communicate with the teaching staff. In many schools, including primary schools, it is already possible to check homework assignments and download reports. Among children with home access it is already commonplace to use Wikipedia to cut and paste into homework or to 'enrich' extended projects.

In my opinion, it is this social divide, between the connected and the unconnected within cabled Britain that is of much greater importance than getting cable to distant hamlets. Indeed, for that group of non-users who are of particular interest to The Brightside Trust, disadvantaged families with children who are not connected to the internet, I think that their already low percentage of connectivity may well begin to fall even further. I don't have any connection figures on which to base my view, just an observation – that disadvantaged families are increasingly getting rid of their fixed line telephones. Pay-as-you-go mobile phones are becoming the replacement of choice for the whole family, for payment, fashion and independence reasons. Payment, because you can buy credit when you have a little cash, it's not a fixed cost. Fashion, because your mobile is an important accessory to your outfit and image. Independence, especially for children, as they can receive and make calls privately. Perhaps most important for adolescents, they can text. As fixed line phones are abandoned then the cost of a BT or Virgin cable connection just for a broadband connection looks expensive. Hence, I expect the numbers of disadvantaged families with a home internet connection will fall over the coming period, which seems to be the opposite of the government's aspiration. Yes, I know that you can connect to the internet with a mobile phone but that is expensive without a monthly contract and it is complex to transcribe data unless you pay a further premium to use your phone as a modem. For students with a pay-as-you-go mobile and little money, this is not practical for routine homework activity, nor is it practical for a not very interested parent to closely monitor school work. What's worse is that if I'm right, then the government's threat to levy a fixed line surcharge will accelerate the process of dumping fixed line telephones and the government's plan to extend the reach of digital Britain will have had the opposite effect.

Job Done?

2009-07-14T11:40:00.011+01:00

According to a recent Sutton Trust survey, 77% of young people now aspire to go to university, full report at http://www.suttontrust.com/reports/Mori080609.pdf Only 10% said they were unlikely or very unlikely to go. As the research points out, this far exceeds the numbers actually entering higher education and I would add, this far exceeds the numbers who will gain 5 GCSE's A to C grade.

This is an amazingly high percentage and might suggest that widening participation into higher education initiatives in schools have nearly achieved their purpose. However, I think I can see how this research might have overstated the true level of commitment to higher education. First, in my experience, even when a teacher is absent from the classroom most students of these age groups will try to give the 'correct' answer when interrogated by an important adult.

Second, I wondered if this work was reflecting the confused aspirations of low achieving students, which often have little relationship to real life. I first came across this phenomenon when, as an education social worker, I ran a group for 14 year old, non-exam entry, boys who had all been excluded for bad behaviour on more than one occasion from their failing north London secondary school. Like at least 1 in 10 of their contemporaries, these were students who would not obtain any worthwhile qualifications during their entire educational career. One day, I asked them about their plans for the future and was surprised when they all spontaneously asserted that they were going to live the wealthiest of affluent life styles: a celebrity life style. The most pedestrian of these boys was going to achieve this by being an airline pilot. For the rest, they were extremely vague; their aspirations seemed to be about faith, emotion and hope rather than rational plan, 'I just know I'm going to…'. As an aside, these high aspirations were combined with a refusal to consider anything less glittering, such as an apprenticeship, which was rejected out of hand, albeit that such an aspiration would have been quite a stretch for them to achieve.

That said, I think this is a fascinating research report and congratulations to the Sutton Trust for producing it. For me, it suggests that there is a widespread positive sentiment among school students towards higher education that can be tapped to both widen participation into higher education and I would hope to encourage some students to pursue other educational goals. This is especially important as it comes at a time when there is an apparent lack of take up of apprenticeships http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8119483.stm I'd like to know what it is about the university narrative that has apparently captured student's imagination and can this be mobilised in other ways.

Ain’t it all a Blooming Shame

2009-07-14T11:40:00.004+01:00

Inflation for the poor is twice the official rate http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jul/01/essentials-food-transport-recession

Dickensian London

2009-07-14T11:39:00.002+01:00

Even though London has economically prospered for the last decade, child poverty remains endemic, with around one in four children living in poverty http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jun/24/children-deprivation-regional-trends-uk If ten years of economic boom was not enough to lift this sizable section of the population out of poverty I wonder what would.

Some Aiming Higher

2009-07-14T11:38:00.002+01:00

The government was pleased to report that more young people from lower socio-economic groups are going into higher education than ever http://www.dius.gov.uk/~/media/publications/F/fypsec_paper_2009 the BBC and other commentators were less delighted, pointing out that the improvement was very slight http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8129069.stm However, I thought the most incongruous aspect to this news was that it was publicised at the same time as the government announced a squeeze on higher education (HE) numbers http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jun/30/recession-university-places It seems odd to me that government are not funding this bulge, especially as I'm sure any shortage of places will disproportionately hit hard to reach groups. Such as here where mature students are identified as being at risk http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jul/09/university-places-shortage-recession If one didn't know better one might think the government was developing higher education policy in a disjointed fashion and making it up as they went along.

HE at FE

2009-07-14T11:37:00.002+01:00

The benefits of pursuing higher education courses (HE) at further education colleges (FE) are increasingly being debated, with some arguing that HE study at an FE can be better for some students than going to a university http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/further/degrees-of-comfort-where-to-find-smaller-classes-and-caring-lecturers-1727051.html I think that FE colleges and other non-university suppliers are going to play an increasing role in the delivery of higher education over the next 10 years and although it does not figure in this linked article I think they will soon be competing with universities on price.

Why Snot is Green?

2009-06-24T15:12:00.001+01:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jun/16/science-lessons-inspiration I thought the ‘How Loud Can You Burp?’ should be ‘How loud Can You Fart?’ but I haven’t investigated the practical consequences of this change. Perhaps more importantly, I fear that science teachers would say that they would love to teach like this but the constraints of teaching to the test (either GCSE or SATS) combined with a fear of loosing control makes it impossible. I know some of you are fans of the HBO series, The Wire, did you know that series four explores the practical problem of schooling the ‘hoppers’, the street corner kids. It would seem that the centrality and difficulty of pupil engagement is common to the schooling systems of both the UK and the USA and yet in both places it is a problem that is marginalised by politicians and school managers.

Green Wash

2009-06-24T15:11:00.000+01:00

The ever rising price of household gas and electricity was much discussed in the newspapers last week http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jun/22/gas-electricity-energy-bills-rise I worry about the apparently uncritical acceptance of the need for ‘green’ measures, which it is said makes expensive fuel inevitable. Same goes for water charges http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8112953.stm I think that unless immediate ways can be found to lighten the burden of these charges on poor households, then rather than condemning the poor to freeze we should let the planet fry.

Are You Happy?

2009-06-24T15:10:00.002+01:00

No, then it’s your own fault for not living in Richmond. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jun/23/richmond-on-thames-happy-survey When I looked at the full survey http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/doc/1262536.doc I noticed that there was a question about volunteering, where people were asked if they had given unpaid help to any groups, clubs or organisations, at least once per month in the previous 12 months. Across England, 23% said they had, with no great variation between regions. Although this result is in line with other surveys, I have trouble believing it; I don't think I know anyone who volunteers for anything. Is it just the people I know?

Research Corner

2009-06-24T15:10:00.001+01:00

The Sutton Trust report have investigated the difficulties that disadvantaged students can face when they attend private schools http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/5382926/Working-class-children-alienated-in-private-schools-says-The-Sutton-Trust.html The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) have produced a very detailed report examining income distribution and poverty in the UK http://www.ifs.org.uk/comms/c109.pdf This is the most comprehensive analysis of poverty and inequality that I have seen this year. While a report carried out by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation looked at attitudes to income distribution and benefits http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jun/22/benefits-income-poverty-fabian-rowntree

Voluntary Contribution

2009-06-24T15:09:00.002+01:00

The hidden cost of schooling http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jun/16/school-voluntary-contributions I think the working poor are hit hardest by these demands as it usually assumed that they are able to afford these payments as they are not on benefits.

Summer Time Blues

2009-06-24T15:09:00.001+01:00

Universities are Having Trouble Attracting Students to their Summer Schools http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jun/16/students-summer-schools?DCMP=EMC-E_EDU_EDI_CRI_16_06_09 Maybe the problem is seeing the summer school as a ‘standalone’ event. Maybe hard-to-reach students need a program of engagement where the summer school is one of a number of integrated events.

Yosser’s Coming

2009-06-24T15:07:00.001+01:00

The numbers of NEETS is on the increase again, on the back of rising youth unemployment http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jun/16/teenagers-not-work-school-neets-rises much of this unemployment is hitting the areas hit in the 1980s http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jun/24/northern-cities-youth-unemployment

Mustn’t Grumble

2009-06-24T15:06:00.000+01:00

There has been a major increase in the volume of anti-depressants being prescribed since the economic downturn http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jun/21/mental-health-antidepressants-recession-prescriptions Why do GPs prescribe anti-depressants? I’ve been told by a London GP that it’s because they don’t have anything else to offer. Access routes to other therapies are always fully choked-up. Even if you are in serious trouble it can take months to see a psychiatrist. Under these circumstances, some happy pills might be a lifeline.

A Bouillabaisse of Coaching and Mentoring Stories

2009-06-14T17:00:00.002+01:00

My mentor is a banker http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jun/03/bob-network-bangladeshi-mentoring Coaching 'at risk' undergraduates http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/may/26/youth-at-risk-charity A scheme for budding judges http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jun/02/legal-mentoring-scheme Football coaching as the way to improve social skills http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/may/27/public-inquiry-dennis-bailey Public school weirdness http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/higher/diary-of-a-fresher-at-my-university-marriage-is-just-part-of-taking-care-of-students-1701729.html

The Female Millennium?

2009-06-14T16:58:00.002+01:00

The majority of students training to be medics are women http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jun/03/women-doctors-nhs-medicine-review however, it's not just medicine, by 2025 70% of students in HE may be female http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/5459854/Girls-will-take-up-70-per-cent-of-university-places-says-new-study.html higher female achievement is across areas of study http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/its-academic-university-women-are-beating-men-at-almost-everything-1693493.html Its not just the academic world, another recent report found that most volunteers are women http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/DailyBulletin/910970/Women-likely-volunteer/40B5E500CDC9CDB8A952DA4593E8866E/?DCMP=EMC-DailyBulletin and this year, there were two women finalists in Alan Sugar's TV game show, The Apprentice. So, what's the young male in the street's reaction to this crisis? Dumbing down seems to be in fashion; don't knock it, it's a start and some do it very well http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/bullied-boys-why-bright-lads-are-being-picked-on-1684266.html However, some researchers are suggesting that this male failure to thrive is rooted in their experience of modern schooling and is illustrated by GCSE studies http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jun/07/gender-gap-university-boys with further discussion at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jun/07/boys-academic-gap-education-gender or maybe its time to restart the drones club, day care for young men

Stop, in the Name of the Law

2009-06-14T16:57:00.002+01:00

Legislation is being brought forward by this government to make it a legal duty for all future governments, local authorities and other named organisations to work to end child poverty across the UK http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8095775.stm I think this qualifies as the most absurd anti-poverty initiative of the last 50 years, if not of all time. Only a bunch of lawyers could come up with such a pompous irrelevance. The reality of Welsh poverty http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jun/03/gains-wales-wiped-out-recession and Scottish child poverty http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/may/29/child-poverty-figures-joseph-rowntree-foundation

The latest Sutton Trust Research

2009-06-14T16:56:00.001+01:00

This time, they find that 1 in 5 state school pupils have private tutors http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/5502356/Rising-numbers-of-families-hiring-private-tutors-says-Sutton-Trust.html and that in London, 43% of pupils had had a home tutor http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jun/11/private-tutor-boom-for-state-pupils

University Admissions

2009-06-14T16:54:00.001+01:00

Different institutions use different systems to assess potential students http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/may/26/university-admissions

This has caused friction when disadvantage is openly part of the calculation http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article6350374.ece

While university entry exams are found to be a barrier to working class entrants

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/5477178/University-entry-exams-a-barrier-to-working-class-students.html

However, what works for the applicants?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/may/26/university-access

Job Prospects for this Year’s University Leavers Look Tough

2009-06-14T16:52:00.001+01:00

40,000 graduates face unemployment http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jun/10/students-higher-education

A discussion of this http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jun/10/university-students-jobs-recession A graduate premium can still be identified according to a new report http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/why-a-degree-is-still-worth-the-loan-1693841.html However, the statement made here, that "The research shows the average man with two A-level passes or more who does not go on to university earns £13.50 per hour. With a degree the figure is lifted to £16 – around £34,000 extra a year" is mathematically wrong. I calculate from these numbers that such a premium is worth about an extra £5,000 a year. Yes, it is a premium and is worth having but getting reliable analysis of this subject seems to be proving hard to achieve.

The Future of Student Finance in Higher Education

2009-06-14T16:49:00.001+01:00

OFFA speaks http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/may/22/university-top-up-fees-offa-martin-harris or should there be a graduate tax, as suggested by the president of the NUS http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jun/10/nus-tuition-fees-graduate-tax

Science Stories

2009-06-14T16:46:00.002+01:00

Experiments are said to be the key to making science 'cool at school' http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/experiments-key-to-making-science-cool-at-school-1693511.html Not just experiments, "Teachers are turning to ICT to make science more practical and exciting, with tools such as data-logging, blogs and wikis, podcasting, simulation software, YouTube video clips and digital microscopes." http://www.guardian.co.uk/resource/ict-practice-science

There is still a problem offering students the opportunity to study individual sciences at GCSE http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8080139.stm

Is science squeezing the humanities at universities? http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/may/21/language-departments-face-cuts

Unemployment as Career Move

2009-06-14T14:16:00.002+01:00

A volunteer brokerage scheme has been established to place jobseekers as third sector volunteers and boost their employment prospects http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/may/13/jobseekers-third-sector Do we have a need for such volunteers? Should we be known to the scheme?

Blimey

2009-06-14T14:14:00.002+01:00

Sex is history http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/may/31/sexual-health-oxforduniversity - too much time on their hands

Piss Poor

2009-05-12T15:10:00.002+01:00

"Britain under Gordon Brown is a more unequal country than at any time since modern records began in the early 1960s" http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/may/08/poverty-equality-britain-incomes-poor and in the telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/5291482/Gap-between-rich-and-poor-grows-to-record-levels-official-figures-show.html as yet, this finding has not triggered any real debate in parliament or elsewhere, it seems to be an issue that both labour and the conservatives would rather duck. If you were wondering how a Labour government could possibly spin this as an achievement – here's the press release http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0086

The changing educational environment

2009-05-12T15:08:00.001+01:00

The Rose review, a major government inquiry into the future of primary schooling has published its findings. Its recommendations include proposals to facilitate and ease student transfer from primary to secondary schooling http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/school-to-start-at-four-with-new-timetable-to-restore-creativity-1677109.html Although long awaited, I felt that there was a generally muted response to this report from both commentators and from teaching professionals. I sensed a weary exhaustion: a feeling of here we go again, another report, more recommendations, more changes, another trip on the educational roundabout. For myself, I liked the discussion about the significance and place of new technology in primary schooling http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8025157.stm It seems that technological literacy is now fundamental to educational success from the very earliest of learning programs. It is certainly no longer an optional or specialist skill as technology now shapes the whole learning process.

The centrality of the new technology shaping the learning environment can also be seen in debates about the future of secondary schooling, such as here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/5166111/Revealed-new-teaching-methods-that-are-producing-dramatic-results.html It is of course valid to note that the school catchment area, Monkseaton, is a stable middle class area.

And onto higher education, with this case study about the development of e-learning environments at a university http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/apr/21/elearning-university-of-london and discussing the variation of existing provision http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/may/12/computer-science-it

Children in care – a turn for the worse?

2009-05-12T15:07:00.001+01:00

The latest government statistics suggest that the relative educational performance of cared for children is in decline http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/05/05/111473/education-children-in-care-fall-further-behind-peers.html

There has also been an increase in the numbers of children taken into care http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/may/08/child-protection-figures-baby-p and again at http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/may/09/baby-p-children-care-councils – unlike some, I do not welcome this trend, to be blunt, in my opinion and experience, I think a rough and ready upbringing within an existing supported family and neighbourhood is preferable to being taken into care. I certainly think that those worst served by the system are those older children who often become 'revolving door' users of care, flipping from family into care and back again on a routine and usually traumatised basis.

A recent parliamentary review of children in care, concluded that the state needed to be a more pushy parent http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8004735.stm , the guardian saw the report as a litany of failure http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/apr/20/state-failing-children as part of a history of failure http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/apr/20/care-system-failures

Many are now seeing the northern European system as being more successful model for care http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/apr/21/child-care-europe but the starting point for any such approach is a highly resourced and respected social work profession. The reality of the UK was highlighted by a survey in the magazine Community care which found 1 in 9 social work posts vacant and a pervasive fear of burnout http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/04/21/111339/exclusive-survey-reveals-social-work-burnout-fears.html in this context, it is worrying that Ed Balls decided to evade a simple budgetary commitment http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/may/07/baby-p-child-protection-funding At this rate, I'm afraid we'll see more reports like this one http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/apr/22/social-work-child-protection all together now "some day over the rainbow…"

Investigating the role of emotion in on-line communication

2009-05-12T15:05:00.001+01:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/may/07/luv-is-all-around-myspace

Are there lessons here for us? Or are the mentor/mentee relationships emotion free zones?

Sutton Trust Research

2009-05-12T15:04:00.001+01:00

The Sutton Trust has commissioned and published some attention-grabbing educational research. Summaries were published by the Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1177283/Struggling-schools-fail-bright-pupils-High-fliers-11-miss-GCSE-grades.html and by the Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/may/04/gsces-school-education The full report can be seen at http://www.suttontrust.com/reports/Attainment_deprived_schools_summary.pdf

I cannot say the results are that much of a surprise to me, indeed thinking back to a couple of schools where I worked, albeit a long time ago, brighter students would have been pleased to have suffered from these relatively minor disadvantages.

However, I thought it interesting that the Sutton Trust draw the conclusion that all schools should have a balanced socially mixed intake "we argue that the best results for all children – low and high ability – is if there is a spread of abilities in each school. All pupils benefit from that, and it is the only way to start reducing the educational inequalities in this country" but would that include private schools?

Another survey of youth wellbeing, another poor result for the UK

2009-05-12T14:57:00.001+01:00

The UK has been ranked 24^th out of 29 in a league table of youth wellbeing comparing countries across western Europe http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8008926.stm The full report can be viewed at http://www.cpag.org.uk/info/ChildWellbeingandChildPoverty.pdf

Visit the NEETS, before they visit you

2009-05-12T14:56:00.001+01:00

Even before the current economic downturn there was evidence that the numbers of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETS) was on the increase http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/recession/5188075/Number-of-young-people-not-in-work-or-education-hits-record-high.html this represents a significant section of society and it must be worrying that they have stood apart from mainstream society during one of the most prolonged periods of economic prosperity and opportunity of the last 50 years. They seem to represent a long tail of failure and rejection, in this context, I thought it might be appropriate to mention the late Jade Goody who seemed to have gained so little from her educational career and yet apparently valued education so highly http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6011978 this article refers to a table which is unavailable here which shows the percentage of 19 year-olds who have no educational qualifications in the UK. Its absence is no great loss, as it's a very simple table; it reads 8 percent for every year of the last 12 years. We seem to have a sizable section of the population who have apparently gained little or nothing from the existing social offer. Yet, if the publicity is to be believed, education was at the end of her life Jade Goody's highest priority. Maybe there's hope in that, might it yet be possible to engage the apparently totally disengaged, the ill-educated, the NEETS, the marginal: its at least 1 in 12 of the population.

Student Income and Expenditure Survey 2007/08

2009-05-12T14:54:00.001+01:00

This is an extensive government publication based on a survey of full-time and part-time students at higher education institutions and further education colleges pursuing undergraduate courses during the 2007/08 academic year http://www.dius.gov.uk/research_and_analysis/~/media/publications/D/DIUS-RR-09-05

At the least, I think it is worth looking at chapter 8, student choices and attitudes, pages 243 to 252, which builds on the finding that when "Students were asked whether the student funding and financial support available to them affected their decisions about HE study in any way. Just over 30 per cent of both full- and part-time students responded that it did."

School for entrepreneurs

2009-05-12T14:52:00.001+01:00

Brightside has been interested in this sort of things in the past http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/may/10/dragons-den-academy-entrepreneurs-teenagers

Shocked of Darlington

2009-04-17T11:21:00.003+01:00

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.

The consequences of recession

2009-04-17T11:21:00.001+01:00

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

Essential student employability skills

2009-04-17T11:20:00.003+01:00

There are seven, according to this article http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7964144.stm

Always room for a good mentoring story

2009-04-17T11:20:00.001+01:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/mar/31/mentoring-scheme-school-sports

Social trends

2009-04-17T11:19:00.001+01:00

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?

2009-04-17T11:17:00.003+01:00

"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

2009-04-17T11:17:00.001+01:00

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

2009-04-17T11:15:00.001+01:00

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!

1 The state of UK schooling

2009-03-20T15:49:00.004Z

Sometimes I don’t understand this government’s way of doing things; this is one of those occasions. Last week, the department for children, schools and families released an excellent research report called Breaking the Link between disadvantage and low attainment – everyone’s business. http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/00357-2009.pdf In my opinion, this is the most convincing case that I have seen supporting the government’s claim that they have overseen a general improvement of schooling in the UK. In particular, it makes a strong case that significant progress having been achieved in overcoming the effects of social disadvantage within the education system. Yes, the report emphasises the successes and glosses over stubborn problems but it makes a very positive case for the success of past policies and identifies specific problem areas that now need considering. Most importantly, I think they make a convincing case that educational attainment in the most deprived areas of the country has shown the biggest improvement over the past 10 years. And yet this report is hidden away on the recent publications website of teachernet. I’d say if you are only going to read a single publication this year about schooling and disadvantage then this is it! In my opinion it should be up there in lights on the DCSF website and should have been the subject of a publicity offensive. Instead, the Minister got into a tussle over introducing American style report cards for schools and it was this that took prominence in the DCSF press release http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0057 and then worse, this minor idea dominated the newspaper coverage http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1161807/School-league-tables-scrapped-replaced-wellbeing-charts.html I guess we will have another shot at this subject with the publication of the White Paper in the spring. However, I think a more aggressive and positive campaign is urgently required if only to combat the common perception that education standards are worsening http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/mar/02/education-standards-poll and that the great social divide shows little change http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1160314/Not-single-GCSE-nearly-half-UKs-poorest-children.html while there is evidence that private schools are doing better at A levels http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article5871124.ece and more likely to study hard subjects http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/4957568/Private-school-pupils-four-times-as-likely-to-get-straight-As-at-A-level.html I was surprised by the report that 1 in 10 parents may be using private tutors for their children http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/4839415/Tutors-in-demand-in-race-for-grammar-schools.html negative news and analysis swamps all talk of improvement, this is a shame and not the full story.

2 Outraged of Westminster

2009-03-20T15:49:00.001Z

A House of Commons Committee has expressed dismay at the slow progress of widening participation into university http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7911211.stm the full report can be found at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmpubacc/226/9780215526557.pdf I think it worth quoting one of the findings “The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Higher Education Funding Council know too little about how universities have used the £392 million allocated to them over the last five years to widen participation.” However, in a more optimistic vein, a couple of ideas here seem to be worth a try http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7937527.stm The suggestion that students might study university courses at school illustrates how the shape of higher education delivery continues to change. Last week it was announced that “Newcastle College was on course this week to become the first English further education institution to receive more funds for its higher education teaching than a university.” http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6009793

3 Mentoring good practice

2009-03-20T15:48:00.001Z

I came across these Transition Mentoring Good Practice Case Studies which the DCSF say ‘We have collected case studies that show how many agencies and partners are offering mentoring support to young people at times of transition to support them into further education or training.’ http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/14-19/index.cfm?go=site.home&sid=42&pid=456&ctype=None&ptype=Contents

4 Hogwart’s express

2009-03-20T15:47:00.002Z

Would an expansion of state boarding school provision help disadvantaged students? http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/mar/10/conservatives-private-schools I’m sceptical, especially the idea that it is fostered children who would especially benefit from a boarding school placement. This seems a bit hard on those who have just been received into foster care only to find themselves moved on again into a boarding school.

5 Child protection for slow learners

2009-03-20T15:47:00.001Z

The Lamming review (again) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7938826.stm further reforms http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/more-training-for-social-services-bosses-after-baby-p-tragedy-1643084.html and a later report http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/mar/13/child-protection-laming-babyp-report

I can remember 25 years ago, when working in a neighbouring local authority, being told that one in five children on the ‘at risk’ register had no allocated social worker in Haringey. Any reports or information about those unallocated children would be dealt with by whoever was on duty in the area office at the time. In short, there has never been an adequate child protection system in place in this area of north London; demand has always been greater than the social work resources available. While being a difficult area, Haringey was not extraordinary, its problems placed it at the end of a spectrum of difficulty but these problems were common to most urban social work departments in the UK. The present government came into office pledging to address this.

As with much government reform, the emphasis has been to seek to make the work processes of child protection more efficient, so that the existing staffing and expenditure would then be adequate to the level of demand. In management terms, this led to the adoption of a simple form of Taylorism, where you had only to define the one best way to do child protection work and then put in place a management and organisational structure to ensure that that this happened and you have resolved the problem. Hence the focus on procedures and managerial/organisational structures for last 12 years.

Unfortunately, good child protection work is more craft than science. Every effective child protection social worker I have known has worked differently. People develop their own style and ways of doing things. Try to do it by standardised procedures, painting by numbers as it were, and all you achieve is to do it badly. That is what Lamming and his government friends don’t seem to grasp, child protection work is volatile; families don’t go into crisis at convenient times or in a convenient sequence. For a social worker, their case load can be undemanding one week and then manic the next. In Taylorist terms, these differences are an undesirable inefficiency; but in social work terms this isn’t inefficiency, it is how people behave in the real world and that any work load has to include contingency time for the unexpected. There is no alternative to improved resourcing and lower case loads.

On a more optimistic note, some of the discussion of the baby P case would seem to show that learning is emerging from this debate. It is being said that senior managers should have some experience of child protection before being appointed (Sharon Shoesmith had none). This is an improvement, but who thought it wasn’t necessary when Sharon and half of her colleagues were appointed? Similarly, computer systems which demand standardised modes of work and standardised inputs are now being criticised. Fine, but Lamming was their loudest advocate. It does seem to be taking a rather long time for some fairly obvious child protection pennies to drop for our leaders.

6 Scottish cared for children

2009-03-20T15:46:00.002Z

Report finds that “Students in care achieved, on average, two Standard Grade passes in 2008, fewer than pupils from even the poorest social backgrounds” http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7934884.stm

7 Six months to train to become a teacher?

2009-03-20T15:46:00.001Z

Departmental press release http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0048 and sceptical daily mail report http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1160835/Failed-City-staff-offered-fast-track-route-teaching.html I think it is interesting that this announcement met with a general scepticism that these recruits will be ill equipped to deal with the hurly-burly of a demanding student group as they simply won’t have adequately developed skills of classroom management in such a short training period. The example of an earlier migrant offers hope http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/mar/17/ex-bankers-teaching-city

For life at the chalk face, this French film would seem to be worth a view http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/mar/01/pupil-behaviour-schools-class-control and an article from the Times about how schooling can destroy even for the most confident: the headteacher’s tale http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5821872.ece Overall, while sharing some of the scepticism, I think the experience of previous recessions has been that the teaching profession benefits from an influx of individuals who in other times might well go elsewhere.

8 Science is important

2009-03-20T15:45:00.001Z

The importance of science for economic recovery http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/mar/10/roy-anderson-imperial-college-london it must be true, the prime-minister thinks it http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7915233.stm he seems to be morphing into Harold Wilson.

1) Poly come home

2009-02-26T15:32:00.001Z

The return of the Polytechnic? http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article5780304.ece This could be seen as just the harbinger of another reversal of a state policy, which will waste many millions of pounds of public money. However, I don’t think it is that simple or clear. Elsewhere, the government continues to push ahead with new schemes to encourage disadvantaged students to apply to the ‘top’ universities http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/feb/02/teachers-university-expectations-achievers Analysis of the existing student populations shows that there is a structural tendency for disadvantaged students to attend the new, post 1992, universities. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/feb/03/access-university1 For those who want more detail a recent study examined this trend http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/feb/03/university-access-social-exclusion and at http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/feb/03/universities-admissions-social-mobility and this trend continues to excite some MPs http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/feb/26/university-elitism-access

As an aside, I think it is interesting that these research reports used the Acorn system of social classification, this schema seems to be gaining the upper hand in education studies and we would be wise to use it in any studies that we undertake in the future.

However, back to the main point, I think I am with John Denham on this one. I’m not so excited about ‘top universities’. I think the difficult problem is getting disadvantaged students to stay in education, get 5 GCSEs A to C and then to consider higher education of any sort. The disadvantaged student group seem to be gravitating to the old polys; so why not bend those institutions to fit the customers. I admit that there remains the old British quandary of the divide between academic and vocational qualifications and the assumed inferiority of the latter. This was never addressed when the old polytechnics were converted into universities; the problem was assumed to have been transcended by a simple change of name. Without a serious attempt to make ‘parity of esteem’ real this time round then the vocational route will continue to be seen as second best and unattractive to all types of students.

A utopian thought: It seems to be a chronic problem of UK social policy that old policies and strategies are described in a caricature way by the advocates of each new policy that comes along. I know it’s an old-fashioned idea but I still believe that an honest and thorough understanding of a policy’s history will always help to both better understand the present situation and might even ensure that the new policy is an improvement on the old. We could really do with this approach in education policy.

2) Crisis, what crisis

2009-02-26T15:25:00.000Z

There has been a late surge in the numbers applying to go to university http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article5733614.ece with more detail at http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/feb/16/university-applications-recession there is also a major increase in the numbers going into science and maths teaching http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/trainees-sign-up-to-teach-maths-and-science-1630449.html

3) There should be a law against it

2009-02-26T15:24:00.000Z

The target to halve child poverty by 2010 is to be missed, no real news there; but the apparent increase in the numbers of families in poverty who have at least one adult wage earner is worrying http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/feb/18/child-poverty-research there seems little appetite for recognising the problem of low wages in government http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/nov/04/ed-balls-poverty-wages if you are interested in a rigorous analysis of the extent and nature of poverty levels in the UK in 2009 and prospects for abolishing poverty by 2020 then I’ve seen nothing better than this report from Joseph Rowntree and the Institute for Fiscal Studies http://www.ifs.org.uk/comms/comm108.pdf . I think the government’s response to the stalling of their anti-poverty drive is rather odd; they are going to legislate in order to make the abolition of poverty a legally binding duty on government. You have until the 11th of March if you have any advice or tips for the government http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm?action=consultationDetails&consultationId=1590&external=no&menu=1 apparently they’d love to hear from you

4) Thus conscience does make cowards of us all

2009-02-26T15:23:00.000Z

Teachers failing to spot Special Educational Needs (SEN) among students, according to this expert http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/feb/06/pupil-behaviour-school-discipline forgive me, but I see no such nuanced difficulty, the key to this ‘difficult problem’ is the percentage difference, noted in the article, between expected and actual statements of special educational needs in the student population. Every statement of SEN I ever saw, recommended greater expenditure on the assessed child’s education, usually in terms of allocating them teaching assistant time. As the recommendations of special needs assessments carry legal force, they have to be implemented by schools. So, in practice, schools and local authorities try desperately to avoid carrying out full assessments in order to avoid the inevitable extra cost that a statement will bring. Hence the enormous gap between the estimated level of SEN in the student population and the actual number of assessments being carried out. Mild autism being missed by teachers; baloney, this is the self justifying guff of a guilty liberal conscience; this problem is not new and teachers are not missing it. It is the old problem of rationing. It’s about keeping the costs of special needs within existing education budgets, which is achieved by ignoring the bulk of special needs among the student population. Who runs this process - Headteachers.

5) A rose by any other name?

2009-02-26T15:22:00.000Z

One of the most thorough reviews of primary schooling ever undertaken in the UK has reported. They found that there has been an overemphasis on the ‘3 Rs’ in primary education, causing the educational experience to become too narrow and to stifle pupil development http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/schoolchildrens-lives-are-being-impoverished-1627047.html Some see this as a spoiler for the government’s sponsored review of primary schooling, the Rose review, which is due to report later in the year. I’m happy to await the Rose review, I rather like the emphasis on the 3 Rs and I’m not convinced that a broader educational experience would help those who are failing to become functionally literate and numerate.

6) Children’s university

2009-02-26T15:21:00.002Z

Its for under 11s http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/feb/24/primaryschools-schools maybe it will help younger students think beyond the limits of their world before too many educational choices have been made.

7) Schools IT

2009-02-26T15:21:00.001Z

The Independent newspaper occasionally carries reviews of educational software being used in schools. I thought I’d offer you this past week’s selection, if nothing else, it shows just how IT is now central to school learning programs http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/education-reviews-digital-resources-1625431.html I notice that the list includes moneysense, a managing your money program.

8) Braveheart

2009-02-26T15:20:00.001Z

There is to be a fearless review of university tuition fees by the government http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/feb/03/tuition-fees-cap-review . Well, after the election, maybe.

9) National service for young people

2009-02-26T15:18:00.000Z

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article5780325.ece I think this, or something very like it, will happen. It ticks all the government’s boxes; it will cost very little, it fixes broken Britain, and it will hide youth unemployment. Whatever form it takes, it will involve masses of mentoring. Do we want some of this?

Where there is hope

2009-02-01T17:08:00.000Z

Nearly as weary as the Spanish, probably as miserable as the Estonians, no its not me, it has to be another survey of UK happiness http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jan/24/british-identity-new-economics-foundation-happiness the full report http://www.nationalaccountsofwellbeing.org/public-data/files/national-accounts-of-well-being-report.pdf In my opinion, it is worth considering this kind of research because happiness is essential for optimism and optimism is necessary for people to even try to begin to overcome disadvantage. Also, if one takes a broader view of social wellbeing then I guess one has to take a wider view of what is social disadvantage. However, I can see this debate becoming contentious, especially when it seems to question the appropriateness of mothers entering paid employment instead of engaging in full-time child care, as here in another report about to hit the streets http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article5627605.ece

1 Digitally challenged

2009-02-01T16:39:00.000Z

Following an investigation by Lord Carter, an interim report into the UK's digital future has been published by the UK government http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7858498.stm the full report can be found at http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/digital_britain_interimreportjan09.pdf This report will be a disappointment to anyone who is worried about the effect of the digital divide in the UK: the division between those who use the internet and those who don’t. Curiously, this report seems to assume that the lack of a household internet connection by 17 million people or around 30% of households is because they don’t understand or see the advantage of using the internet. One of the report’s recommendations is that there should be a popular champion to encourage the take up of the technology by these excluded people. Frankly, I think this is a marginal point, however my only plea, is please, lets not have another Tsar, if the champion has to be named after some feudal relic, how about a people’s Kaiser or a community Shah.

In my opinion, the main problem isn’t ignorance or fear or indifference to the internet, I think the problem for poor families is almost entirely about cost; and moreover, not the cost of a device to access the internet but the cost of an ongoing connection for that device. As far as I can see, this is not seriously addressed anywhere in this report. Instead we are treated to many pages about reassuring adults about child safety, ensuring every building in the country is able to connect to the internet, stopping illegal file sharing and the future of publicly funded broadcasting. On the issue of access for disadvantaged groups there are only two short sections. First, there is praise for what is claimed to be the widespread availability and success of UK Online Centres.

“Since their creation in 2000 UK Online Centres, based in libraries, citizens’ advice bureaux, internet cafes and other publicly-available locations, have helped millions of people in England. They have particularly helped the disadvantaged or older people who have not encountered digital technology at work or do not have supportive family networks. The Centres provide a safe and supportive environment, often working well with voluntary and community organisations, to show the practical uses and benefits of the internet and the essential skills to use it. The Government is currently looking at how to harness the potential of UK Online Centres for supporting digital inclusion policies as a whole.” Page 61

However, at a recent Brightside Trust team meeting, when we discussed single parents accessing potential e-mentoring schemes, the general feeling was that one of the problems with any such scheme was that public access to the internet was in reality very poor, rendering such initiatives problematic. So, I’m sceptical.

The nearest the report gets to addressing the problem of cost is this second, delphic paragraph,

“This will include working with industry to develop affordable, reliable and easy-to-use IPTV boxes – particularly relevant to those households currently without a PC and, when a critical mass of digital public service delivery is reached, around 2012-13, there could be a new scheme to assist remaining elderly and disadvantaged households to get online. This would draw on key lessons from the digital switchover scheme in television, notably the vital role of engagement with the third sector in identifying those most in practical need and providing the level of trusted quality contact to demonstrate the practical benefits of the technology and impart the basic skills to use it.” Page 62

Yet between now and 2013, many thousands of children will find their relative disadvantage increased because of this gap. Nowadays, even primary school students routinely use internet resources to complete their work, which gives them a major advantage over those without home internet access. A recent survey found that a third of young people insisted that they “could not live” without their computer http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/19/internet-generation-parents

I still think that the only real answer to the digital divide would be to offer internet connections free at the point of use to every household, as part of the local infrastructure provided by the local authority, like rubbish collection or schooling. To make it a little more acceptable to middle England, then perhaps restrict it to families with children and pensioners. Unfortunately, I cannot see anyone pursuing that policy in the UK today and so the digital revolution will only exacerbate the social divide. Lord Carter’s full report is due in June of this year, so still time for a revelation, but judging from this report he’s going to need the full road to Damascus experience.

2 Not so clever

2009-02-01T16:38:00.000Z

A recent report found that 1 in 7 of those students categorised as gifted and talented failed to get 5 GCSE A to C including Maths and English. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/scheme-for-gifted-pupils-is-a-failure-1452286.html My first thought was that this reflects the confused criteria for selecting pupils for the gifted and talented scheme. However, maybe there is more to discover here, perhaps this is an interesting insight into the disillusionment of bright children.

3 Good news items – a jumble of disadvantage overcome

2009-02-01T16:37:00.002Z

City mentoring program http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jan/14/young-people-social-exclusion Oxford success story http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/17/elitism-oxbridge-university and a more traditional way of getting disadvantaged students into Oxbridge http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article5626714.ece Physics female role model http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/13/athene-donald-physics Medical school, the example of an access course http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article5536362.ece

5 Diplomas: it needn’t have been this way

2009-02-01T16:35:00.000Z

The slow and creaky start to the new educational diploma system is now being reported http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/24/diplomas-qca and http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/26/school-diplomas-teachers which quotes findings from a survey commissioned by the Sutton Trust. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7847813.stm I remain convinced that diploma credibility was, as a minimum, always dependent on level 3 diplomas replacing A levels. Without that, the diplomas were always doomed to be seen as the less good, vocational alternative, to proper academic qualifications.

6 The context of e-mentoring

2009-02-01T16:34:00.000Z

The higher education learning environment has changed significantly over the past few years and that pace of change shows no sign of diminishing http://www.guardian.co.uk/universitychallenge/weapon I think this could be relevant to the evolution of our e-mentoring projects.

7 Campaigning for science

2009-02-01T16:33:00.001Z

A campaign to promote a more positive view of science launched by celebrities and government http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/28/science-terry-pratchett and as this article shows, it’s needed http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/14/league-tables-science

1) Social Mobility

2009-01-12T11:44:00.000Z

The government will hope that the launch of their white paper on social mobility will be a big news story tomorrow (Tuesday). The policy direction of this paper has been widely leaked http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7822562.stm and http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5489213.ece and from the Observer http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jan/11/labour-government-education-social-mobility

I think our mentoring into the professions schemes could feature strongly in the considerations of the social mobility commission if we push ourselves to the fore.

The Sutton Trust has already begun making its contribution to this debate with a couple of articles by Lee Elliot Major in the Daily Telegraph. The first article considered social mobility and parental influence http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/4015830/Wed-be-better-off-if-we-educated-everyone.html with the second suggesting 10 measures that could usefully be implemented http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/4015925/Ten-education-reforms-to-improve-social-mobility.html

2) Is it Worth the Debt?

2009-01-12T11:40:00.002Z

The government’s plans to encourage internships for unemployed graduates has generated some comment

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/10/graduate-employment-crisis-rescue-package Much of the discussion has emphasised the disappointment of the unemployed or underemployed alumni, such as here http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article5488978.ece while this focus on disappointed graduates is understandable, it was my experience in the last recession (I was teaching at a university and was known as a soft touch for a good reference for people I didn’t know), that many graduates once employed in an organisation, even on a temporary contract, would then move onto permanent better paid positions with those same organisations. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if these internships prove to be useful and also that some people who would never otherwise have considered a job in retailing end up pursuing it as a rewarding career. However, from memory, it was the school leavers with low or no qualifications who were the real long term losers in the recession. Work creation schemes and temporary jobs just didn’t seem to serve this group in the same way as they did for graduates. For them, temporary jobs are just that, temporary low paid employment. These young people never really joined the workforce; instead they become a new cohort in the army of the long-term unemployed. Despite the debt, it’s still worth going to university.

3) Good News Item

2009-01-12T11:40:00.001Z

For the rest of the month, there is an exhibition at London’s City Hall of artwork by disadvantaged young people from some of the capital's poorest boroughs

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jan/07/art-youth-young-people-culture-london-dulwich-kennington-kids why not take a lunch-time stroll to view? It’s on the walls at City Hall from the reception area down to the canteen; also you might see Nance: what a win/win scenario.

4) Uneven Results

2009-01-12T11:39:00.001Z

The self styled ‘top universities’ Russell group’s widening participation programs have been found to have had varying levels of success http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5439367.ece

5) Brightside Farm?

2009-01-12T11:38:00.000Z

Care farming seems to work; ever heard of it? Who’d be the farmer? http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/06/care-farms-teenagers-badly-behaved-youth

6) Happy Now?

2009-01-12T11:37:00.002Z

A survey of happiness levels among young people in the UK has been produced http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jan/08/ofsted-children-friendship there is even a happiness map http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2009/01/07/HAPPYMAP.pdf

Note the unhappy NEETS http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7810902.stm I think the mental health aspects of disadvantage and social exclusion are often underestimated or ignored and that unhappiness is the nearest we’ll get to recognition.

7) A Mathematical Proof

2009-01-12T11:37:00.001Z

The importance of maths http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/poor-maths-skills-cost-britain-16324bn-a-year-says-study-1225807.html

1) What are the chances of a British Obama?

2008-12-16T17:22:00.002Z

The Independent newspaper recently carried a provocative but well founded article by the research director at the Sutton Trust, who pointed out that Barack Obama is the product of an elite private education and that any British Obama would need to follow a similar educational route if he were to aspire to be prime minister. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/higher/lee-elliot-major-a-british-obama-would-need-an-elite-education-1035966.html I agree that the road to joining the establishment is largely restricted to those who pass through the right schools and the right universities.

However, to pose a very old question, does this arrangement make for a good society? I think the limitations to this system will be seen quickly in the case of Obama himself. The fairy tale will peak on January 20th 2009 with his coronation. The news coverage will be pure Disney – the poor mixed race boy who by sheer hard work and talent rose from humble origins to the highest office in the land. An example to all, anyone can succeed if they try hard enough. Unfortunately, the day after he takes the throne then the problems will start, not least, how to construct the “and they all lived happily ever after” ending. This fairy tale has been sold to the American people on the basis that his election will not just herald the good society for Obama but for everyone else as well. So, when this fails to happen, as it will fail, the disappointment will embitter sections of American society for a generation.

During the election I thought one of the best turns of phrase I heard, was from Bill Clinton, when he said that the world had always been more impressed by the force of the USA’s example than the example of its force. However, I think this is less true than it was. During the 20th century I can well believe that for most people in most countries their dream was to live in a society that was like the USA. For us in the first world, that dream came true, we are now all living a version of America but there are signs that many people are increasingly disillusioned, as for many, equality of opportunity isn’t real.

This is an element in the on-going Greek riots, where many young people clearly have no faith in the democratic and meritocratic society in which they live. Many of the rioters are young graduates who have found that their higher education has not brought them advancement or opportunity, however hard they worked. To what extent it is possible to improve the system and restore their faith, will in my opinion, be the recurring question for social policy during the first part of the 21st century, not only in southern Europe but also in the USA and the UK. However, I suspect that any credible answer to this will have to include breaking up that elitist path that Obama trod to the White House.

2) Slow lane

2008-12-16T17:22:00.001Z

A recent report found that WP activities aimed at increasing the numbers of disadvantaged students attending English universities have not resulted in "significant increases" http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/3548867/Fewer-poor-students-attend-university-in-England-says-report.html

This article takes a wider look at the education system and why that might be http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/dec/16/social-inclusion

3) More please

2008-12-16T17:21:00.001Z

Half the children in poverty do not receive free school meals http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/dec/16/school-meals-education-government-funding I think it is often forgotten that half of all families living in poverty have at least one adult member who is working: those on benefits are literally only half the story.

4) There will be trouble

2008-12-16T17:20:00.002Z

Disadvantaged white boys are falling even further behind the educational achievements of their peers http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/dec/12/white-boys-gcse-results and http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1093898/Poor-white-boys-lagging-schoolmates-GCSE.html

5) Where to get the biggest bung

2008-12-16T17:20:00.001Z

The Independent have put together what they claim is “the only place where students can see at a glance how universities stack up against one another in the provision of bursaries and scholarships since the new fees regime was introduced.” http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/higher/how-to-tap-into-the-biggest-bursaries-and-scholarships-1060712.html

6) The good news

2008-12-16T17:19:00.000Z

Applications to study engineering at degree level continue to rise, but be careful which course you choose http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/dec/09/engineering-degrees

7) Who’s progressive now?

2008-12-16T17:18:00.000Z

This article from the Guardian notes that the Conservative Parties definition of disadvantage now includes a lack of financial skills “the poor just don't have access to financial tools most people take for granted to stay afloat” http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/nov/04/socialmobility-conservatives Maybe UNIAID’s success in inculcating financial wisdom among undergraduates could be replicated by developing similar tools for the disadvantaged?

8) A nation of shopkeepers

2008-12-16T17:17:00.000Z

According to this article, university students want to be entrepreneurs http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/higher/campus-dragons-the-entrepreneurial-spirit-is-soaring-across-universities-in-the-uk-1049816.html

1) Baby P

2008-11-25T15:57:00.000Z

As an education social worker I used to be part of the child protection system in the Holloway area of north London; it was the most stressful work I have ever done. I think the first thing that shocks people when they first start to investigate the physical abuse of children is just how common it is. According to the NSPCC, every ten days in England and Wales one child is killed at the hands of their parent. In half (52%) of all cases of children killed at the hands of another person, the parent is the principal suspect. Each week at least one child dies from cruelty. On average, 67 children in England and Wales are killed at the hands of another person every year. A report last year, found that hospitals in England treat an average of 471 children every week who have sustained deliberate injuries, many presumed to have been inflicted by parents or carers.

Responding to the death of baby P in Haringey, Ed Balls, minister for children, has assured parliament that staff will be held accountable http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7726103.stm It seems to me, that implicit in the minister’s statement is the assumption that rules were not followed, systems not applied, regulations ignored, workers failed to act correctly. This is certainly the overt agenda of the venal scribblers at the Sun newspaper. It is of course a nice simple answer; however I suspect that when investigated the opposite will become apparent. It will be found that the procedures were followed. There will be a detailed paper trail of what was done and I suspect that information was shared correctly across organisations. In short, I suspect the system was implemented correctly, procedures were followed, just one problem, the child is dead.

How can this be? From my experience, there is no single system or set of procedures that can always be followed that will automatically lead to the correct decisions being taken. At best, any attempt to work in this way leads to a painting by numbers approach, where investigation becomes a system of box ticking. I have been told that this tendency has been made worse in recent years by the new computer systems which structure what the social worker records and the procedures they must then implement. This way of working assumes that child abuse is self evident and that systems of investigation simply reveal what is there. This is a fallacy, even medical evidence requires interpretation. Most of the doctors I consulted would examine children and say something like, ‘well, it might be true, you could break a limb by falling off a wall but its unusual’.

In my experience, even in the most extreme cases, a medical assessment does not prove child abuse. The social worker has to rely on their assessment of the situation, understand the injuries in the context of the life of that child.

Guidelines and procedures can only ever provide generalised guidance. Every child protection case is different and most of the time formulaic practice will disregard marginal differences between cases; sadly these marginal differences can be all the difference to the health and welfare of a child.

Good child protection requires the ability to see and understand the unique combination of factors that are present in every child protection case. Painting by numbers just doesn’t do it. In the end, in my opinion, the practice of child protection is more craft than science. Given that children’s lives depend on it, it is a craft that needs to be done well.

In the past, there have been instances of social workers being pilloried for taking children into care where it was not necessary. In my opinion these situations arise because of the same painting by numbers approach. It is true that physical injury can be accidental and that some children go through phases of being accident prone and clumsy, often leaving them with black eyes and multiple bruising. In this regards the organisational ‘reforms’ of the past few years have probably made things worse as they make it more likely that people operate in a formulaic way. There is evidence that since the baby P case has been publicised that more care orders are being sought as people err on the safe side.

In my opinion, there is a terrible truth to child protection, you can have as much training, supervision, procedures, guidelines and management as you like but fundamentally child protection comes down to that existential moment when an individual social worker bangs on a front door and tries to negotiate their way into the home. Once there, they cannot simply follow procedures, they need to be straining to analyse and assess the situation while talking and negotiating, in what can be a chaotic and intimidating situation. Procedures and guidelines should guide, not become the substitute for specific analysis and action. Furthermore, that social worker has to both want to be there and to have the experience to be able to cope. That is why burnt out and new social workers are equally unsafe, as neither can do this.

So what’s to do? I think that social workers should only be expected to handle a single serious child protection case at any one time (they can do other, more routine things, as well). They should be allowed leeway in how much time they spend with the family and their judgements should be trusted. In short, Haringey needs a properly funded, properly staffed, properly paid, child protection system. In my experience this hasn’t been the case for at least the last 30 years, so I don’t suppose it’s going to change now. I suspect instead we will see yet more emphasis on procedures, strategies and management systems. Certainly that seems to be government’s instinct http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7734576.stm

Well Eddy, if that’s what you think then I’ve found a conference that you really must attend. You can learn from the countries most highly rated managers as to how to “Strategically Measure Impacts & Outcomes”. Its on the 28^th of January at The New Connaught Rooms, London. http://www.haymarketevents.com/conferenceProgramme/295/strategically-measure-impacts-outcomes

I think the 2.45 session will be of particular interest

“2.45 Breaking Down Silos: Inspiring Ownership And Sharing Responsibility For Measuring Impacts And Outcomes Across Partnerships. Main speaker Sharon Shoesmith, Director of Children’s Services Haringey Council”

Book early Eddy, I think it will be standing room only.

2) Minister as diva, or is it our guide?

2008-11-25T15:56:00.002Z

A leaked memo from a minister which specified how he liked his office to be run has caused some humour and accusations of arrogance in the press http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/3468400/Cabinet-Minister-tells-civil-servants-when-to-bring-coffee-and-soup.html However, I think there are some important clues here as to how to write and talk to ministers. "Never put anything to me unless you understand it and can explain it to me in 60 seconds". I’m not sure about a 16 point typeface but that written communication should be limited to one side of paper that seems like good advice.

3) Academies selecting pupils shock

2008-11-25T15:56:00.001Z

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/nov/14/government-academies-pwc-inquiry-dcsf In 2003, 45% of academy pupils were eligible for free school meals, compared with 29% at the beginning of this term. Unfortunately, non disadvantaged pupils are easier to work with and their carers are more likely to find improving schools. Similar debates about exclusions http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/zero-tolerance-pays-off-for-head-who-suspends-two-pupils-a-day-1009576.html but who gets excluded.

4) Tottenham’s finest

2008-11-25T15:55:00.000Z

Interview with David Lammy, the new universities minister with responsibility for widening participation http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/nov/18/david-lammy-universities-minister-interview

5) Information technology and schools

2008-11-25T15:54:00.002Z

In future, it may be appropriate to develop Brightside projects with this infrastructure in mind. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/is-it-time-to-get-personal-the-technology-about-to-transform-classroom-learning-977900.html care to peruse a listing of digital resources available http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/education-reviews-digital-resources-977901.html

6) Good news items

2008-11-25T15:54:00.001Z

Oxford/Cambridge university applications are up http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/oct/28/oxford-cambridge-applications Do we have a problem of success? Also, a survey has found that most parents who did not go to university after leaving school regret the decision later in life, (so presumably will encourage their children) http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/nov/06/regret-education-delay

7) Turning swords into ploughshares

2008-11-25T15:53:00.001Z

Well, bankers into science teachers http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/nov/23/banks-science-teaching-education Mmm, lets see how long they last. They might find that those city offices start to look attractive again.

8) Science role model

2008-11-25T15:52:00.001Z

A British scientist whose work could improve hip replacements and early tests for Alzheimer's has won one of the world's most respected prizes for female scientists. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/nov/16/medical-research-athene-donald-hip-replacement-alzheimer-s

1) Do You Have an Oxbridge Mind?

2008-11-03T11:25:00.001Z

For example, how would you answer the question; would you rather be a seedless or "non-seedless" grapefruit? (Medicine, Cambridge). Other questions and possible answers are discussed here http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/do-you-have-an-oxbridge-mind-962402.html There have been many stories about students from schools with no tradition of sending candidates to Oxbridge who have been totally thrown by such questions. However, I think this is one of the easier things to fix. All students should be forewarned that they will be tested in this way and there should be some opportunity to practice before the interview (maybe a website?). I would see this as part of a standard preparation for an Oxbridge interview where other good tips and advice should be universally available, not just the secret knowledge of elites. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article4925057.ece

2) ITMA

2008-11-03T11:24:00.002Z

The Sutton Trust has been at it again, with 2 interesting reports and accompanying press coverage.

The first report http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/oct/28/education-adivce found that at least half the education and careers advice young people receive is in some way inadequate. I’m sure colleagues at The Brightside Trust would agree with this finding, and with the recommendation that sound advice about subject choices is central to raising the aspirations of disadvantaged pupils. The full report entitled Increasing higher education participation amongst disadvantaged young people and schools in poor communities can be found at http://www.suttontrust.com/reports/NCEE_interim_report.pdf I was particularly interested in the finding that disadvantaged pupils who gain A levels are just as likely to go onto higher education as their peers. This would suggest to me that the important educational battleground for the immediate future should be that of increasing the numbers of students from a disadvantaged background studying for qualifications which would then qualify them for higher education. The new diplomas should be central to this, as students could begin studying for a diploma as an end in itself, but then develop an awareness of how it could be a passport into higher education as they engaged in the program. All the more disappointing then that the implementation of the diploma program has been so pedestrian and uninspired http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7668045.stm http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/oct/14/1419education-furthereducation1

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/new-diplomas-are-a-complete-flop-960328.html For a group of people who say they are driven by ‘what works’ they seem to be peculiarly unable to learn from the history of vocational education in the UK.

Another report from the Sutton Trust

As you can see, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7663568.stm the emphasis of the press coverage was that Grammar schools take relatively fewer bright, poor pupils than schools that do not select by ability. The report is available at http://www.suttontrust.com/reports/GrammarsReviewSummary.pdf I know the Sutton Trust has a long-term interest in grammar schools but for me it was another discovery, that the vast majority of England's most socially selective state secondary schools are non-grammars, which trumped the findings about the grammars. This should pose some hard questions for the schools adjudicator, as it is congruent with government’s own survey, published in April, which showed a disproportionate number of faith schools broke admissions rules. The poll examined 106 voluntary-aided schools. Some 96 were found in breach of the new admissions code. Of these, 87 were faith schools. Overall, half of all school authorities in England have been said to be in breach of the new admissions code http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/oct/09/schooladmissions.faithschools

3) HEFCE Speaks

2008-11-03T11:24:00.001Z

A short and relatively clear statement by Kevin Whitston, head of widening participation at HEFCE, identifying what he sees as the three priorities for the coming year http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/oct/14/accesstouniversity-highereducation1

4) Things Can Only Get Better

2008-11-03T11:23:00.000Z

Government is claiming to have increased social mobility in the UK over the past few years http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7705444.stm and

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/nov/03/socialexclusion-gordonbrown-social-mobility-labour This report follows an OECD report which found that ‘The gap between rich and poor in Britain narrowed "remarkably" between 2000 and 2005” However, government has been less keen to quote the second half of the sentence “but the country remained one of the most unequal in the developed world’. I have a copy of the full report that I will put in the London Bridge library. The following article visits the main findings of the report http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/oct/22/equality-wealth-uk-social-mobility In my opinion, the evidence for increased social mobility is thin. For example, much of the evidence is anecdotal http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5063029.ece

There are at least two dimensions to this debate, which are already being confused. There is the dimension of the distribution of wealth across society and there is the dimension of social mobility i.e. the possibility of individuals moving up and down the wealth scale. This is in turn is nuanced by what is understood by class, in particular whether class categorisation is a simple relationship to personal wealth.

I think the evidence produced so far is very thin and when you read the report it is cautious in its language "These findings suggest that family background will have less of an impact…”. However, this is a debate we should welcome and look forward to the government’s White Paper.

5) The Good News Item

2008-11-03T11:22:00.006Z

The numbers of students studying science and maths at university is increasing http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7679744.stm

6) Here’s an Interesting Experiment

2008-11-03T11:22:00.003Z

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/antiexam-school-to-target-urban-youth-972778.html it has been argued that this type of schooling only works for well disciplined and already motivated middle class children. However, if this school were to prosper, then it would not only challenge such claims but it would also, in my opinion, put in doubt the direction of much of the educational reforms of the past 20 years; especially the national curriculum, OFSTED and standardised pupil testing.

7) Death Maps

2008-11-03T11:21:00.001Z

The details of how and when you will die http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/oct/19/uk-mortality-rates-socialtrends-health - well possibly

8) Sporting Chance

2008-11-03T11:20:00.000Z

Might universities offer more US-style sports bursaries to help widen access? http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/oct/14/universityofworcester-accesstouniversity

9) Confidence Trick

2008-11-03T11:19:00.000Z

The importance of confidence in overcoming disadvantage, http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/oct/15/unemployment In this instance the experience of job seekers, but perhaps by implication the need for a mentor or friend for anyone trying to overcome any disadvantage.

10) The limits of Life

2008-11-03T11:17:00.000Z

The mental maps of the disadvantaged http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/18/young-people-rowntree and full report at http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/housing/2298.asp I think these mental maps are very important when trying to understand why some groups of people seem unable to take advantage of opportunities that appear to be on their doorstep.

11) A Simple Point

2008-11-03T11:14:00.002Z

Education maintenance allowances seem to be important for keeping disadvantaged students in the education system http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7675733.stm