After more than a year of children experiencing disrupted schooling, they now have a six-week holiday – a chance for them to get even further behind. Many parents of those going up to secondary school have asked me what they should be doing to ensure their children know as much as they ought to. This…
To Kill a Mockingbird and Of Mice and Men are two of the finest novels of the last century. Millions of youngsters over multiple generations have read, enjoyed and learned from them. Harper Lee’s masterpiece is one of the greatest anti-racist tomes ever written and Steinbeck deals with poverty during the Great Depression. So, it…
Having read the reaction to the Commons Education Select Committee’s report I must agree that there is prejudice and discrimination built into the education system. It wrongly values academic ability above vocational ability. Our priority in education must be to provide an education that fits each child’s needs and their particular strengths and abilities. The ‘one size fits…
For decades, universities and businesses have complained that many coming through the school system have sub-standard literacy and numeracy skills. While the 2014 National Curriculum changes were a move in the right direction, the problem remains. The boss of John Lewis, Dame Sharon White, has recently disclosed that the business is giving basic English and…
The Prime Minister has been criticised for saying that wealthier parents can buy private tuition because they ‘work hard’. It is true that many people who work hard can afford tutors for their children. Many parents also make sacrifices and forego other things to be able to afford the tuition. And it is also true…