Recent reports have shone a light on the declining standards of children’s handwriting and its increasing illegibility. We must assume that not all of them have careers as GPs lined up, but that there is a lack of focus on it in schools. With the rise of technology including iPads and keyboards it is not…
An education expert and former government adviser has blasted a video that has been shown to primary school children. The short, animated CGI 3D film made available by ‘teachers resource’ company The Literacy Shed depicts a frightening, post-apocalyptic world with violent scenes. Dr Stephen Curran said the 8min 30sec film called ‘Ruin’ was inappropriate for…
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…
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…