Michael Gove makes me want to cry. I know I am always banging on about education, but I am so dreadfully afraid about what will happen to our schools post-general election, whoever ends up getting in. Maybe it comes from being a newly qualified teacher, a friend and seasoned teacher of 15yrs tells me not [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Education’
Tory Education Policy: Cry or Laugh?
Posted in Education, Politics, tagged conservatives, Education, politicians, school on March 10, 2010 | 3 Comments »
Should home educators pay the price for Khyra Ishaq?
Posted in Children, Education, Parents, Politics, tagged child protection, Education, government, legislation on February 27, 2010 | 13 Comments »
I read the harrowing case of Khyra Ishaq just before I cuddled my own daughter (3) to sleep last night. As I wrestled my arms out from under her, I held my face next to her podgy cheek. My thoughts turned to Khyra and, inevitably, food. My daughter loves breakfast. In the morning she takes [...]
A liberal education
Posted in Children, Education, Politics, tagged Education, election, libdems, school on February 24, 2010 | 8 Comments »
We had announcements on labours education policy this week, their big idea being parental ability to sack heads. We’ve heard lots about the Tories plans for swedish schools. But what are the big ideas of the lib dems? Although they’re less effective at dominating the headlines, there are actually some really interesting ideas in the [...]
Parent Power
Posted in Education, Parents, Politics, tagged Education, Labour, parenting, school on February 23, 2010 | 8 Comments »
Have you ever been involved with your children’s school PTA? Have you experienced cliques of parents in the school playground? Have you felt marginalised or even…dare I say it?…bullied by other parents?? I bet the answer in many cases is ‘yes’. We often experience political machinations amongst parents concerning many issues ranging from whether the [...]
Sex and Nuns
Posted in Education, religion, tagged contraception, Education on February 20, 2010 | 11 Comments »
There is outcry about an amendment to an education bill allowing faith schools to deliver sex and relationships education in a manner that reflects the school’s religious traditions and values. Even with these limitations. I expect sex education has moved on somewhat since I was at my Catholic Secondary school where the nuns tore the [...]
Rubbish at Maths? So are teachers…
Posted in Education, tagged Education, school on February 14, 2010 | 10 Comments »
My son is really really good at maths. He likes us to set maths questions while we’re eating. He notices numbers everywhere. He understands fractions, percentages, division multiplication. And he’s only year 2 (that’s 7 years old to you and me). So I was alarmed by the article in the Guardian showing how poor the [...]
The Lost Generation
Posted in Children, Education, tagged Education, school, teenagers on February 12, 2010 | 8 Comments »
“Being unemployed is a very emotional time. You lose your confidence, you don’t think anyone wants you….” Hearing this kind of thing said about unemployment is not uncommon, but it somehow sounds worse coming from the mouth of Leah who is aged just 19. Leah was part of a Woman’s Hour Special yesterday that looked [...]
Online safety for children – knowledge is power
Posted in Children, Education, tagged Education, internet, school on February 11, 2010 | 3 Comments »
On Internet Safety day this week we read that children as young as 5 are to be targeted in a new government backed campaign designed to raise children’s awareness of the risks of the internet. The emphasis in this new initiative is firmly on empowering children to be aware of the risks and use [...]
Are teachers too thick?
Posted in Education, tagged Education, school on February 9, 2010 | 14 Comments »
All very laudable upping the bar on qualifications to become a teacher, and I follow the logic for secondary level as how can you enthuse/ have authority on your subject if you haven’t studied it to the highest and most effective level? Kids would suss that and unpick you sharpish. But at primary level (and [...]
Homework – does it really help our primary children to learn?
Posted in Children, Education, tagged Education, home, homework, school on February 6, 2010 | 5 Comments »
According to Government guidelines, children as young as 5 years old should be doing an hour of homework a week. Years 3 and 4 should have 90 minutes and years 5 and 6 are supposed to clock up 30 minutes a day! That sounds alarming, although when you read the small print it’s slightly less [...]
