Archive for the ‘Guardian articles’ Category
Unequal funding may be the greatest injustice of all
In recent months I have started to think that I was becoming unshockable. The simmering anger triggered by the early days of the coalition has faded. I even managed to spend 90 minutes in a studio with free school founder Toby Young recently only to emerge having found points of agreement. What’s left is just […]
Why should the state bail out failing private schools?
More than a hundred private schools are predicted to make the move in the state sector in the next decade according to former schools minister Lord Adonis. Should we be delighted, or dismayed? Most people would probably think any reduction in the number of “fee charging” schools in our highly stratified education system is a […]
The bitterest pill of all
It is just over three years since I helped to set up the Local Schools Network. Originally intended as a forum to celebrate the successes of local state schools, the LSN has become much more than that. The contributions of parents, teachers and governors across the country mean it has become a place to discuss […]
Just say no to more grammars
If I were Michael Gove, the decision I would least relish at the moment would be having to rule on the fate of the Sevenoaks grammar school. This little time bomb was lobbed into the Secretary of State’s court around 18 months ago when the county council in fully selective Kent decided to approve the […]
The Headteachers’ Roundtable Alternative English Baccalaureate
Late last year, Education Secretary Michael Gove conceded that, while he was determined to stick to his timetable for qualifications reform, if a “red light” flashed, he would take account of it. It is hard to imagine a brighter “red light’ than last week’s Education Select Committee report on Mr Gove’s cherished English Baccalaureate Certificates. […]
