School smartphone ban is legislative overreach at its most unnecessary October 21, 2024 Schools already have the power to ban smartphones, adding pointless new laws to the statute book is bad for business and bad for democracy, says Eliot Wilson Parliament should never make law lightly. To legislate is to bring the coercive power of the state to bear in regulating conduct and behaviour as well as maintaining [...]
How do you really improve schools? (Hint: it’s not smaller classes or paying teachers more) October 14, 2024 Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world with overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages, is embracing pioneering technology – and turning its schools around, writes Bjorn Lomborg Childrens’ educational test scores are a major cause for concern across the world. Learning plummeted nearly everywhere during the Covid pandemic – but even before that, standardised [...]
‘Challenging policy’: What the pushback to private school VAT plans reveals October 8, 2024 VAT… easy as ABC? It may not quite be Blair’s ‘education, education, education’ mantra, or Michael Gove’s multi-academy trusts. But for Sir Keir ‘my-father-was-a-toolmaker’ Starmer, there’s been one education policy that’s been front and centre of his manifesto and the first 100 days. This is, of course, the plan to impose VAT on private school [...]
Teaching unions may come to regret Ofsted reforms September 3, 2024 Abolishing one-word Ofsted judgements could be a good thing, but not for the reasons the government says, writes David Thomas The government has abolished single-word Ofsted judgments. For now schools will get grades for each of the four sub-categories currently in use, and from next year they’ll be replaced by a report card. Unions are [...]
The Square Mile is educating the workforce of the future August 26, 2024 By investing in this generation, we can ensure that our workers and workplaces have the skills to achieve, laying the foundations for the City’s future success, says Chris Hayward Here in the City we have one of the youngest, most highly-skilled workforces in the country: over half of the Square Mile’s 615,000 workers are under 40. And each year we [...]
Next government should consider ban on phones for under-16s, report says May 25, 2024 The next government should consider a statutory ban on mobile phones in schools and a total ban on phones for under-16s, a report from MPs says. The House of Commons Education Committee said tougher guidance on mobile phones in schools and how to manage children’s screen time at home is needed to better protect young [...]
City professionals, our schools need you! May 7, 2024 Young people no longer want to become teachers and older career-switchers are increasingly stepping in to fill the gap. So why is the government cutting funding for a programme that's proven to help?
The Debate: Is Shakespeare elitist? April 24, 2024 To celebrate the Bard's birthday, our opinion desk and lifestyle desk go head to head to battle out Shakespeare's enduring legacy.
Teenagers are learning about sex from pornography – schools must do better April 17, 2024 The government has promised to overhaul relationships and sex education, but young people feel badly let down, says Caroline Nokes Last week’s Cass Review has revealed serious shortcomings in how the NHS handles children who are questioning their gender. But schools are also letting children down when it comes to relationships and sex education (RSE). [...]