News and Updates

Farewell then Damian Patrick George Hinds.  Sacked yesterday: another Secretary of State for Education who no one will remember in 6 months.  And what about his big idea, the Character Ed expert panel?  Can it survive the carnage, I wonder?...

I see that the National Trust has announced that it will be divesting away from fossil fuels within the next three years.  Peter Vermeulen, the charity’s Chief Financial Officer, is reported as saying: “The Trust has just over a billion...

Here's a message sent by Jamie Agombar, the Head of Sustainability at NUS to the EAUC Member list last week.  It shows a level of ambition for universities that those responsible for guiding the sector [eg, the Office for Students]...

According to the Pet Food Manufactures Association [PFMA] there are 7.5 million domestic cats in the UK, the vast majority of which have a negative effect on wildlife and biodiversity.  How could we move to an effective policy to gradually...

I see that the hapless Welsh government is having another go at curriculum reform – finally embarrassed by its PISA scores, perhaps.  This is called “Successful Futures”.  Inexplicably I note that it has hired the guru who designed Scotland’s woeful Curriculum...

I went to London recently by train (and returned).  On my ticket receipt, Last Great Western noted that they had contributed 29.54 kg to the atmosphere on my behalf to get me there.  Had I gone by car, I'd have contributed...

I thought of Robert Lowe this morning.  He was the minister responsible for education policy who introduced Payments by Results into English schools in 1860s.  This is such a pellucidly clear policy that it needs no explanation here.  As he...

I see that Damian Hinds has launched a call for evidence as he names a character education panel to help schools develop “character and resilience” among pupils.  The education secretary thinks that trying new activities and learning from failure will boost...

Today's post is brief.  It simply reports that representatives of the young people who make up the UK Student Climate Network [ UKSCN ] are to meet the leaders of political parties at Westminster to press their case that young people's concerns...

There's more here on Wednesday's school climate conference organised by the Green Schools Project, School 21, and WE.  This was designed "to provide rigorous knowledge, skills and motivation to allow young people to change the debate in their schools and local communities". This...