Do We Need the Cambridge Pre-U?

April 16, 2008 by kelvinthroop

The Guardian on Saturday April 12 carried an article by Polly Curtis, their Education Editor, entitled “Elite rival to A-levels wins backing from exams body”.

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Paxo Stuffs Brain Gym

April 3, 2008 by kelvinthroop

The ludicrous “Brain Gym” got the Paxman treatment on “Newsnight”. Read the rest of this entry »

Teaching Children to be Useless

March 18, 2008 by kelvinthroop

By that I mean the continued message given to pupils that they have no responsibility for looking after themselves, that if they screw up there will always be someone to bail them out. Read the rest of this entry »

More Joined Up Thinking

March 7, 2008 by kelvinthroop

I thought that we were supposed to be trying to get more school students interested in science? I must have got that wrong because that’s not what the Government’s policies will achieve. Read the rest of this entry »

Beware of Your Phone Charger!

March 1, 2008 by kelvinthroop

I’m sure people think I’m getting a little obsessive about the Twenty First Century Science syllabus. If you do then this post will confirm your thoughts because I’m returning to it. In my defence I should point out that it is such a wonderful source of dubious science. Read the rest of this entry »

And Today’s Daft Idea…

February 25, 2008 by kelvinthroop

…is from Dylan Williams of the Institute of Education for his idea that, according to today’s Metro, “Millions of pounds could be saved on educational spending if a ‘traffic light system’ showing pupils’ understanding was used”. Read the rest of this entry »

Dispatches: The Children Left Behind

February 12, 2008 by kelvinthroop

In last the Dispatches programme of 11 February, former headteacher James Wetz made a case for the proposistion that secondary schools are too larfe and that this is the reason why they are failing many children. Read the rest of this entry »

Coming Soon, the McA-Level

January 28, 2008 by kelvinthroop

Today’s media oulets all seem to be carrying the story that McDonalds is going to be offering A-level equivalent courses. See here, for example. Read the rest of this entry »

Is There a Higher Education Policy?

January 21, 2008 by kelvinthroop

Does the Government actually have a coherent policy on Higher Education, or is my perception - that the “policy” is in fact a random series of poorly thought out initiatives - correct? Read the rest of this entry »

Education System to Blame for Rail Chaos?

January 7, 2008 by kelvinthroop

In Saturday’s Guardian, Julian Glover concluded an item on the recent problems on the railways by writing:-

“…that points to the real reason for the mayhem: there are not enough engineers in Britain. The education system, as much as the rail industry, should take the blame for that.” Read the rest of this entry »