The death of liberal education
“Every new idea always seems better than the one it is designed to replace – that we keep on replacing them so frequently tells us something about the quality of the ideas offered as solutions, as much as the ones laid aside as old hat.” Michael Merrick laments the decline of liberal education in English schools and its impact on young people.
Twigg and hardworking families
“A Tory Education Secretary that wishes to further nationalise parenting sharing an analysis and a proposed solution with a Labour shadow Education Secretary that wants to put the demands of market over the demands of loved ones.” Michael Merrick reviews Stephen Twigg and Michael Gove’s approach to family policy.
On (not) learning to teach
“Perhaps, then, during our holidays we should take a break from learning how to teach, and go do other non-teaching things. It might just make us better teachers.” Michael Merrick explains the importance of stepping away from the all-consuming nature of teaching.
Gove - a price worth paying?
Michael Gove. Elicits strong reactions that name. From both hysterical anti-reform types as well from uncritical disciples of the #cultofGove My own reaction? More a shrug of the shoulders with the odd outburst thrown in. He’s a mixed legacy. And I suspect history will judge him the same. His greatest success has been in convincing […]
Guardianista Gove
Confession time: I am, in certain respects, a fan of Michael Gove. I like his emphasis on academic rigour. I admire his enthusiasm for developing the intellect of children. I find his contempt of various progressive pedagogies refreshing and important. I’ll still criticise the analysis-free devotion of the #cultofGove, but for all I find Gove’s […]
Fluffing your lines
“…saying that Gove wants a return to the educational milieu of the past as an argument against his reforms is unlikely to have much purchase amongst an increasingly nostalgic populace.” Michael Merrick argues it’s time to stop playing into the #cultofGove and instead judge the Education Secretary’s reforms by their content.
