Industrial policy Q: In your lecture on Roy Jenkins you said politicians should only do jobs they are passionate about. ["It is remarkable how often cabinet ministers occupy posts in which they evince little interest, let alone passion, simply because it's what they were offered."] Is industrial policy something you are passionate about? A: Yes. Where the jobs [...]
In response to Prof Les Ebdon’s interview in the TES of November 23rd, I have written the following letter to the TES: Sir, I am not sure that Les Ebdon is fit to hold his post if he believes it is ‘dreadful snobbery’ for schools to be encouraged to send as many pupils as possible to [...]
When politicians talk about social mobility, it can all sound rather dry and vague, full of waffle about “creating opportunities” and “ladders” up which the “disadvantaged” can climb. For me, the whole thing is quite personal. My father, a Greek Cypriot immigrant who came to Britain in 1959, was left alone to juggle the care [...]
The End of Politics and the Birth of iDemocracy Douglas Carswell Biteback Publishing, 288pp, £12.99 The significance of this book lies not in its predictable right-wing views (“The west is broke; in Britain, America and most of Europe, governments have spent so much that entire countries face bankruptcy,” and so on) but rather in its [...]
I recently visited Uxbridge High School to be greeted by the school’s Poet Laureate. Daniel Pitts, aged 11, wrote the most brilliant poem to commemorate the visit and I want to share it in thanks to him and in recognition of a great talent. Here it is: Lord Adonis, Hope you had an interesting day [...]
Doug Richard’s review of apprenticeships is about to be published. For months I have been pressing the case for a Whitehall apprenticeship scheme and the Richard review offers the opportunity to take this forward. The government should now immediately launch a civil service apprenticeship scheme to run alongside Whitehall’s existing graduate fast scheme. Whitehall currently [...]
“There are no GCSEs in values, or league tables for citizenship”, Estelle Morris, former education secretary, once remarked. Yet values and citizenship ought to be integral to 21st century education, and the UK is too half-hearted about the role of schools in building citizens and citizenship. We complain that teenagers show too little responsibility, yet [...]
Biteback Publishing announces: Education, Education, Education Reforming England’s Schools By Andrew Adonis RRP: £12.99 *Special Promotional Price: £9* OUT NOW Tony Blair said his three priorities were Education, Education, Education. Andrew Adonis played a decisive role in turning this slogan into a reform programme. This book describes his quest to transform [...]
Teach First has just celebrated its tenth anniversary. Last week more than 3,000 young teachers, with education and government leaders, gathered in the Festival Hall to praise its success in transforming schools in England’s toughest neighbourhoods. Nearly 1,000 top graduates started in the classroom through Teach First this September, with seven applicants per place. It [...]
Philip Gould: an Unfinished Life Edited by Dennis Kavanagh Palgrave Macmillan, 200pp, £18.99 Friends of the late Philip Gould from across and beyond the political spectrum celebrate his life in this collection of essays edited by Dennis Kavanagh. It is a starry cast, including Alastair Campbell, David Miliband, Peter Mandelson, James Purnell, James Harding and [...]