Education
The intersectional feminist rewriting the national curriculum
The appointment of Becky Francis CBE to lead the Department for Education’s shake-up of the national curriculum is typical of…
The craft renaissance
As long ago as the 1960s, the poet Edward James was worried that traditional crafts were dying out. Having frittered…
Labour’s plans to rewrite the National Curriculum
Michael Gove’s decision to stand down in this election was a reminder that the one really bright spot in the…
We have lost an unforgettable teacher and one of the greatest living critics
Tanner, the critic RICHARD BRATBY Michael Tanner (1935-2024), who died earlier this month, had such a vital mind and stood…
The great sociology con
My default mood at the moment is bleak despair, although it can sometimes be triggered into nihilistic loathing, which I…
Britain’s schools are facing an epidemic of bad behaviour
Something troubling is happening in Britain’s schools. This week, the government released its findings from the first national survey into pupil behaviour in…
Wild life
Laikipia The principal of the local polytechnic was waiting for me in the kitchen. Frequently in the kitchen there is…
Academic arguments
The teachers putting principles before children
University challenge
Our country still excels when it comes to higher education. Britain has seven of the world’s top 50 universities. In…
British universities are beyond redemption
There’s no doubt that the government has the best of intentions when it comes to clearing up the Augean stables…
Why are our universities still cosy with China?
It sounds like something from a spy novel: scientists linked to the Chinese military complex working at UK universities on…
Who’s pursuing a vendetta?
Lord help me I love a hatchet job, and you’ll have to too if you want to make it through…
Learning on the job
Sir Tony Blair’s Tone-deaf suggestion that Stem subjects should dominate the curriculum of all schools would paradoxically take education back…
One worldview has taken over the historical profession
Professor James H. Sweet is a temperate man. He seeks to avoid extremes. But he also seeks to be bold…
How to run a school
Taking a short break from persecuting Roman Catholic faith schools for ideological reasons, Ofsted has stuck the boot into the…
Quite an education
Ukrainian schools are starting to re-open, but will they be safe?
Grade expectations
When A-level results are published next week, we will find out if the government has made any progress in stemming…
Children have a lot to learn
Could our long journey to adulthood actually be the key to our success, wonders Sam Leith
Anti heroes
Why this mad insistence that everyone has special powers?
Diary
It feels like the end, but we’ve been here before. The past months of Boris Johnson’s teetering administration have felt…
Will my kitchen be designated a ‘safe space’?
As the father of four children who will be entering higher education in the next few years, I’m worried that…
The courage of Katharine Birbalsingh
Five years ago, I put my friend Nell Butler in touch with Katharine Birbalsingh, Britain’s most outspoken headmistress. I was…
What I learnt in sex education
The state of Florida recently passed a piece of legislation making it illegal for teachers to hold discussions with pupils…
Zahawi’s story
The Education Secretary has come a long way since his Baghdad schooldays
