Pathways To Inclusion

There are no easy answers to the 2020 grading problem, that much is clear. The disgruntled murmurings in Scotland may be nothing compared to the cacophony of anguish we’re about to be subjected to on this side of the border over the next couple of weeks. There are going to be some very distressed students, and parents - understandably, justifiably so. I sympathise with those suggesting that we should just let all teacher predicted grades stand without moderation. But on the other hand Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney do have a point when they say that this would rather undermine the credibility of the system on which we apparently have come to rely. The question we should now be asking is: are we ok with being  completely reliant on a system whose ethical foundations are so shaky in the first place? Clouds (1905) by Arkhip Kuindzhi The main aim of the algorithms used to adjust this year’s scores appears to be to preserve the credibility of our exam grading system - thr...

“As with almost everything, the impact will be felt most by low-income communities and families, and we as a nation will have to ask ourselves how we view our role as a society. Is it to support those in need? Is education a public good or a positional good?” (Akil Bello) Now is patently not the right time to be putting children through the 11-plus. While all other exams have been cancelled, schools will be ploughing ahead mercilessly with the 11-plus tests in September as planned. These are exams which will determine the path of these children’s education, their friendships, their careers, their lives. The highest of stakes, the greatest of pressures, and a level of stress most 9-10 year olds probably don't need in their lives right now, let alone their parents. What's more, this year will inevitably see the widest gulf between those children fortunate enough to live in comfortable, well-resourced homes, and those who do not share these advantages. Between those who can offer ...

“Thomas Gradgrind, sir. With a rule and a pair of scales, and the multiplication table always in his pocket, ready to weigh and measure any parcel of human nature, and tell you exactly what it comes to. It is a mere question of figures. A case of simple arithmetic.” (Hard Times) Falling by Matej Anzin Reducing people to numbers, so as to decide what treatment they might receive, may give off the appearance of striving for objectivity and fairness. But the simplicity of the numbers belies the messy, human complexity of people's lived experiences sidelined by this approach. Here I'm arguing that it's only through being receptive to this complexity that we can ever hope to achieve real health justice for people with learning disabilities. Making hard decisions easier, not fairer Assigning numbers to people is of course an inherently dehumanising act. The Nazis knew this, prison wardens know it too. But it's also something that happens when well intention...

In the 1940s, Americans were encouraged to smoke Camels as an aid to digestion. The ‘increased alkalinity’ was particularly good for you, apparently. Smoking wasn’t just regarded as innocuous, it was seen as positively beneficial . Light up on any street today, and you become a social pariah, polluting the air and draining the NHS of resources, selfishly taking doctors away from the sick kid who needs a heart transplant and making them tend to your odious blackened lungs instead. My point is, social attitudes change over time. And what one generation regards as harmless, even a force for good, future generations may come to view as socially undesirable. Last night I attended a debate put on by the Private School Policy Reform (PSPR) group, who are valiantly trying to establish some kind of meaningful direction for future reform of the independent education sector. Six speakers offered their proposals for how they would level the playing field. There was a brief discussion, follo...

"Society needs an educated elite" (Roger Scruton, 2019) Roger Scruton (1944 - 2020) - philosopher, writer, conservative Portrait by Alan J Lawson It is difficult to remain right wing if you are in education. It relies on accepting that there is a ‘natural’ hierarchy in society, with some at the top and others at the bottom. Such a view falls apart when you spend every day with the people at the bottom, routinely exposed to the fact that in no fair and good world do they deserve to be there. The belief that there exists a reasonable and defensible hierarchy of citizens is rarely spoken of these days. Which makes it all the more fascinating when it is. The death last month of Roger Scruton prompted a new wave of reflection on his views on everything from islamophobia to fox-hunting, aesthetics to nationalism. For me he is a particularly useful figure in deconstructing the Conservative view of education. As well as being a nuanced and articulate writer, he is als...

"Charity is No Substitute for Justice Withheld" (Augustine of Hippo) 'St Christina Giving her Father's Jewels to the Poor' by Evelyn de Morgan Why bother paying for a public good through taxation, when you can just get it from charities instead? John Edward, the director of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS), has responded to the 'heightened political interest' in the charitable status of independent schools by listing their myriad charitable achievements . Some private schools allowed less fortunate children to, at certain times, make use of their playing fields. Others raised money for mental health charities, or the Royal National Lifeboat Association. All appear to contribute towards a substantial fund providing free places at their schools to carefully selected students who wouldn't otherwise have been able to afford one. There is therefore no doubt, in his mind, that they should and indeed would pass the 'rigorous scrut...