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Over the past year scores of Primary Schools in Brimingham, all situated in economically deprived areas, have come under intense pressure to convert to sponsored academy status as part of Michael Gove’s drive to expand the number of academies. This pressure, which has been described by MP Richard Burden as bullying, has typically been applied by the combined efforts of a DfE official accompanied by a Local Authority officer. But  in May a Labour administration took office, and in July the new cabinet member for Children and Families, Brigid Jones, gave hope to this campaign and to school communities across the city in a letter to Headteachers that outlined a new vision for a co-operative model for the city’s schools. Crucially the model would include as one of its fundamental principles that no school should be forced to convert – the option to stay with current arrangements would be…

I spent last Friday morning at the launch of the WEA’s “Women Leading Learning” project in Nottingham. It was one of those mood-boosting days that happen in adult education when people share their stories. Students gave their testimonies about how learning had transformed their lives for the better. Occasions like this are almost evangelical. Each person’s story could be the makings of a novel, drama or film. Some women had got jobs, some had overcome depression and some had gone into local politics as a result of adult education courses. One had done all three. It was a joyful celebration.

Antonia Zenkevitch was an expert compère as WEA tutors, staff, volunteers and people from partner organisations added their voices and took part in creative activities. There are more details about the event, links to photos, including the one above, and some video clips at http://womenleadinglearning.wordpress.com/5th-october-launch-event-programme-and-details/ You can also scroll down ‘Other WEA Blogs’ in the…

“A better world – equal, democratic and just; through adult education the WEA challenges and inspires individuals, communities and society”.

This is the WEA’s vision. Many people and organisations are working for the same aim and we’re often invited to collaborate with others so that we can make a bigger impact by working together.

I’ve been involved in three separate events in the last couple of weeks with people who recognise that adult education helps to address inequalities for families and communities. These wider aspects of lifelong learning show that education isn’t just for children and young people and isn’t only about preparation for employment – important as that is.

Cooperative Problem Solving

The first event focused on cooperative problem solving. Youth and community organisations, cooperative champions, educators and academic researchers from the UK, USA, New Zealand and Sweden met at the Cambridge University’s Forum for Youth Participation & Democracy. We shared…

Here’s another reflection about a thinker whose work influences teaching, learning and assessment in adult education. This time it’s Carol Dweck’s work on the theory of motivation.She has researched the effects of students’ beliefs about their own intelligence and how their views can affect their progress. She describes students who think that their intelligence is static as having an ‘entity’ view or a fixed mindset. She suggests that others, who believe that they can increase their intelligence through effort, have an ‘incremental’ view or a growth mindset.

In practice, her research suggests that teachers motivate students more effectively when they give feedback on the processes of learning and don’t link their assessment to the person’s assumed ability.

“That was a good way of working”, is more effective than, “You’re very clever.” A good teacher makes the link between effort and success instead of reinforcing the view that there’s a limit to what any student can achieve.

We learn by experiment and experience. We learn from what doesn’t work as well as from what does – so long as we’re not…

(satire)

Education Minister Michael Gove has been dubbed ‘too scary’ for children under 12 years of age by the British Board of Film Classification.

It is the first time that the BBFC has classified a government minister, after it assessed Mr Gove following feedback from a testing panel.

However, the BBFC’s decision has been criticised by experts and psychologists, who say the cabinet minister is too scary for anybody even under the age of 97.

One child development expert explained:

It is clear that children need to be protected from any education minister who is as creepy and deeply disturbing as Michael Gove is – and it is absolutely imperative that people of all ages are protected from the risk of being seriously traumatised by him. In fact he should probably be banned altogether.

After the assessment of Mr Gove by its panel of experts, the BBFC recommended the Education Secretary…

Birmingham NUT have called for people to assemble on High Street at 11am as originally planned and to march up to Victoria Square for 11:30am, a call that we support, and ask everyone to go to the High Street, and for those at Victoria Square to wait until 11:30am to leave. Following is the message from Birmingham NUT:

This Sunday should see a good demonstration against the Tories in Birmingham and will be a major regional focus in the fight against austerity, privatisation and profiteering and we hope that unions and campaigns will turn out in force in this stepping stone to the 20th Oct London demo