Welfare Reform on the Web (August 2002): Education - UK - Schools
THE CHALLENGE OF EDUCATION FOR ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP
J Potter
Education and Training, vol. 44, 2002, p.57-66
Citizenship education in schools is now part of the national curriculum and aims to re-engage young people with the democratic process. It involves teaching children social responsibility, promoting community involvement, and fostering political literacy. Article explores the implications of this challenge for government, the education re’ sector and schools.
COURSEWORK, BUT WHOSE WORK?
C Lewis
Daily Telegraph, June 5 2002, p.25
Argues that teacher -marked coursework for GCSEs should be abolished in order to preserve the academic integrity of the examinations. Standards of coursework may be inflated by help received from parents and by use of material downloaded from the Internet.
CREATING THE EFFECTIVE PRIMARY SCHOOL: A GUIDE FOR SCHOOL LEADERS AND TEACHERS
R Smith
London: Kogan Page Limited, 2002
A comprehensive guide which demonstrates how a school can be truly effective. It explores the organisation of the school, and creating a positive ethos, it looks at relationships in the school: the curriculum and raising pupils achievements, successful teaching and effective classroom management, accountability and the inspection process, performance management and the successful school and finally at the issues of stress and time management.
THE EFFECTIVENESS AND RATIONALE OF THE "NURTURE GROUP" APPROACH TO HELPING CHILDREN WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOURAL DIFFICULTIES REMAIN WITHIN MAINSTREAM EDUCATION
T O’Connor and J Colwell
British Journal of Special Education, vol. 29, 2002, p.96-100
Study compares scores on the Developmental Diagnostic Profile for a sample of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties on entry to a nurture group, on exit, and after at least two years of mainstream reintegration. Results reveal evidence of improvement in both the short and the long term.
HEADTEACHERS DEMAND £15BN MORE FOR SCHOOLS
W Woodward
Guardian, June 6 2002, p.11
A survey by the National Association of Head Teachers has shown that 45% of schools intend to cut staff this year because budgets are not keeping pace with costs. Overall, 70% complained of effective cuts in their budgets and only 7% reported increases. Head teachers are therefore calling on government to increase spending on education by £15bn a year to £73bn.
(See also Financial Times, June 6 2002, p.3; Daily Telegraph, June 6 2002, p.8; Independent, June 6 2002, p.2; Times, June 6 2002, p.4)
HOOKED ON SUCCESS
E Hartley-Brewer
New Economy, vol. 9, 2002. p.118-123
The understandable desire to raise standards in education is in danger of producing success-dependent, stressed out or neurotic children who buckle under the strain of meeting the high expectations that they themselves, or those around them, have.
"I’M USELESS. I’M A THREE"
J Russell
Guardian, June 6th 2002, p.17
Argues that Standard Attainment Tests (SATS) should be abolished because they put schools and pupils under intolerable pressure and because schools cheat in order to inflate pupils’ grades to improve their position in national performance tables.
THE IMPACT OF EDUCATIONAL POLICY ON HEADSHIP IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN ENGLAND, 1994-2001
L Bell and A Rowley
Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 40, 2002, p.195-210
Article compares the impact of educational policy on the role of the primary headteacher following the implementation of the main recommendations of the Conservative’s Education Reform Act with those reported by heads following the introduction of New Labour’s education policies in the 1999-2001 period.
IN BETTER SHAPE
B Hugill
Health Service Journal, vol. 112, June 13th 2002, p.12
Widespread media coverage of autism has coincided with some substantial funding for education of autistic children and medical research into the condition. A new special school will be operational by 2005 and will offer autistic children a joined-up service from birth to adulthood. A new Chair has been privately funded at Oxford University to identify the causes of autism and then find a cure.
LESSONS FOR THE FUTUE: THE MISSING DIMENSION IN EDUCATION
D Hicks
London: Routledge Falmer, 2002
This book examines ways of helping both students and teachers think more critically about their future and that of the wider society around them. It sets out a clear educational rationale for promoting a futures perspective in education.
MAKING SENSE OF EDUCATION POLICY: STUDIES IN THE SOCIOLOGY AND POLITICS OF EDUCATION
G Whitty
London: Paul Chapman, 2002
By examining the wider sociological perspectives this books looks at the limits as well as at the possibilities of educational change. It looks at the issues surrounding school improvement, social inclusion, New Labour’s education policies and €€€research in policy making.
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IN EDUCATION: IMPROVING PRACTICE
J Reeves et al
London: Paul Chapman, 2002
This book provides an overview of some of the key issues involved in developing professional performance in education and examines the key strategies that can be used to improve it.
PLAN TO PAY OFF STUDENT LOANS OF NEW TEACHERS
J Kelly
Financial Times, June 5th 2002, p.2
Reports plans to attract graduates into schools to teach in shortage subjects such as maths by paying off their student loans.
PUPILS "SHATTERED" BY EXAM LOAD, SAY HEADS
R Garner
Independent, June 5th 2002, p.6
AS-level examinations were held in mid-May this year, giving pupils only two terms to prepare. Head teachers are calling for them to be scheduled much later in the term, in order to reduce the pressure on children and staff.
SCHOOLS CHEAT TO BOOST EXAM RESULTS
R Smithers
Guardian, June 5th 2002, p.1
The number of complaints from parents about schools falsifying the results of standard assessment tests (SATS) has risen from 147 in 2000 to 270 in 2001. The key stage 2 tests are used to determine a schools place in the national performance league tables, giving teachers a strong temptation to cheat.
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT: WHAT’S IN IT FOR SCHOOLS?
A Harris
London: Routledge Falmer, 2002
This book outlines the strategies and approaches that promote sustainable improvement in classrooms and schools and provides an overview of the main theoretical perspectives in this area.
SELF-EVALUATION: WHAT’S IN IT FOR SCHOOLS?
J MacBeath and A McGlynn
London: Routldge Falmer, 2002
The evaluation of schools is traditionally considered the work of government inspectors and other external agencies. This book looks at the forms of self-evaluation schools can now use to assess the quality and standard of education they provide.
SPECIALIST SCHOOLS GET GLOWING REPORT
J O’Leary
The Times, May 30th 2002, p.4
Reports research suggesting that specialist schools are outperforming other comprehensives because they attract better teachers, and have higher expectations of their pupils and strong discipline
TEACHERS’ COVETED DEAL THREATENS TO BECOME A SHAM
A Macleod and H Rumbelon
Times, June 6th 2002, p.4
The McCrone settlement, which delivered a 35-hour working week and a 23% pay increase for Scottish teachers, has led to a rise in clock watching and unprofessional behaviour. However teachers complain that funds for extra support staff and cuts in administrative work have not been forthcoming.