Posts Tagged ‘Melissa Benn’
Inside the Nation
Posted on: November 3, 2011
Of all the reviews so far of School Wars, I am most pleased with this one, in The Nation magazine, by Stefan Collini. It’s an incredibly thoughtful and informative discussion of the state of UK education as well as of my book. Stefan and I will be in discussion at the Cambridge Word Fest later this month on the current state of secondary and higher education.
As a new drama series called Pan Am – a mile high version of Mad Men by the sounds of it – prepares to hit our screens, a brilliant piece by Tanya Gold today on the appalling way in which discussion of womens lives, and feminism, is framed by the press and most broadcasters in this country. The situation is pretty similar in terms of other issues with any radical tinge whatsoever, including trades unionism, the left in general and alternative views of state education.
In a very good cause…….
Posted on: October 21, 2011
- In: Events
- 5 Comments
I will be hosting a fundraising evening on December 1st in aid of the Maya Centre, which provides therapy to low income women. The evening will feature some of our finest writers – Jill Dawson, Margaret Drabble, Helen Simpson and Sarah Waters – reading from their short story collections. Tickets selling fast. Please come along.
The Big Debate
Posted on: September 4, 2011
How do we make our schools fit to face the 21st century?
Five experts explore the future of British education in this round-table discussion, as the government initiative for free schools is launched
The panel: Guy Claxton, Sue Street, Melissa Benn, Rachel Wolf and Peter Hyman. Photograph: Antonio Olmos For The Observer/ Antonio Olmos
The Observer panel, chaired by Yvonne Roberts: Guy Claxton, professor of learning sciences; Sue Street, inner city school teacher; Melissa Benn, journalist and campaigner; Rachel Wolf, education adviser; Peter Hyman, teacher and former political strategist. Read the rest of this entry »
Keeping faith in comprehensives
Posted on: August 30, 2011
Below, a profile/interview in today’s Education Guardian by Peter Wilby.
Taking advantage of the net, and net democracy, I have put in a few corrections and some commentary at the bottom of the piece. Perhaps the Guardian or other newspapers might try this, in print and on line, sometime?
Keeping faith in comprehensives
Melissa Benn still believes the public can see the benefits of the classic comprehensive school system
Education has the potential to create a “common culture” according to Melissa Benn.
Britain doesn’t have many American-style political dynasties, but the Benns are an exception. Three generations have produced a cabinet minister apiece: Tony Benn, once the stuff of bourgeois nightmares but now an octogenarian “national treasure”, is the best-known and his son Hilary, a New Labour minister from 2001, is the most recent. And from the next generation, Emily Benn, Tony’s granddaughter, stood unsuccessfully, aged 20, as a Labour candidate in last year’s general election. Read the rest of this entry »
