Archive for October, 2007
Blair V Brown: Part Deux
Posted by Pete Quentin in European Union on 22/10/2007
Now that the EU Reform Treaty has been agreed by the member states, speculation has turned to who will be appointed the first permanent “President of Europe”, writes Cem Suleyman. The Reform Treaty proposes that the President of the European Council replaces the existing six month rotating presidency. The President of the European Council will be elected for a fixed two and a half year term, renewable once. He or she will chair the Council meetings, help set the EU agenda and be a figurehead for the EU on the international stage. While key decisions will continue to be taken by the national heads of government, many fear the post is the forerunner to a directly elected President of Europe.
Trust them, they’re professionals
Posted by James Gubb in Education on 05/10/2007
The frustrations of being a teacher in the state sector are neatly encapsulated in the pages of today’s Times Education Supplement (TES). There is the usual medley of difficulties faced daily in schools: the weekly discussion about issues with testing and exam arrangements, the independence of schools jeopardised by central control and of course the still-raging school dinners debate. But it is two pieces in particular which illustrate the contradictions in teaching today. The first piece is an editorial by the chief executive of the General Teaching Council (GTC) arguing that teachers need to earn their professionalism; the second piece tells us of the government’s aspiration to emulate the supermarket chain Tesco in schools.
Innovation needs competition
Posted by James Gubb in Health on 04/10/2007
One of Lord Darzi’s key recommendations in his interim report released today is the creation of a Health Innovation Unit – with a budget of £100m ‘to help the NHS develop and deploy hi-tech health care such as medical devices and diagnostics’.
But it is wholly unclear that a new central body is what is required to drive innovation in the NHS. The NHS already has such a body – the National Institute for Innovation and Improvement – and its lack of impact has been noticeable.
A report released today by Civitas argues that a Health Innovation Unit will only help if the NHS follows its reform agenda to the full and embraces diversity and competition; PCTs must be empowered as strong commissioners, providers must be autonomous and patients must have real choice. Central direction needs to end.
Full press release
Full report
Celebrate Children’s Book Week by teaching children to read
Posted by Nick Cowen in Education on 03/10/2007
Civitas has marked the start of Children’s Book Week (www.booktrusted.co.uk/cbw/) by making available for the first time in a commercial edition a phonics-based reading course that has achieved sensational results with children from all backgrounds, including the most deprived.
Irina Tyk wrote The Butterfly Book in 1993 to make available to other teachers and parents her method of teaching reading using phonics – a system that teaches children to read by recognising the 44 sounds that make up the English language.
Trouble at t’Mall
Posted by Nick Cowen in Social Cohesion on 02/10/2007
‘Blackburn, in common with many northern towns, is experiencing a huge upsurge in pimping, and it is an unpalatable truth … that many of the newest wave of pimps come from within the Asian community.’
So claimed a truly stomach-churning report in last week’s Sunday Times. The report exposed the large scale of organised sex trafficking of white under-age girls lured into prostitution and drug addiction in northern towns by unscrupulous gangs of men of largely Pakistani origin.
continued on the Centre for Social Cohesion blog.