Archive for November, 2009
‘Cherry-picking’ health care
Posted by James Gubb in Health on 19/11/2009
Catching up on health news after getting back on holiday I cannot resist commenting on this two-week old story. ‘Treatment centres accused of cherry-picking less complicated patients’ scream The Times and the HSJ. Well, surprise, surprise; as good ammo as it is to bash the independent sector (ignoring the fact that there are also well over 40 NHS-run treatment centres), that was the point of them. Read the rest of this entry »
Cents and Sensibility
Posted by Claire Daley in European Union on 19/11/2009
Yesterday’s Queens Speech at the State Opening of the UK Parliament has drawn unanticipated criticism for the Government’s failure to propose legislation reforming the MPs expenses system (unanticipated by the Government, but perhaps not the Opposition, as David Cameron’s comments drawing attention to the omission were conspicuously followed by Sir Kelly (author of the recent expenses review) also voicing his disappointment.
Do Lesbians Make Better Parents than Mums and Dads?
Posted by David Conway in Family, Marriage and the Culture on 17/11/2009
Professor Stephen Scott is Professor of Child Health and Behaviour at the Institute of Psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital. He is also director of research at the National Academy for Parenting Practitioners. This is a quango that the DfES gave Professor Scott and two colleagues £30 million to set up in 2007. In a widely reported speech last week, Professor Scott claimed: ‘Lesbians make better parents than a man and woman.’
Quality: questionable guides
Posted by Anastasia de Waal in British History, Education on 13/11/2009
The issue of quality assessment in relation to education has come up twice this week in two quite different arenas. Firstly, Ofsted, the schools’ inspectorate, has been accused (again) of over-reliance on exam and test results in its judgements. Secondly, the teaching union NUT has orchestrated a revolt against the introduction of Ed Balls’ ‘licences to teach.’
PSHE: Politicised Structure Harms Education
Posted by Anastasia de Waal in Education on 11/11/2009
Last week Ed Balls confirmed that Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) would become a statutory part of the national curriculum for all young people.
Imposing Secularism in State Schools Isn’t Religious Neutrality, but Religious Persecution
Posted by David Conway in Education, European Union, Political Correctness, Religion on 10/11/2009
‘Now there’s spiritual warfare and flesh and blood breaking down. Ya either got faith or ya got unbelief and there ain’t no neutral ground.’ So sang Bob Dylan.
I was put in mind of those lyrics by a recent decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).