Archive for January, 2010
Food for Thought
Posted by Anastasia de Waal in Education, Health on 18/01/2010
As the greasy smell of soggy chips and nondescript chicken wafts around the overflowing bin full of mangled newspaper, you may mistake the entrance to my classroom for the local kebab shop. And that’s only for starters. For many pupils, a greasy-fingered session of identifying nouns is promptly followed by feast of lurid, sugary snacks.
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Nudge, nudge, Daddy Cameron’s coming
Posted by James Gubb in Civil Liberty, Health on 14/01/2010
You can tell the Tories are being advised by Richard Thaler, the famed ‘nudge’ economist. It’s now, apparently, part of their life and blood. Public health, after the latest health policy announcement yesterday, may just as well be called ‘nudge’ health. Here’s the idea. Point one. Cash for public health initiatives will be separately identified (not necessarily a bad thing in itself). Point two, local directors of public health, who will be joint appointments between the NHS and local authorities, will be ‘paid by results for achieving goals such as reducing teenage pregnancy, infant mortality, childhood obesity and alcohol-related hospital admissions’.
Can a diplomatic Baroness defend the UK’s right to decide its Foreign Policy?
Posted by Claire Daley in European Union on 14/01/2010
On Monday 11th January, Baroness Catherine Ashton faced a 3 hour hearing in the European Parliament (EP) to confirm her recent appointment as the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs. Following her “grilling” by MEPs, one witness commented: “her answers necessarily had the sense of newly-learnt policies”.
Princeton Debates Gay Marriage
Posted by David Conway in Family, Marriage and the Culture on 12/01/2010
It is reported today that the issue of whether gay marriage should be recognised in law in the USA may be headed for final resolution by the Supreme Court.
For an excellent, courteous and informed discussion of the issue, watch the debate on it organised by Princeton University’s Anscombe Society, just posted on its web-site.
Poetry Should Not Just Be in Motion
Posted by David Conway in Education on 12/01/2010
In a widely reported speech last week, former poet laureate Sir Andrew Motion urged schools to reinstate the rote learning of classic poetry. He said: “Learning by heart has got a very bad reputation of being dusty and putting people off poetry. But if you learn poetry by heart… it allows it to become interesting.”
What was really newsworthy about Sir Andrew’s speech is less what he called for, than that it should have been found newsworthy.
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What’s happening with US healthcare reform?
Posted by Laura Brereton in Health on 11/01/2010
The international health policy research community is tuned in to the United States this month as Congress inches closer to passing the most extensive healthcare reform bill in 45 years. But what will these reforms really change? Read the rest of this entry »