We face austerity, privatisation, and toxic influence. But we are growing, and cannot be beaten
New Year, Same Problems
Robert Poole questions if education really is a priority for this government and calls for redistribution and vaccine equity
Facemask and pencil case
In a revealing speech, Trump’s economic adviser has exposed the actual strategy behind the tariff policy: forcing other countries to provide financial support for US world hegemony, reports MARC VANDEPITTE
Activist Angie Zelter has been arrested more than a hundred times. She’s not stopping now, writes LINDA PENTZ GUNTER
Natalia Marques looks at last week's ruling that Khalil can be deported and its implications
We are not here to advocate for the arms industry or its CEOs, writes STEVE HANDFORD, and that means we must take a stand against the government’s spending on war
As Labour mimics Tory welfare cuts while ignoring crumbling schools, educators must collectively resist the government's priorities and fight for an inclusive, creative system that values all children, writes NEU president SARAH KILPATRICK
Although our sector is hearing better things from the current government, the recognition that what we do is education in its own right, rather than just childcare, is still not reflected in policy, writes LUCY COLEMAN
AS WE enter another new year, last night’s fizz sits stale in champagne flutes throughout the land, millions nurse hangovers whilst many more suffer from the latest round of Covid-related illnesses.
Meanwhile schools wait to see if there will be any announcements about changes to measures in place in response to the rapid rise in cases of Covid. It is difficult not to look back at the chaotic start to last year with schools open for a day before closing their doors to return to remote learning.
But, a year on, we are not in the same position. A large percentage of the adult population is now double vaccinated, a testament to what remains of our National Health Service, with 11 to 18 year olds also now having the opportunity to get vaccinated. There is also a definite Covid fatigue setting in amongst some education staff with an often restated desire to “just get back to normal.”
More from this author
The NEU’s annual conference promises heated debate, with motions on international politics, curriculum reform and union amalgamation likely to provoke strong reactions and challenge the status quo, writes Education for Tomorrow editor ROBERT POOLE
The series unveils uncomfortable truths about youth alienation and online radicalisation — but the real crisis lies in austerity and the absence of class consciousness in addressing young people’s disillusionment, says teacher ROBERT POOLE
From colonialism to the Troubles, the story of England’s first colony is one of exploitation, resistance, and solidarity — and one we should fight to ensure is told, writes teacher ROBERT POOLE
As the government moves to rein in academy freedoms, former darling of conservative education reform Katharine Birbalsingh cries ‘Marxism.’ Education columnist ROBERT POOLE examines how academisation has failed our children while enriching executives and empowering ideologues at the expense of democratic accountability
