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Showing posts from March, 2016

The EBacc: educate, don't dictate.

In his defence of the new EBacc qualification that is to be compulsorily introduced to 90% of school pupils by 2020, ( Telegraph , 21st January)  Nick Gibb MP makes a passionate defence of core subjects and their availability to kids from all backgrounds (I wasn't aware poor kids were prevented from studying maths) and the aim that this government has of raising expectations. I don't quite understand this discussion of social background and wealth because schools like Eton and Harrow have an astonishing cultural curriculum, so it seems to me the wealthy are extremely interested in their children receiving a broad arts education. In fact, pupils from private schools are more likely to take music GCSE than pupils from state schools according to Cambridge Assessment research. Whilst Mr Gibb sounds off with some rousing platitudes, few of us would instinctively disagree with him, but we have heard it all before, and unfortunately, his insistence that there is plenty of room for kid