‘Great news!’ I said to my chum. ‘2021 has been declared The Year of Childhood in Scotland.’ She looked underwhelmed. Then thought for a bit and asked: ‘Hang on, haven’t we already had a Year of Childhood?’ ‘No,’ I said. ‘That was the Year of Young People.’ ‘Ah! I see…’ Her eyes glazed over. ‘So when do we get the Year of Disgruntled, Disillusioned 45-Year-Olds?’ Happy new … [Read more...] about Why do we need a Year of Childhood?
‘Realising the ambition’ in a time of coronavirus
School will soon be back. Maybe you’re a parent, wondering how your child will cope. Maybe you’re a teacher wondering how you’ll cope. Maybe you’re a policy-maker wondering how the entire education system will cope. Or maybe you’re none of the above – just a concerned, interested citizen. Whichever of these, please spare a few minutes to consider the … [Read more...] about ‘Realising the ambition’ in a time of coronavirus
Are we rearing children fit for the future?
It’s a scary world out there. Climate change, renewed fears of war in the Middle East, growing political instability across Europe … one can’t help but wonder what the future holds for our children. One thing’s for sure – the next generation of adults will need all the resilience and adaptability they can muster.‘Resilience and adaptability’ are also … [Read more...] about Are we rearing children fit for the future?
P1 tests – first green shoots of recovery for Scottish education?
All is not well with education in Scotland. We’re sliding down the international literacy and numeracy charts. Our ‘poverty-related attainment gap’ is widening. What to do? In 2015, the First Minister took decisive action. ‘Judge me by my performance on education,’ she said and – to provide data on which to base that judgement – introduced Scottish National … [Read more...] about P1 tests – first green shoots of recovery for Scottish education?
Silence of the weans: why children need outdoor play
SIXTY years ago, people walking in American country lanes noticed the birds had stopped singing. Their concern led to a book, Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, explaining how crop- spraying of DDT killed wildlife and wrecked the local ecology.As well as securing a ban on dangerous pesticides, publicity around Silent Spring brought the environmental movement to public … [Read more...] about Silence of the weans: why children need outdoor play