Education Question Time Brighton & Hove
What’s going on with our schools, colleges and universities? Do we have the education system we need?
In West Sussex, school governors have threatened to ‘strike’ over the education funding crisis that will see £3 billion taken from schools and colleges. Meanwhile, university debt is so high students are suffering ‘increased mental health problems’.
Damage to the mental health of children is also reported as a consequence of the government’s confused and damaging approach to primary assessment; educationalists are questioning if the limited school curriculum is the best for children and the future of teacher training in universities is under threat.
Few dispute the importance of vocational education for young people but many think it needs review and are concerned that cuts to funding have left colleges struggling to provide even a basic service to teach adults English. Even Michael Gove now thinks that some of the flagship education policies he introduced have not worked. Yet instead of addressing these matters, the current government wants to plough on with free schools, bring back selection – despite the lack of evidence that grammar schools would improve social mobility or the quality of education – and remove funds from local authorities and schools that will cut youth services to the bone and take valued teaching assistants from schools. Is it time for a change in education policies?
Come and discuss with:
- Cllr Dan Chapman – Chair Brighton & Hove Education Committee and works for NAHT:https://www.nahtedge.org.uk/…/vulnerable-pupils-not-getting…
- Kevin Courtney – General Secretary of the NUT – thinks the 1988 Education Reform Act was the start of the rot. Follow him on Twitter at @cyclingkev
- Sue Cowley – Writer, Teacher and Witness to Education Select Committee who blogs athttp://www.suecowley.co.uk/about.html and tweets at @Sue_Cowley
- Sally Hunt – General Secretary of UCU who has argued that education is under attack and it’s time for the experts to fight back pic.twitter.com/HIHZUKd2Zl
- James Williams – Lecturer in Education at University of Sussex. He’s written here:https://campaignforeducation.wordpress.com/…/education-des…/ and tweets at @edujdw