Monthly Archives: October 2020

#startingthePhD? managing expectations

#startingthePhD? managing expectations

If you are starting out on a PhD you are probably expecting it to be hard work. That’s not wrong. A doctorate isn’t easy – it’s an extended piece of work over a long period of time. It takes energy and effort to stay focused and working on working on.  Stamina. But you can’t expect to […] … learn more→

Montessori, Steiner or Reggio Emilia: which childcare philosophy is best for your family?

Montessori, Steiner or Reggio Emilia: which childcare philosophy is best for your family?

Up to 90% of brain development occurs in the first five years of life. Early learning matters, and creates a solid foundation for future development. Philosophical underpinnings in early education matter too. They influence the interactions between teachers and children, the environment design and beliefs about how children learn. The demographic diversity of Australia means no single […] … learn more→

University presidents should be chosen by lottery

University presidents should be chosen by lottery

When Donald Trump won the US presidency in 2016 despite the myriad doubts about his character and personal affairs, his victory was attributed at least in part to his opponent’s unpopularity. Surely, many voters lamented, a country of 320 million people ought to be able to produce two better candidates than Trump and Hillary Clinton. […] … learn more→

We must come together to dismantle racism in higher education

We must come together to dismantle racism in higher education

There have been many seminal periods in the long and continual struggle for racial equality. Perhaps this will be one of them. The killing of George Floyd has illuminated the inequality that continues to pervade many societies and has prompted a global discourse around the power and privilege that accompanies whiteness. Higher education institutions may […] … learn more→

Universities have invested in online learning – and it can provide students with value for money

Universities have invested in online learning – and it can provide students with value for money

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, so does universities’ reliance on online teaching, prompting complaints from students that they are not getting full value from tuition fees. Students who have returned to campus fear that their university experience as a whole is being diminished. Manchester Metropolitan University has moved first-year teaching online as students self-isolate. The University and College Union has […] … learn more→

Anticapitalism wasn’t banned in English classrooms during the cold war – why is it now?

Anticapitalism wasn’t banned in English classrooms during the cold war – why is it now?

Materials produced by groups with “extreme political stances” have been barred from English classrooms by the UK government under new guidance for the relationships, sex, and health curriculum. Most of these extreme principles – racism, antisemitism and authoritarianism – are uncontroversial. But the list also includes opposition to capitalism: the “desire to overthrow democracy, capitalism, or the […] … learn more→