Monthly Archives: November 2020

Wales cancels 2021 A-level and GCSE exams: other UK nations should follow suit

Wales cancels 2021 A-level and GCSE exams: other UK nations should follow suit

The education minister for Wales, Kirsty Williams, has announced that Welsh school pupils will not take GCSE and A-level exams in 2021. Instead, externally set and marked classroom assessments, which can be taken within a broad window of time, will be used to grade students. Scotland has already made a similar decision for for its National 5 assessments taken […] … learn more→

In the classroom, what are the factors that can contribute to dropping out of school?

In the classroom, what are the factors that can contribute to dropping out of school?

Dropping out is a considerable social problem (it affects more than 100,000 young people in France). This phenomenon worsened with the confinement of spring 2020 which helped to weaken the links between the school and a certain number of students. The insights into the possible causes of this phenomenon are manifold. At the risk of oversimplifying, it can be argued […] … learn more→

Language learning in Canada needs to change to reflect ‘superdiverse’ communities

Language learning in Canada needs to change to reflect ‘superdiverse’ communities

As people moving across territorial borders continues to drive globalization, our society needs to reflect on the linguistic identities of students who are learning English and French, Canada’s two official languages. In language classrooms, where English as a Second Language (ESL) and French as a Second Language (FSL) programs reflect Canada’s bilingual mandate, how we teach languages has […] … learn more→

Setting writing goals and targets

Setting writing goals and targets

#AcWriMo2020, like all of its predecessors, works on the assumption that giving priority to writing during this one month of November sets up, or re-sets, a regular writing habit. #AcWriMo also suggests that you set writing goals and make sure that you are held accountable for them. Writing goals vary. Writing goals generally are of five […] … learn more→

Fact and fiction blurred by pandemic jargon

Fact and fiction blurred by pandemic jargon

To borrow a well-known aphorism, one of the first casualties of a pandemic is the truth. More precisely, the bending of language by university managers to suit their desired goals in the face of Covid-19 is where the line between truth and falsehood has been blurred. Language matters in a pandemic because it can have […] … learn more→

The privilege unspoken

The privilege unspoken

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of psychological and verbal abuse. If this article causes you any distress, please seek support.  There is a form of privilege that we try not to speak about. Society knows this privilege and often casts woeful eyes and aching hearts to those without it but, in academia and science, we cover […] … learn more→

Brutal rituals of hazing won’t go away — and unis are increasingly likely to be held responsible

Brutal rituals of hazing won’t go away — and unis are increasingly likely to be held responsible

Students enter university as young adults embarking on a new life. Hazing rituals are meant to be a lighthearted initiation into university life that breaks down barriers between seniors and freshers and prepares the newcomers for their future. But hazing can be a terrifying ordeal. Many practices associated with being initiated by other students are cruel […] … learn more→

Is learning more important than well-being? Teachers told us how COVID highlighted ethical dilemmas at school

Is learning more important than well-being? Teachers told us how COVID highlighted ethical dilemmas at school

As an educational ethicist, I research teachers’ ethical obligations. These can include their personal ethics such as protecting students from harm, respect for justice and truth, and professional norms like social conformity, collegial loyalty and personal well-being. Moral tensions in schools can come about when certain categories of norms conflict with each other. For example, sometimes […] … learn more→