Many people, allies and enemies alike, think that the main purpose of Michael Gove’s education reforms is to bring back traditional teaching methods. Mr Gove himself gives that impression, giving schools greater freedoms, but at the same time using his authority to insist upon the kind of rigorous standards that traditionalists would surely applaud. All […]
From a British perspective, Finland is one of the more obscure countries in Europe. There’s a Monty Python song about the country, suggesting that even Belgium has a higher profile. However, Finland is second to none when it comes to the performance of its schools. In fact, on the best-known system of international comparisons, Finland […]
Danny Kruger used to be a speechwriter for David Cameron. One day he decided that actions spoke louder than words and left politics behind to run a charity called Only Connect. It is, therefore, with the benefit of real experience that he writes for the Financial Times, with a dispatch from the frontline of the big […]
Sweden used to be a beacon of hope for social democrats, now it is more often the inspiration of reformist conservatives – not least in respect of its free schools. In Britain, the first free schools are only just opening their doors, but in Sweden they’ve been around for years, with almost 400 now established […]
Alan Judd advises the Government on the vetting of free schools. In an article for the Daily Telegraph – in part, a response to a scare story about creationism in the class room – he makes it clear that applying for free school status is an extremely demanding process: "One applicant I spoke to described […]
Imagine the following scenario: You’re in a waiting room somewhere and, for want of a sounder alternative, you’re perusing the comment pages of the Guardian. You happen upon the leader column, only to read the following: "Sorry, readers – we were wrong. Everything we’ve told you over the years is basically rubbish, so please disregard […]
What would have happened if Norman Tebbit had followed Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister?