The vast majority of politicians I have met in person have impressed me with their commitment to making things happen, to changing for the better the lot of people in this country and beyond, and – essentially – to making the world a better place. I respect their drive and their strength of purpose. But …
Category: Uncategorized
Dec 20
Curbing the sexualisation of children – new UK Government rules to start the New Year
News came in yesterday that Michael Gove has confirmed that changes to the National Curriculum in the UK will not now take effect until September 2014 rather than the planned September 2013, and this qualifies as a good thing in my book. We do of course have to change the national curriculum – it is …
Dec 19
Delaying curriculum change – the right thing to do … but only the start
School examinations have been plastered all over the front pages this week, in the wake of the Daily Telegraph expos’ of some of the comments made by examiners – and chief examiners – on courses for teachers of their subject. Course leaders have been filmed giving strong hints about the content of next summer’s papers, …
Dec 11
Cowards, bullies and ‘freedom of speech’ online … the X Factor and its moral responsibility to right its wrongs
The X Factor is over and it will be left for the media and commentators to pick through the debris. As part of this process, we must not overlook the opportunity to take a long, hard look at the moral responsibility shows like the X Factor have in what they do, and especially in the …
Dec 03
Preparing girls to ‘have it all’ in life
On Wednesday I addressed an audience of Sixth Form girls at Wellington College in Berkshire, at a conference designed to explore whether it is possible for girls and women to ‘have it all’ in their lives. My approach was straightforward – the answer is, quite simply, ‘yes’ – they just need to work out what …
Nov 30
The Young Ambassador, feather earrings and dinner – a winning combination
When I took up my role as President of the Girls’ Schools Association this year, I really wanted to ensure that I used the platform I was given in order to be able to achieve more than just a representation of the value of girls’ education. I say to the girls at school that they …
Nov 24
Heads of Girls’ Schools: making a real world of difference
I returned yesterday from the annual Girls’ Schools Association which I was leading in my capacity as this year’s President, and I can report that it was an amazing occasion. The programme – based on the theme of ‘Making a World of Difference’ – was extremely full, packed with speakers who stimulated and challenged, and …
Nov 19
Making a World of Difference: preparing for the annual conference of Heads of the Girls’ Schools Association
Monday marks the beginning of the annual conference of the Girls’ Schools Association, and therefore marks the nearing of the end of my year as President of the GSA. It has been an astonishingly stimulating year, and I shall reflect further on it as the year actually reaches its end, but before this, we have …
Nov 09
More reflections on Bangladesh: Child Domestic Workers in Dhaka
When I see my Year 7 girls at school, aged 11 and 12, go past me into Assembly each morning, I am struck forcefully by the contrast with their counterparts at the centre for child domestic workers in Dhaka which I visited with Plan UK during my visit to Bangladesh two weeks ago. This centre …
Nov 06
The fabulousness of girls’ schools!
I have just returned from the Independent Schools’ Show in Battersea, London, where I was speaking in the morning on the subject of ‘The benefits of single-sex education’. In the afternoon, I was on a ‘MyDaughter’ panel of Heads of girls’ schools, chaired by Sarah Ebner of Schoolgate, so I had a double dose of …