Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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Ofsted has lost credibility with teachers
Ofsted's 30th anniversary this May should focus thinking on how we hold schools to account for the quality of education they provide, what is working for us — and what is not, writes MARY BOUSTED
ANGUS REID explains the significance of Cuba’s egalitarian in letter and spirit Family Code and the pertinent lessons it holds for democracies anywhere in the world
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NICK WRIGHT considers how the isolation of Israel and a new film on the controversial Italian communist leader are creating new reference points for Italy’s left
CARLOS MARTINEZ says Cuba’s achievements in the face of a criminal blockade are startling, but the island’s future if the United States succeeds in crushing it looks bleak
AMNON BROWNFIELD STEIN reports that far-right MPs who mobbed the event organised by Hadash may have helped raise awareness of the brutality of the Israeli right
THE global pandemic has opened the eyes of many to unsung truths about the education system.
Firstly, that child poverty has a devastating impact on children. Around one in three children in England are growing up in poverty, a statistic thrown into sharp relief by the struggle faced by thousands of families to access online learning during national lockdown.
Secondly, education staff across the sectors will always go above and beyond to support pupils and their families, even during the toughest of challenges. The National Education Union’s (NEU) campaign to Help A Child To Learn raised thousands to provide learning resources for disadvantaged children.
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With 170,000 children living in poverty in north-east England and teachers leaving in droves over 20 per cent real-terms pay cuts since 2010, all while private companies siphon off billions, it is time to unite and fight for education, writes MATT WRACK
NICOLA SARAH HAWKINS explains how an under-regulated introduction of AI into education is already exacerbating inequalities