Working fathers want more time with their children, too | Amelia Gentleman | The Guardian

Report form the EHRC calls our atttention to recognising the challenges faced by men who are fathers in terms of their accessibility to their children, and balancing work/family demands. This is of particular concern to fathers of young children, given the special demands of infant care. Implications are for parental leave allowances for all parents, regardless of gender.

Tories set out their plans for primary education | Education | The Guardian

Tory Shadow School Secretary rejects principal proposals of Cambridge Primary Review including raising the age for compulsory attendance. Tories set out their plans for primary education |
Education |
The Guardian

Views from across the Atlantic: US teachers union expresses dissent over Obama's educational policy

President Obama, a brilliant thinker and a diplomatic leader whose leadership promises 'change' for the US, disappoints the Teachers Union (AFT) and raises serious issues related to the meaning of educational reform. Dialogue is needed to rethink education out of an 'era of accountability' and toward responsiveness and responsibility. I believe Mr Obama is open to this dialogue, but US teachers must be prepared to share their voices - which highlights the importance of advocacy in the teaching profession. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/24/AR2009092403197.html?referrer=facebook

Reflecting on the initial hopes for educational policy, particularly with regard to the early education, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/09/AR2009010901526.html I hope that inappropriate accountability measures are not 'pushed down' into the early years. This is a difficult issue. There is a need to have well-resourced provision for early childhood education. This can be accomplished by revisioning education as pre-k - 12 rather than k-12. However, given the serious concern over the accountability driven model used for k-12 systems, US teachers and families are cautious to embrace this idea as 'more of the same' or worse. What is at risk is an encroachment upon sensitive caregiving and early educational practices - with testing, rating, and a lack of respect for who young people 'are' rather than who they will 'become.'

Whatever age children start school, teaching will be dire | Minnette Marrin - Times Online

Minnette Marrin says 'bad teaching is at the heart of all of this' and that bad teachers should be sacked. But how are 'bad' teachers to be identified in the first place? So easy to point fingers, so difficult to nail the jelly to the wall.