Anwar Oduro-Kwarteng
Better schools for all?
The government has made some important proposals, such as refocusing on teacher quality as the key determinant of educational attainment.But this good work is in danger of being undone by the overly prescriptive and quixotic nature of the curriculum changes. The aim should not merely be to have good schools, but instead, a good schools system, so that all pupils regardless of their background and where they live have the chance to progress in a stimulating and challenging environment.
The politics of the new
This is a cynical and expedient attempt to discredit ideologically driven politics and politicians, by accusing them of acting in their own narrow self interest, as though believing passionately in certain values and ideas is backward and reactionary, and has no place in political discourse.
There is an elephant in the room, and it’s not immigration
The phenomenon of the BNP is not due to people suddenly becoming racists, but more to do with the human need to understand the world around us, to get answers about why things are the way they are. Some communities feel that they are separate from wider society, they do not know where they fit, everything that used to give their lives meaning has been broken down, they have no hope, and they need an explanation for this, somebody to blame.
