Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
By Dr Diane Harris and Maria Pampaka Filed Under: All posts Posted:
2018 is the Year of Engineering, a UK Government campaign to increase awareness and understanding of what engineers do amongst young people. The reason for the drive is that despite demand, good career opportunities and higher than average earnings, industry struggles to recruit and retain the talent it needs. Many young people, especially women and […]
By Leo Mccann Filed Under: British Politics, Health and Social Care Posted:
NHS organisations and the professionals who staff them are under tremendous pressure. The University of Manchester’s Professor Leo McCann has been working closely with NHS paramedics in England over the last five years, learning about the changes they have gone through as professionals and the pressures that ambulance trusts face as organisations. In this blog, […]
By Terry Hanley and Laura Winter Filed Under: All posts, Health and Social Care Posted:
In this blog Dr Terry Hanley, Senior Lecturer in Counselling Psychology and Dr Laura Anne Winter Lecturer in Education and Counselling Psychology both from The University of Manchester set out their response to the Government’s Green Paper on children and young people’s mental health. The Green Paper focuses on earlier intervention and prevention in schools […]
By Sheena Cruickshank, Lamiece Hassan and Emily Dawson Filed Under: All posts, Digital Futures, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:
Public engagement with health research and science is an issue of growing public importance. With a worrying trend towards ‘anti-science’ perspectives resulting in serious outbreaks of preventable disease, it is essential to consider bringing the wider public into the consultation and communication of health research and knowledge. Here, Sheena Cruickshank, Lamiece Hassan, and Emily Dawson […]
By Bob Hindle Filed Under: All posts Posted:
In recent months both Theresa May and Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, have made significant interventions in the debate on counter extremism. In this blog, Bob Hindle of Manchester Institute of Education, explains why a new Prevent strategy is needed, and how that might develop. Policy must consider wider educational responsibilities such as strengthening community […]
By Donna Johnson Filed Under: All posts, Science and Engineering Posted:
The UK’s skills gap in science, technology, engineering and maths has been widely acknowledged, but the measures needed to address it are less clear. Here, Donna Johnson, Head of the Science & Engineering Education Research and Innovation Hub, lays out the current debate and argues for cross-sector support between schools and universities and a focus […]
By Yaron Matras Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Growth and Inclusion Posted:
This month’s issue of The Economist included an article entitled ‘Why central and eastern European children lag behind in British schools’. Here, Professor Yaron Matras responds to the article and discusses the difficulties of using official statistic to record languages. The article looks mainly to languages as being a factor in differential educational achievement, but […]
By Andy Westwood Filed Under: British Politics Posted:
The independent Industrial Strategy Commission has today issued its emerging findings (.pdf). Commissioner Professor Andy Westwood describes why ambition alone won’t be enough for its proposed skills reforms. The Industrial Strategy’s technical education proposals will be the 29th major reform of skills since the 1980s This reflects a long-term UK weaknesses in skills – especially technical […]
By Sylvie Lomer Filed Under: All posts, British Politics Posted:
As people up and down the country prepare to return to the polls for Thursday’s general election, Dr Sylvie Lomer reviews the manifestos and what they mean for higher education policy. The Conservatives want to create institutes of technology and review funding and access to tertiary education Labour would abolish tuition fees, reintroduce maintenance grants […]
By Alex Baratta Filed Under: British Politics Posted:
Dr Alex Baratta writes on the complexities of language, accents, and pronunciation in the classroom. Dr Baratta argues for the standardisation of some elements of pronunciation in teacher training as the best way to balance educational outcomes in learned ‘phonics’ with the protection and celebration of diversity through experience of a variety of accents. Currently, language […]