The government recently announced a half-baked idea to re-introduce grammar schools across England, immediately prompting fierce opposition from politicians of all stripes and colours and the vast majority of education professionals, armed with reams of convincing evidence from past research. Nevertheless, pressing ahead with the exact opposite of evidence-based policy, Theresa May seems keen to […]
I worked various temporary jobs whilst a typically impoverished student, struggling through five years before beginning a fully-funded PhD programme that ended the incessant scramble for money. As an undergraduate I worked long and hard every summer, seeking jobs starting immediately after exams and finishing just before lectures resumed. My proudest timesheet stated that I’d […]
I guess I’m old now. My PhD graduation is in November, over 10 years since my Freshers’ Week. Back then Tony Blair was prime minister, I’d never heard the phrase “credit crunch”, the pub near Pollock Halls did £1 pints on Mondays, and older students were excited about the new smoking ban. The pubs and […]