Andy Thornton
Chief Executive
Posts by Andy
If knowledge is power then democracy needs common knowledge
Monday 23 January 2012Tomorrow we launch the latest research into the impact of citizenship education. It looks at the understanding and behaviour of those who were the first to receive Citizenship from age 11. It was taken after they had been able to vote for the first time, at the General Election of 2010.
The launch will be in [...]
Citizenship Education – the yeast in the dough, the grit in the oyster… The Curriculum needs the right recipe – not a new Menu
Thursday 8 December 2011As the Curriculum Review nears its conclusion teachers and schools across the nation are being prepared for a critical shift in the formula behind the national curriculum.
The context for the new orders couldn’t be much different from the prescriptive environment when the formula was last written. A Headteacher said to me a few weeks ago [...]
Schools are about more than just lessons
Wednesday 30 November 2011Last night I spoke at the Bishopsgate Institute’s Influencing Young Minds debate, in which I argued that there is more going on in schools than just lessons. This is the transcript of that talk.
There’s a saying “When nation gets an itch, the school gets scratched…” In other words, we so often reach for education as the [...]
How free is freedom? (or: ‘What is the price of Citizenship?’)
Thursday 10 November 2011The term ‘citizenship’ is impossible to sum up in an easy sound bite. At least, one that sounds interesting…
It’s one of those things you can take for granted until you don’t have it – then it seems to be worth life and death: ask a refugee.
Citizenship is good news because it guarantees people their protection [...]
Political Classes…
Friday 30 September 2011Last weekend I was in Rome for three days attending a conference on democracy.
It was a high level event and three hours of it involved a discussion on civic engagement with about 20 others including the Education Secretary, Michael Gove and a few you others you’d recognise from TV.
Yesterday’s Evening Standard and the BBC have [...]