According to the Times Newspaper, the English Department at Alleyn’s School in southeast London are in the process of diversifying their curriculum and are introducing students to the 'works of a drag queen and non-binary authors.' We're not sure that the Times approves… There is another question underlying the discussion here and that is ‘should children see themselves in the curriculum?” and in times of growing individualism and self-authorship is that even possible?

Some Links:

https://www.thetimes.com/article/7c9a532d-c23e-4bcb-b649-d26562cda39a

https://www.thetimes.com/article/4611de82-f49a-47ef-9c43-7d7395e38105

https://www.them.us/story/uk-gender-identity-schools-proposed-ban

https://www.vox.com/scotus/408356/supreme-court-mahmoud-taylor-dont-say-gay

https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-lgbtq-books-religion-maryland-069d155fa862d2a16619fc7f513819ab

Is our obsession with testing failing students?

Is Oracy a fad or part of the ongoing tradition of Western Education?

Links to some of the things mentioned in this episode:

https://oracyeducationcommission.co.uk/oec-report/

https://www.education-uk.org/documents/pdfs/2021-appg-oracy.pdf

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-commission-conversations/id1739353277?i=1000658062482

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-commission-conversations/id1739353277?i=1000659285974

What is the case for school uniforms? Would schools become chaotic places (more chaotic?) without them? Do they provide a ‘discipline distraction’ for some naughty pupils to hit out against? All this AND MORE in today's episode!

Some links which are referred to:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14777071/parents-fury-school-ban-skirts-gender-neutral-options.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=social-twitter_mailonline

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2417240-school-uniforms-may-prevent-children-from-getting-enough-exercise/

https://www.playscotland.org/play-scotland-backs-new-made-to-move-campaign-on-active-school-uniforms/

https://www.youthsporttrust.org/news-listings/news/youth-sport-trust-research-reveals-parents-and-teachers-support-an-always-active-uniform-policy#:~:text=Research-,Youth%20Sport%20Trust%20Research%20Reveals%20Parents%20and%20Teachers%20Support%20an,break%20time%20to%20active%20learning

Guidance from NEU: https://neu.org.uk/advice/classroom/dress-code

A replay of our February 2021 interview with Professor Michael Young. The original is still viewable on our YouTube Channel, it has been reproduced here for new viewers but also for our growing band of listeners on sound only platforms, where the original wasn’t available… until now!

NB: This broadcast takes the place of our usual Thursday broadcast this week. Hopefully you managed to catch our bonus episode earlier this week, if not, check it out, it's on AI in education.

Are you the maker or the tool?

Is AI a threat to schooling or an extension to the accessibility of knowledge for humanity? (First there was writing, then the book, the library, printing, the internet and now AI...)

Some references in the chat:

The Ballad of Accounting, Sung by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger: https://youtu.be/MY3kYU5CYmk?si=oMwecn8TQV2s9Xmz written by Ewan MacColl (I think we inadvertently said Pete Seeger wrote it, can we blame AI?!)

What If AI is not Actually Intelligent? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTb2Q2AE7nA @InnerCosmosPod with David Eagleman and Alison Gopnik

Andy Clark and David Chalmers 'The Extended Mind': https://web-archive.southampton.ac.uk/cogprints.org/320/1/extended.html

Phil Beadle's AI post on SubStack: https://open.substack.com/pub/philbeadle/p/the-limits-of-ai?r=1rvl5x&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

Daisy Christodoulou's SubStack on How should England's curriculum and assessment review respond to AI? https://substack.nomoremarking.com/p/how-should-englands-curriculum-and?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Do schools contribute to whether we see ourselves as an Island of Strangers or not?

Some links for your delectation:

Our interview with ED Hirsch: https://youtu.be/H097vPnDpkI?si=erXALkeyInTYmRTY

Our Interview with Michael Young: https://youtu.be/xi_AhfWjeis?si=oanbhXx4OC8vc_W8

EmanRTM: https://youtu.be/OXn4lFNVb-Y?si=nAQmw4B8cXkaA_tP

Sutton Trust Report: https://www.suttontrust.com/our-research/the-opportunity-index/

Policy Exchange Report: https://policyexchange.org.uk/publication/lessons-from-the-past/

More in Common Social Cohesion Report: https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/our-work/research/social-cohesion-a-snapshot/

Is the current vogue for coaching in schools a fad or fundamental part of good CPD?