A dark day for human rights: Roe vs Wade overturned

By Dr Sophie King-HillSenior Fellow, Health Services Managment Centre Friday 24th June 2022 was a dark day for human rights. Roe vs Wade was overturned by the USA Supreme Court, which will lead to abortion being heavily restricted or banned in approximately 26 states. When I read about this, the feeling of dread in the … Continue reading “A dark day for human rights: Roe vs Wade overturned”

‘We’re In This Together’ – Sexual harassment in schools: a boys’ voice

By Dr Sophie King-Hill, Senior Fellow, Health Services Management Centre The problem Sexual harassment between young people appears to be on the rise. A recent Ofsted report found that sexual misconduct in schools between peers is incredibly common. This is further contextualised by rising reports of peer-on-peer harmful sexual behaviours of those under the age … Continue reading “‘We’re In This Together’ – Sexual harassment in schools: a boys’ voice”

Safeguarding children of colour in White institutions

By Dr Saba Hussain, Assistant Professor in Education, Department of Education & Social Justice Even ‘safe’ spaces such as schools are not safe for racialised children. Being pinned down to the table, handcuffed and accusations of ‘smelling like marijuana’ are not experiences one would normally associate with school going children. However, some of the accounts … Continue reading “Safeguarding children of colour in White institutions”

Upheaval in Pakistan’s Politics: Will Imran Khan survive?

By Umer Karim, Doctoral Researcher in the Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham The election of Imran Khan as the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2018 heralded some new trends in Pakistani politics. Imran Khan became the first person after former Premier Zulfiqar Bhutto to land into power through the sheer … Continue reading “Upheaval in Pakistan’s Politics: Will Imran Khan survive?”

Ukrainian refugee sponsorship: an opportunity for all refugees?

By Professor Jenny Phillimore, Professor of Migration and Superdiversity, Department of Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology With the advent of a sponsorship programme for Ukrainian refugees, several media outlets have been at pains to point out the slow take up of the UK’s existing Community Sponsorship Scheme.  Around 700 refugees have arrived via this scheme … Continue reading “Ukrainian refugee sponsorship: an opportunity for all refugees?”

Building Character and Resilience into Global Education’s Post-Pandemic Recovery

By Ben Perks UNICEF Head of Campaigns and Advocacy and Honorary Senior Research Fellow with the Jubilee Centre 100 weeks of pandemic have cost more than a trillion hours of learning loss. The pre-pandemic out of school population of 9% has grown significantly. Learning inequality worsened in the UK and US. In the city of Wall … Continue reading “Building Character and Resilience into Global Education’s Post-Pandemic Recovery”

Hijab ban controversy in India, and Muslim girls’ education

By Dr Saba HussainAssistant Professor in Education and Social Justice, School of Education Talking to me over sips of hot sugary tea, the school-teacher in India’ North Eastern state of Assam told me: “I have found Miyah (Muslims of Bengal origin) girls to be somewhat different from the rest of the girls, I mean from … Continue reading “Hijab ban controversy in India, and Muslim girls’ education”

LGBTQ+ History Month 2022: The Legacy of Section 28

By Dr Sophie King-Hill, Senior Fellow in the Health Services Management Centre (HSMC) The Local Government Act 1988 included a clause that became synonymous with LGBTQ+ discrimination, especially within the education system. The notorious Section 28 stated that:  ‘A local authority shall not— (a) intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting … Continue reading “LGBTQ+ History Month 2022: The Legacy of Section 28”

Explore the magic of reading this National Storytelling Week

By Dr Nicola Smith, Lecturer in Primary and Early Years Education and Laura Martin, Alumni Relations ManagerSchool of Education, University of Birmingham We know that reading for pleasure is important for children’s wellbeing and attainment (e.g. see https://ourfp.org/) This National Storytelling Week, , we want to take the opportunity to inspire young readers with some recommendations for … Continue reading “Explore the magic of reading this National Storytelling Week”

Birmingham Strikes Back

By Professor Paul Jackson and Professor Scott Lucas, School of Government Dr Amaury Triaud, School of Physics and Astronomy Dr Luisa Orsini, School of Biosciences  Last November, at the University of Birmingham we held a Star Wars themed event as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science.  Our academics brought to light areas of … Continue reading “Birmingham Strikes Back”