By Dr Fuk Ying Tse – Assistant Professor in Organisation, Work and Employment, University of Birmingham Dr Manuela Galetto – Associate Professor in Employment Relations, University of Warwick In an exclusive interview with the Guardian on 20 June 2024, Rachel Reeves, the contesting Chancellor of the Labour Party, pledged to close the gender pay gap … Continue reading “Closing the gender pay gap ‘once and for all’”
What’s the problem with asking teachers to clean kids’ teeth?
By Dr Kathryn Spicksley British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Education and Social Justice, University of Birmingham The polls tell us that it looks increasingly likely that a Labour government will be elected in July. For primary school teachers, this change might bring about an additional responsibility; Keir Starmer has proposed to introduce teacher-led toothbrushing … Continue reading “What’s the problem with asking teachers to clean kids’ teeth? “
Why Labour’s promise of 6,500 teachers is not likely to work
By Professor Beng Huat See School of Education, University of Birmingham Labour’s promise of 6,500 new teachers is unlikely to solve the chronic teacher shortage. The issue extends beyond just a lack of teachers or interested individuals. Despite various financial incentives and the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy—which aims to reduce workload, improve school culture, … Continue reading “Why Labour’s promise of 6,500 teachers is not likely to work”
Mind the (wealth) gap
By Dr Huw Macartney Department of Political Science and International Studies, School of Government, University of Birmingham Three million emergency food parcels were handed out in the UK over the past 12 months; the number of people living in absolute poverty is predicted to increase by 300,000, to almost 12 million, in 2024; and 17 … Continue reading “Mind the (wealth) gap”
How stable is India’s new government?
By Professor Aditya Goenka Department of Economics, Birmingham Business School On 4 June 2024 the parliamentary election results were announced for India after a 7 stage elections process held over 44 days. 642 million votes were cast of which 312 million were women. 543 seats were up for grabs. The incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) … Continue reading “How stable is India’s new government?”
Education, Health and Care plans: why the policy needs to translate into practice
By Professor Laura Crane, Director of the Autism Centre for Education and Research (ACER) at University of Birmingham & Heba Al-Jayoosi, Head of Inclusion at Mayflower Primary School A recent report by BBC news highlighted how councils are failing to meet deadlines to issue Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans to children with Special Educational … Continue reading “Education, Health and Care plans: why the policy needs to translate into practice”
Only Foolish Nations Tax Educational Services: Labour’s Blind Spot and Independent Schools
By Professor John R. Bryson Professor of Enterprise and Economic Geography, The Department of Strategy and International Business, Birmingham Business School One of the underlying themes of the upcoming general election is that Britain is broken, with Sir Keir Starmer pledging to “fix broken Britain”. Nevertheless, it is British political discourse that is broken rather … Continue reading “Only Foolish Nations Tax Educational Services: Labour’s Blind Spot and Independent Schools”
Is BBC Bitesize Still Relevant? Evaluating the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Modern Education
By Dr Joachim Timlon, Assistant Professor of Strategy and International Business and Lei Zhu, PhD student, Department of Management, Birmingham Business School. AI integrated education is not just a future possibility, but a factor fundamentally transforming education. It not only makes learning more dynamic, but also hyper-personalised by using smart algorithms that understand each student’s … Continue reading “Is BBC Bitesize Still Relevant? Evaluating the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Modern Education”
Trans rights? Not under Starmer’s Labour Party
By Jonathan Pettifer, Doctoral Researcher, Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham The UK has plummeted down the rankings of LGBTQ-friendly countries over the last decade. With a general election set for 4 July, could a change in government mean an improvement in LGBTQ+ rights? When New Labour took office in 1997, … Continue reading “Trans rights? Not under Starmer’s Labour Party”
SoS – Save our Shops! Will the forthcoming election bring about effective retail change?
By Professor Sarah Montano & Dr Inci Toral, Department of Marketing, Birmingham Business School We are used to seeing the news headlines stating that the High Street is dying. The recent loss of Wilko emphasises the precarious nature of retail. In 2022 Ordnance Survey data showed that department stores had declined by 13.4%. However, there … Continue reading “SoS – Save our Shops! Will the forthcoming election bring about effective retail change?”