Welcome to the news and events web page for CIRCLETS. This is where you will find details of latest news as well as upcoming events which are held on a regular basis.
NEWS
Posted 27 November 2008
CIRCLETS was launched on 16 June 2008. Professor Stephen Gorard (Birmingham) gave the opening paper on "Does education equalise life chances?"
Abstract:
One of the reasons for universal, free, compulsory, initial education in developed countries is to reduce the links between family background (resources), educational attainment, and later life chances (occupation and income). One of the main reasons for post-compulsory educational initiatives, from 14-19 reform to widening access to higher education to third-age provision, is similarly to increase equity in the system, so reducing the link between origin and opportunity. However, a more recent focus, in the UK and elsewhere, on purported standards of attainment and an emphasis on qualification in education has led to less attention to this key principle. In addition, much recent work in this area has been conducted by agents of change rather than evaluators, and has not been of the quality that would help us sort out whether education does or does not equalise life chances. Drawing on a wide range of lifelong education projects and analysis conducted over the past ten years, for a range of funders using a range of methods, and based on a model of equity derived from the views of learners themselves, the presentation suggests that somewhere along the way from 1944 state-funded education has somewhat lost sight of its major equitable purpose. At what cost?
Relevant chapter by Professor Gorard and Vanita Sundaram, "Equity and its Relationship to Citizenship Education" in (eds) Arthur, J., Davies, I., Hahn, C SAGE Handbook of Education for Citizenship and Democracy. (Sage, 2008)
Director Judy Sebba gave a welcome speech which can be downloaded here.
EVENTS
Date: Wednesday 24 June 2009
Time: 5 - 6.30pm
Venue: Arts D110
Speaker: Professor Harvey Goldstein
Title: 'School League Tables - What can they really tell us'
School league tables are eagerly scanned by parents hoping to find the best school for their child, and by teachers hoping to see their school rise in the rankings. But do they tell parents what they need to know? Harvey Goldstein and George Leckie argue that league tables are not fit for that purpose and say it is time that their publication should cease. Chair is Professor Judy Sebba. For more information, download this DOCUMENT.
Date: Monday 9 March 2009
Time: 5 - 6.30pm
Venue: Arts D110
Speaker: Tish Marrable (Chair: Barry Luckock, University of Sussex)
Title: 'Expressions of Vulnerability and Need? Exploring the Construction of the Difficult Child'
'Children's Services' are made up from a varied group of professionals in education, social care and health. They all work towards the Every Child Matters 'five outcomes' to encourage children's well-being at home, in school and in the social world, although they may have different approaches to the child. Parents and young people themselves also influence the decisions which will allow some children to get extra help and support, and, perhaps most importantly, the focus of this help. This paper will explore some of the issues arising out of my doctoral research on the construction of children's 'additional need'. It will use examples from parents, young people and professionals to look at perspectives on the difficult child, and to investigate the concerns which affect the perception and treatment of the child who doesn't conform.
Date:
Monday 17 November 2008
Time: 4 - 5.30pm
Venue: Russell Building Room 12
Speaker: Dr Laura Lundy, LL.B, LL.M, PhD, Barrister at Law, Reader, School of Education, Queen's University, Belfast
This paper will analyse the key findings of a study at Queen's University Belfast, concluding that e-consultation offers significant potential in developing a rights-based approach to the consultation of children. The paper will discuss the most effective ways in which the various computer technologies might be combined to ensure that government consultations with children on proposed policies ensure that children are able to form and express their views freely and that those views are given due weight in accordance with the requirements of Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.