Yup, I go tabloid at last. Love David Cameron’s Mr Chips hat.. Continue Reading
Author Archives: Melissa Benn
Keeping faith in comprehensives
Melissa Benn still believes the public can see the benefits of the classic comprehensive school system
Education has the potential to create a “common culture” according to Melissa Benn. Continue Reading
Free Schools, Exams And The Battle For Britain’s Education
Interview in the Huffington Post Continue Reading
Follow me on Twitter
@Melissa_Benn I am a reluctant convert – but my publishers ordered me onto the twittersphere in preparation for publication. But already, I am finding it a really useful source of information and an interesting forum for a certain kind of debate. Good for literacy skills too! Continue Reading
Some more debate……
Some of my recent articles, largely debating the issues that arise out of School Wars. New Statesman: round up of left thinkers’ views on the riots and family values Prospect magazine: debate with Rachel Wolf, director of the New Schools Network, on the merits or otherwise of free schools. Financial Times: commentary on Toby Young… Continue Reading
School Wars: upcoming events
Some of the events I will be doing over the next few weeks and months. September 21, 2011 / The Court Room, Glaziers Hall Melissa Benn: Comprehensive School Education – Policy Mistake, Lost Ideal or Model for the Future? Part of the University of Leicester ‘The Floor is Yours’ debate series September 25, 2011… Continue Reading
Britain’s Education Divide
Below, a link to my G2 cover feature on Britain’s continuing education divide, which promoted some lively comments on the twittersphere yesterday. 99% of the tweets were positive but there were some odd criticisms, in every sense, that I plan to address in a post over the next day or so. In the meantime, I… Continue Reading
I’m back….
The book, on education, is done. The cover is – nearly – finalised. The plans, for publication, are shaping up. Don’t let anyone tell you that a writer’s life is an easy one, particularly not for a book like this, commissioned, and executed, in double quick time: three months of interviews and school visits –… Continue Reading
Me v Toby Young
In today’s Guardian… heavily cut, but gives an idea of some of the arguments… Continue Reading
Draft dodging…….
Just a note to all my loyal blog readers to say that I am currently ( early 2011) immersed in writing a book – provisionally entitled: School Wars; the Battle for Britain’s Education – to be published by Verso later this year, and so will not be posting until the first draft is finished in… Continue Reading
Latest writing
THE CRISIS OF THE MERITOCRACY
The crisis of the meritocracy: Britain’s transition to mass education since the Second World War PETER MANDLER, 2020 Oxford: Oxford University Press 361pp, hardback, £25, ISBN 9780198840145 Cambridge historian Peter Mandler has a fundamentally optimistic story to tell about the growth of universal education in Britain over the last seventy years and one can sense… Continue reading…
Latest news & events
A Cold War Tragedy
Melissa will be in conversation with Anne Sebba about her new book, ‘Ethel Rosenberg – A Cold War Tragedy.’ Weds 15th September 2021, 5-6pm, in the Robert Graves Tent at the Wimbledon Book Festival. More information here. Continue reading…
