FlyTheNest

David Meller, a non-executive director at the Department for Education and founder of the Meller Educational Trust who was made a CBE in the new year’s honours list, is co-chair of the charitable trust that runs the event.

HindleA wrote:https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/ ... ion-equity


Speech

Nick Gibb: How can policy ensure education equity?

In 2010, the government came to office in Britain. We inherited a curriculum that was not fit for purpose. The national curriculum had been stripped of knowledge, leaving pupils without the cultural literacy they needed.

That is, for me, a basic overview of the people, events and developments one would have to teach to come close to fulfilling the demands of the National Curriculum. Plenty of history teachers and historians would add more to the list; few would take much away. All of that, of course, covers just point ‘d’ from British history, and there are four more which have similar demands in terms of the knowledge that would have to be taught to meet the demands of the curriculum. On top of that, there are two points for non-British history, each requiring pupils to learn a significant quantity of factual information to meet the demands of the curriculum. It goes even further, of course. Try teaching ‘the Wars of the Roses’ or ‘the origins of the Tories and Whigs’ without introducing pupils to a considerable quantity of facts. Those 335 words of ‘Range and Content’ cannot properly be taught without teaching thousands of pieces of factual information: I challenge someone to say otherwise.
The word ‘properly’ is, of course, the crucial word. If taught properly, the current National Curriculum for history is incredibly knowledge-rich.

tinybgoat wrote:https://schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-director- ... legations/
"DfE director Meller’s ‘Presidents Club’ dinner rocked by sexual harassment allegations"

David Meller, a non-executive director at the Department for Education and founder of the Meller Educational Trust who was made a CBE in the new year’s honours list, is co-chair of the charitable trust that runs the event.

gilsey wrote:'Interesting' in the confucian sense.

AngryAsWell wrote:BBC Radio 4 Today‏Verified account
@BBCr4today

"I am not afraid."

Dame Tessa Jowell, who was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour last year, is arguing for a change in the way the NHS treats cancer. Download the full interview here http://bbc.in/2DzkX1f" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; #r4today

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (short video clip )

HindleA wrote:Ursula K Le Guin: US fantasy author dies at home in Oregon

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42798654" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Willow904 wrote:

gilsey wrote:'Interesting' in the confucian sense.

You didn't find it enthralling?

I found the implication that EEA membership would confer some say in the rules interesting as this is different from previous views I've seen on the subject.

adam wrote:Ursula Le Guin - The Day Before The Revolution (short story)

David Meller quits as DfE director after sexual harassment charity dinner scandal (Politics Live, Guardian)

SpinningHugo wrote:What a waste of time PMQs now is. I was used to there being no answers, but this no questions thing is not an improvement.

tinybgoat wrote:

Willow904 wrote:

gilsey wrote:'Interesting' in the confucian sense.

You didn't find it enthralling?

I found the implication that EEA membership would confer some say in the rules interesting as this is different from previous views I've seen on the subject.

I think it's because EEA countries have an input into suggesting rules & supplying experts/expertise & giving views etc. but don't get to vote (which fits in with participating in single market but not being members).

AnatolyKasparov wrote:

SpinningHugo wrote:What a waste of time PMQs now is. I was used to there being no answers, but this no questions thing is not an improvement.

I have never really been a fan.

It has to be said though that within the (rather silly) rules of the game, Corbyn has been performing quite strongly lately.

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Ah yes, plagiarism - that thing it is easy to allege but rather more difficult to actually define.

howsillyofme1 wrote:

tinybgoat wrote:

Willow904 wrote:You didn't find it enthralling?

I found the implication that EEA membership would confer some say in the rules interesting as this is different from previous views I've seen on the subject.

I think it's because EEA countries have an input into suggesting rules & supplying experts/expertise & giving views etc. but don't get to vote (which fits in with participating in single market but not being members).

Afternoon all

I linked to the EEA agreement that sets out the relationships yesterday

I also pointed out there is no mention of the phrase 'Single Market' in the document - an omission surely as the whole point is to confer membership of it......apart from the bits it doesn't apply to and the fact that there are different rights applied to EU members and EFTA members as to how the rules are applied (eg the EFTA members have no vote on the final rules but also have an ability to claim some derogation that is not available to EU members)

The EEA agreement is open for all to see and read, as are the EU Custom rules

Milton says, although lunch with Boris Johnson was one of the lots in the charity auction, Johnson did not know about that. And he was not involved in the event at all, she says.

howsillyofme1 wrote:Hi cJA

Yes the EEA agreement is clearly a formal agreement between the EU and EFTA

The question I have always asked is 'what do you mean by the Single Market' because it is only mentioned in the context of the EU Internal Market which is much larger in scope.

The usual answer I get is 'Norway' which has the EEA agreement so I think looking at this is useful and the commitments within it - we may build further on top of the EEA agreement (eg CU, ag and fish)

As was highlighted in the twitter there are a number of countries watching what deal is offered to the UK as any concessions may lead to EEA, CH etc coming back and asking for upodates to their treaties. I am sure the EU would like us to join EFTA and sign the EEA treaty

citizenJA wrote:

howsillyofme1 wrote:Hi cJA

Yes the EEA agreement is clearly a formal agreement between the EU and EFTA

The question I have always asked is 'what do you mean by the Single Market' because it is only mentioned in the context of the EU Internal Market which is much larger in scope.

The usual answer I get is 'Norway' which has the EEA agreement so I think looking at this is useful and the commitments within it - we may build further on top of the EEA agreement (eg CU, ag and fish)

As was highlighted in the twitter there are a number of countries watching what deal is offered to the UK as any concessions may lead to EEA, CH etc coming back and asking for upodates to their treaties. I am sure the EU would like us to join EFTA and sign the EEA treaty

You've explained it beautifully, thank you. Of all the things going on in the political world, Brexit and the UK's relationship with the EU and other nations is within the top three of my concerns and has been since the UK EU referendum result in June 2016. Your explanations help me understand the physical workings of EU-UK trade agreements and I thank you for them, sincerely. I know comparatively little about the subject.

Willow904 wrote:

Milton says, although lunch with Boris Johnson was one of the lots in the charity auction, Johnson did not know about that. And he was not involved in the event at all, she says.

So Boris sells lunch meetings indiscriminately, without knowing who they'll be with? Or the charity auction was selling things it hadn't yet arranged/acquired?

I'm a little bit stumped, tbh. The G live blog seems a little sparse on details on this.

howsillyofme1 wrote:

citizenJA wrote:You've explained it beautifully, thank you. Of all the things going on in the political world, Brexit and the UK's relationship with the EU and other nations is within the top three of my concerns and has been since the UK EU referendum result in June 2016. Your explanations help me understand the physical workings of EU-UK trade agreements and I thank you for them, sincerely. I know comparatively little about the subject.

It is quite complex and I am not pretending I am always right so am happoy to be challenged - I find Willow is also very knowledgeable and we are not always in agreement so don't take my word as gospel

I find though the treaties are a good place to start though

AngryAsWell wrote:Negotiating documents on Article 50 negotiations with the United Kingdom
Documents published as part of the European Commission's approach to transparency on Article 50 negotiations with the United Kingdom.

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/brexit- ... kingdom_en" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AngryAsWell wrote:Brexit Impact Studies by the European Parliament are publicly available

Listed here :

https://www.richardcorbett.org.uk/brexi ... tudies-ep/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AngryAsWell wrote:Brexit Impact Studies by the European Parliament are publicly available
Listed here :
https://www.richardcorbett.org.uk/brexi ... tudies-ep/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Electricity is a fundamental part of modern society. Residential and industrial users rely on its use to ensure basic and vital needs such as lighting, heating or refrigeration are met on a daily basis."

citizenJA wrote:it's only Wednesday
so, no worries

David Cameron says Brexit is 'a mistake, not a disaster'
5News has released some footage of David Cameron talking about Brexit. He was talking to Lakshmi Mittal, the steel tycoon and he said.

It’s frustrating. As I keep saying, it’s a mistake, not a disaster. It’s turned out less badly than we first thought. But it’s still going to be difficult.

Cameron’s rather even-handed take on the biggest disaster of his career will probably annoy people on both sides of the Brexit argument. The Brexiters think people should accept their view that Brexit represents a splendid opportunity. And hardcore remainers think that Brexit will be a disaster and that, if it has so far turned out less badly than predicted, that is only because it has not actually happened yet.

adam wrote:Ursula Le Guin - The Day Before The Revolution (short story)

She tried on all the words, and they all fit, like hideous little hats.

When it was put to her[Anne Milton] that Zahawi, who was not in the chamber for the UQ, had not reported what went on, Milton said he had reported it to her that morning (ie, after the story appeared in the FT.) (Politics Live, Guardian)

UK sick pay is found to breach international legal obligations

Money available is ‘manifestly inadequate’, says European committee of social rights

Statutory sick pay and government assistance for jobless and self-employed people in the UK have been found to breach international legal obligations.
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The amount of money available to those claiming statutory sick pay and employment support allowance is “manifestly inadequate”, according to the guardians of an international charter ratified by the UK in 1962. (Guardian)

SpinningHugo wrote:More depressing polling, this time from Germany.

https://www.politico.eu/article/germany ... d-in-poll/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

the retreat of the left looks Europe wide.