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Schools in the ‘new normal’.
ByJohn MayMore than twenty years ago, in 1998, The Age magazine, based in Melbourne Australia, published an article about what schools might look like in the future. “Next century, schools as we know them will no longer exist. In their place will be community-style centres operating seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Computers will…
Bravo for Pascal
ByJohn MayA few nights ago, something very ordinary happened. A young man, a member of the Boy Scouts of America, achieved his Eagle Scout ranking. This is, of course, a wonderful achievement for him, but it is something that happens every night somewhere in the USA, as young men complete the requirements of the award –…
Bright Lights, Big Voices
ByJohn MayThere are few things more joyful, more life-affirming, than a Scout and Guide Gang Show done well. Tonight I had the enormous pleasure of attending the Oxfordshire Gang Show at ’s theatre – and what a show it was. For those who may not know, the Gang Show tradition began in 1932, when brought together…
Leadership versus Management
ByJohn MayOver the past few years I’ve been getting increasingly concerned about some of the language that folks in the voluntary sector are using. In particular, there has been a creeping reliance on the terminology of the workplace. In the organisation in which I volunteer, it’s commonplace now to talk about ‘line managers’, ‘targets’ and ‘key…
Never wear a wool suit when it’s hot
ByJohn MayAmongst my meetings today was with someone whose office has to have the best view in New York. Dick Parsons is the Chairman and CEO of Time Warner and he’s interested in supporting the Career Academy movement in the UK. This morning, immediately before my meeting, I read in the New York Times that he…
Fuelling children’s imagination
ByJohn MayI was listening to the always wonderful Simon Mayo’s BBC Radio 2 podcast this morning on my way to work. He was talking to the poet Roger McGough. Roger was bemoaning the closure of libraries around the country, particularly those in schools. Computers may give children instant access to information, he argued, but they don’t…
