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The English exam fiasco – August 2020
ByJohn MayMany years ago, I helped to develop a culture of continual assessment in English schools, particularly at AS and A level, moving away from final exams and relying much more than ever before on teacher assessment, modular courses and the recognition of active learning. I am still proud of the BTEC courses a number of…
Waithood
ByJohn MayI learned a new word recently: “Waithood”; the bewildering time in which increasingly large numbers of young people are spending their best years waiting. They’ve completed school, but haven’t been able to find a job; they feel like they should have moved out of their parents’ house, but they’re still stuck in their childhood bedrooms;…
It is time…
ByJohn MayLast year, I sat down for a coffee and a chat with an old friend who is a senior Scouting volunteer in a country in Africa. We talked about the state of youth work in a country that has seen more than its share of civil conflicts, poverty and health pandemics, but is now becoming…
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…
Helping young people learn about refugees
ByJohn MayMany years ago, I worked as a volunteer in a refugee camp on the border between Uganda and Rwanda. The experience changed my perspective on life and fuelled a thirst for social justice. Over the last few days I’ve been contacted by a number of people, asking if I could recommend any materials to…
Hot air in Yarmouth
ByJohn MayNew York last week, Great Yarmouth today. I’ve never been to Yarmouth before. It’s a really lovely town. I tend to think of British seaside resorts as being rather sad, diliapidated places. The one I know best, Weston-super-Mare, certainly is. But Yarmouth was very busy with holidaymakers, making the most of a beautiful day. I…

