EDUCATION ROUNDUP
Libby Purves is joined by education expert, Mike Baker, who gives a roundup of what's happening in the world of education.
FULBRIGHT COMMISSION – 60TH ANNIVERSARY
The Fulbright Programme was created in the aftermath of WWII through the efforts of Senator J. William Fulbright, The aim of the Fulbright Programme was to promote peace and understanding through educational exchange. Senator Fulbright believed that this would be an essential vehicle for mutual understanding between individuals, institutions and future leaders. Today, the Fulbright Programme is one of the most prestigious awards programmes world-wide, operating in 144 countries and with 51 commissions. Libby Purves speaks to Fulbright Scholars past and present: – Dame Shirley Williams and Taylor Spears.
SCIENCE IN THE PRIMARY CURRICULUM
The Wellcome Trust recently commissioned two reports looking at the role of science in the primary school curriculum over the past 60 years and recommending how it should continue. The reports - the first pair in a new biannual series called 'Perspectives', which consists of opinion pieces designed to provoke debate in education - take different approaches to the evidence but reach a similar conclusion: science is essential in primary education, but it is not served by the current emphasis on National Testing in Science at KS2.
Libby Purves speaks to one of the authors - Wynne Harlen, visiting Professor of Education at the University of Bristol.
THE LETTERBOX CLUB
The Letterbox Club was initiated by Rose Griffiths and is managed by Booktrust. It focuses on improving the educational outlook for children aged 7-11 in foster families by providing them with a parcel of books, maths activities and educational materials every month for six months. Research shows that children in care underachieve in education but evaluation from pilots of the Letterbox Club showed a demonstrable impact with the majority of children improving their standardised score in reading. Libby Purves speaks to Rose Griffiths, Lead Researcher and Lecturer in Education and mathematics subject leader for Primary PGCE at the University of Leicester.
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