FORUM exists to promote the comprehensive ideal and campaign for democratic common schooling, which very much aligns with Comprehensive Future’s aims. FORUM have just published a new ebook, ‘Renewing public education,’ which can be downloaded for free HERE.
A chapter of the book by Patrick Yarker discusses, The ‘ability’ discourse, or comprehensive education?’ Patrick writes, “It’s an eel of a word, ‘ability’: its meaning slippery, elusive, hard to pin down, in an educational context more than usually context-bound and supple with nuance. Except when it isn’t. Except when it appears precise and definitive, as when a student or a class is termed of high or low ‘ability’ or a year-group described as spanning the ‘ability’ range… the notion of ‘ability’ serves to legitimise the classification of individuals and groups in the system and to sanction a corresponding hierarchy.”
An online launch event for this publication takes place on May 21st at 6pm. Chaired by Melissa Benn, the event will feature several contributors: Paula Ayliffe (headteacher), Alistair McConville (Rethinking Assessment), Mel Griffiths (SEA) and Mary Bousted (ex-NEU joint GS).
You can find out more and book a ticket HERE.
