Elementary mathematics are not less useful to the housewife than to her husband, while civics should be made a compulsory subject, since all will be citizens of no mean city at an early age. Girls as well as boys need a thorough and liberal basis upon which to upbuild a technical knowledge, be it of cookery, of housewifery, or any other skilled vocational occupation.

50 years ago. January 15, 1953

Christmas brings such a surfeit of shopping that the counters would be deserted after it if something was not done. Indeed, the question may be asked why schools do not take a leaf from the draper’s book. It may not be easy to adapt the technique of a sale to a stock-in-trade that consists largely of theorems and verbs. But a little ingenuity might make customers keen. The price of school dinners might be slashed. The gymnastics master might offer reductions to those affected by the Christmas spread. And if a chance to play with the boilers was offered in exchange for homework the caretaker’s domain might take on the lure of a bargain basement.

25 years ago. January 6, 1978

Two philosophies of higher education emerged at the annual North of England education conference at York University this week. Lord James of Rusholme, former vice-chancellor of the university and chairman of the Government’s 1970 inquiry into teacher training, stuck out in his presidential address for a continuing elite role for universities - hard to get into, not there to provide vocational training, to be listened to with respect. The next day Dr Patrick Nuttgens, director of Leeds Polytehnic, said he wanted universities brought into a common system of higher education, their influence on schools removed and an acceptance by them that learning by doing was as respectable as the study of ideas.