UCL Institute of Education (IoE), in partnership with Tes, has launched a series of live debates on the key issues in education.
The debate series “What if…” will be free to attend and will reflect on the current status quo in education, celebrate progress and consider how we can change things for the better.
The first debate, on 31 October, ”What if… we wanted to further social mobility through education?” explores the prominent contemporary debate around social mobility in the UK, the role education can play in boosting mobility, and how that might best be achieved.
Chaired by professor Becky Francis, director of the UCL IoE, the panel includes Lord David Willetts, executive chair of the Resolution Foundation, James Croft, founding director of the Centre for Education Economics, Diane Reay, professor of education at Cambridge University and Kate Pickett from the University of York.
Professor Francis said: “We want to use our reputation and our scholarly excellence to help advance debate and understanding around education.
“To that end, we’re creating a really stimulating outward-facing events programme that will bring these debates to the public, to education practitioners and policymakers, and to parents and students. We want to bring some fresh thinking to pivotal debates in the field.”
Education debates partnership
Ed Dorrell, head of content at Tes, said: “I am delighted that Tes is involved with these events. The IoE has long been one of Britain’s most influential homes for educational discussion - and so has Tes. It’s a natural fit.
“I fully expect both the series and the partnership to become firmly established on the education landscape.”
Coming up in the series we will discuss how to overcome the academic-vocational divide (28 November) and how to transform teaching as a career choice (5 December).
If you’re not able to attend in person, you will be able to follow the debates on Twitter (search for #IOEDebates), and watch the event live on the Tes Facebook page.
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