List of The last word Archive

Rose Among Thorns – What now for the primary curriculum?

Blog

19 Apr 2010

With all the focus on the election there has been little media attention to the abandonment of the Rose reforms as part of the rushed progress of the Children, Schools and Families Bill in the haste to dissolve parliament. Yet, this potentially represents a catastrophe for primary schools, the vast majority of staff at which were relishing the return to a more flexible and less prescriptive curriculum; and many of whom had already invested time and energy to curriculum planning and development to incorporate the changes (which had been presented to schools as ‘in the bag’).

Secrets, Surveillance and the State of British Democracy

Video

15 Apr 2010

Heather Brooke, award-winning campaigner and journalist

Six towns and a vale in search of a future

Blog

15 Apr 2010

Matthew Taylor

Because I have a job to do and a life to live, and because I try to avoid anything which looks like I am speaking on behalf of the Labour Party, I find myself turning down many media invitations to comment on the unfolding election campaign. This is particularly true of this evening - but for a more specific reason. I will not be watching the leaders’ debate. Instead, I will be chairing an RSA supported event in mid-Wiltshire.

Religion, Demography and Politics in the 21st Century

Video

15 Apr 2010

Eric Kaufmann, reader in politics, Birkbeck College, University of London

Beyond left and right on inequality

Blog

13 Apr 2010

Matthew Taylor

A short digression from 21st century enlightenment on to the topic of inequality.

21st century enlightenment – an outline

Blog

12 Apr 2010

Matthew Taylor

So it’s time for the rubber to hit the road or some other ghastly metaphor. I have fixed a date for my 21st century enlightenment speech (June 17th) and I have committed to writing a longer accompanying pamphlet. So this week’s task is to write an outline. This will hopefully encourage me to think a bit more systematically and also to work out how best to deploy the resources of my very part time research assistant.

The value trinity

Comment

09 Apr 2010

Matthew Taylor’s third annual lecture as chief executive of the RSA was titled Left Brain, Right Brain. While the left and right alluded to political viewpoints and the focus was on public policymaking, the title would have worked if referring to business decision-making, a discipline which is overly left-brain oriented and heavily focused on analysis.

Art, Ecology and Citizen Power

Blog

09 Apr 2010

Tomorrow, the Dutch artist Marjolijn Dijkman arrives in the UK to begin her residency at Clare Cottage in Helpston, near Peterborough. Her stay marks a shift in focus for Arts & Ecology, towards exploring how the arts may engage people locally with environmental change and sustainability. As part of this, Marjolijn has been invited to stay at the home of the local romantic poet John Clare who died in 1864, so is no longer living there. The cottage was refurbished last year and Marjolijn intends to explore contemporary ideas about ‘place’ with people in the surrounding villages and the city of Peterborough, which is where the RSA Citizen Power project is located.

RSA Animate - Drive

Comment

08 Apr 2010

Daniel Pink provides concrete examples of how intrinsic motivation functions both at home and in the workplace. View a video of Dan Pink's talk at the RSA that inspired this animation. Download a transcript of this video (pdf).