If obtaining answers is easier than ever before, then learning to think deeply matters more than it’s ever done. Much of modern technology provides us all with multiple temptations some of which might be particular problematic, nefarious or malevolent. Yet many of the temptations also appear at first glance to be significantly more benign such as scrolling through Instagram videos, wasting time on mindless games or binge-watching Netflix. One temptation which is especially pr

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a triennial measure of students’ ability to use their reading, mathematics and science knowledge and skills to meet real-life challenges. Conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) it tests over 760,000 15-year-olds across 91 countries. The scale and methodological robustness of this study make the data some of the most important within education and highlight global and national

A flourishing society requires people to accept that we each have obligations to one another. It is easy to think of responsibility as the enemy of freedom. In reality, the opposite is true. There is typically an assumption within society that maximising freedom means having as few duties and obligations as possible. The individual who holds no responsibility is perceived to have optimal independence where unlimited choices are therefore available. The archetype of freedom is

Politicians devote enormous attention to schools, hospitals, welfare and policing. Yet there is relatively little discussion about the family and its importance to a healthy society. We spend much of our time debating what has gone wrong and how the state should remedy it, but rather less of our time asking what prevents things from going wrong in the first place. The Family as the Foundational Institution Rather than seeing society as merely a collection of individuals, we s

Every incoming Education Secretary arrives with a list of manifesto pledges and ministerial priorities. As Lucy Powell steps into the role of Secretary of State for Education, she is likely to be judged by how she addresses the long-term challenges she inherits as much as the policies she announces. If she is to succeed in the role, then there are five key questions that need to be answered. 1. How do we educate fewer children with fewer resources? For decades, governmen