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| Don’t teach Brexit schoolkids about Tennyson: teach them maths Don’t teach Brexit schoolkids about Tennyson: teach them maths | |
| (10 days later) | |
| Michael Gove’s inspiration for including Tennyson’s The Charge of the Light Brigade in the new English GCSE syllabus is becoming clearer every day. | Michael Gove’s inspiration for including Tennyson’s The Charge of the Light Brigade in the new English GCSE syllabus is becoming clearer every day. |
| Gove, one of Vote Leave’s architects, understands the spirit running through British history that can result in episodes like Lord Cardigan’s fatal Crimean attack, or the evacuation of Dunkirk in the second world war, being lauded as great episodes in history. | Gove, one of Vote Leave’s architects, understands the spirit running through British history that can result in episodes like Lord Cardigan’s fatal Crimean attack, or the evacuation of Dunkirk in the second world war, being lauded as great episodes in history. |
| In the last few days, everyone from Labour’s John McDonnell to the president of the CBI have readied themselves to join the Tory Brexiters and charge into the cannon that lie in wait across the channel. They know “someone had blunder’d,” and yet theirs is not to reason why: theirs is to stampede onwards. | In the last few days, everyone from Labour’s John McDonnell to the president of the CBI have readied themselves to join the Tory Brexiters and charge into the cannon that lie in wait across the channel. They know “someone had blunder’d,” and yet theirs is not to reason why: theirs is to stampede onwards. |
| McDonnell, to the dismay of shadow Brexit minister Keir Starmer, urged his party last week to support the Tories on the European battleground to maximise the spoils from Brexit. CBI president Paul Drechsler says the only barrier to him and his members joining the surge to independence is an assurance from the government that transitional arrangements to whatever lies ahead will be put in place. | McDonnell, to the dismay of shadow Brexit minister Keir Starmer, urged his party last week to support the Tories on the European battleground to maximise the spoils from Brexit. CBI president Paul Drechsler says the only barrier to him and his members joining the surge to independence is an assurance from the government that transitional arrangements to whatever lies ahead will be put in place. |
| Reading the poem, today’s 15-year-olds might perhaps glean a deeper understanding of the psychology that lay behind the EU vote and the bloody-mindedness that meant so many Remainers joined the campaign. Gove can take some satisfaction in that. | Reading the poem, today’s 15-year-olds might perhaps glean a deeper understanding of the psychology that lay behind the EU vote and the bloody-mindedness that meant so many Remainers joined the campaign. Gove can take some satisfaction in that. |
| Which brings us to the autumn statement this week, and what Philip Hammond will do to offset the worst effects of the uncertainty in the first instance, and the long-term damage thereafter, of leaving the EU. | Which brings us to the autumn statement this week, and what Philip Hammond will do to offset the worst effects of the uncertainty in the first instance, and the long-term damage thereafter, of leaving the EU. |
| His focus must be helping low- and middle-income families to cope with rising prices. No 10 has impressed on the chancellor he must make life easier for those “just about managing”. | His focus must be helping low- and middle-income families to cope with rising prices. No 10 has impressed on the chancellor he must make life easier for those “just about managing”. |
| Hammond is likely to address this audience. He is expected to allow tax credits to rise in line with inflation and ease the rules that restrict the number of families who can make a claim. | Hammond is likely to address this audience. He is expected to allow tax credits to rise in line with inflation and ease the rules that restrict the number of families who can make a claim. |
| It’s not his focus, though. He will want to talk about the bigger picture, and in particular how productivity increases are the basis for a thriving economy. He will say that the challenge given to him by the Brexit vote is to rebuild an economy that has come to depend too much on cheap labour and not enough on long-term investment. | It’s not his focus, though. He will want to talk about the bigger picture, and in particular how productivity increases are the basis for a thriving economy. He will say that the challenge given to him by the Brexit vote is to rebuild an economy that has come to depend too much on cheap labour and not enough on long-term investment. |
| Official figures show that the level of output per person per hour increased by just 0.2% in the three month to the end of September, or less than 1% a year. In the same period, average wages increased from 2.3% to 2.4%. If productivity increases pay for wage rises, as most economists agree, then employers are now spending money that should be invested in new equipment on excessive wages. | Official figures show that the level of output per person per hour increased by just 0.2% in the three month to the end of September, or less than 1% a year. In the same period, average wages increased from 2.3% to 2.4%. If productivity increases pay for wage rises, as most economists agree, then employers are now spending money that should be invested in new equipment on excessive wages. |
| Over the longer term, productivity must increase if companies are not to shed jobs or go bust shelling out more on pay than they can afford. | Over the longer term, productivity must increase if companies are not to shed jobs or go bust shelling out more on pay than they can afford. |
| A study last week by the TUC, based on figures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), showed that Britain ranks 20th out of 21 developed countries in spending on IT systems, 34th out of 34 for spending on transport equipment and 23rd out of 27 for investment in other types of machinery. | A study last week by the TUC, based on figures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), showed that Britain ranks 20th out of 21 developed countries in spending on IT systems, 34th out of 34 for spending on transport equipment and 23rd out of 27 for investment in other types of machinery. |
| Productivity gains are going to be thin on the ground when tech spending is so low, and when what there is largely restricted to the tech sector and the financial services industry. | Productivity gains are going to be thin on the ground when tech spending is so low, and when what there is largely restricted to the tech sector and the financial services industry. |
| Hammond could spur some investment by widening the criteria used in the R&D tax credit to include the development of new processes and not just new equipment. These days much of the innovation that increases productivity comes wrapped in a data file that shows a different way of manufacturing a product or offering a service. | Hammond could spur some investment by widening the criteria used in the R&D tax credit to include the development of new processes and not just new equipment. These days much of the innovation that increases productivity comes wrapped in a data file that shows a different way of manufacturing a product or offering a service. |
| Apprenticeships will also get more than just a mention. He will talk about the new levy on employers that will raise £3bn a year for additional training programmes. But it is less clear how his money can be spent when many of those groups offering places on high-grade schemes say they cannot recruit enough candidates. | Apprenticeships will also get more than just a mention. He will talk about the new levy on employers that will raise £3bn a year for additional training programmes. But it is less clear how his money can be spent when many of those groups offering places on high-grade schemes say they cannot recruit enough candidates. |
| This is not a foreign worker problem, but an education problem. Here’s an example. The Engineering Employers Federation, which represents hundreds of manufacturers, has its own apprenticeship scheme in Birmingham for 350 16- to-17-year-olds. This year it had 8,500 applications, but was only able to offer 330 a place. | This is not a foreign worker problem, but an education problem. Here’s an example. The Engineering Employers Federation, which represents hundreds of manufacturers, has its own apprenticeship scheme in Birmingham for 350 16- to-17-year-olds. This year it had 8,500 applications, but was only able to offer 330 a place. |
| Most failed to make the grade once their failure to score an A to C in either English or maths was recorded. Tim Thomas, then the EEF’s director of employment, said the difficulties faced by firms can be seen in the maths re-sit figures, which show a two-thirds failure rate at A to C. | Most failed to make the grade once their failure to score an A to C in either English or maths was recorded. Tim Thomas, then the EEF’s director of employment, said the difficulties faced by firms can be seen in the maths re-sit figures, which show a two-thirds failure rate at A to C. |
| This means that 152,000 students, who had just failed their maths GCSE, sat the test again and almost 114,000 couldn’t get into the category that employers consider a pass. School failed them twice. The education department says it is on the case, but this has been going on for years. And with Further Education colleges shutting or merging under some of the most severe cuts planned for the next four years, another avenue for these children is fast closing. | This means that 152,000 students, who had just failed their maths GCSE, sat the test again and almost 114,000 couldn’t get into the category that employers consider a pass. School failed them twice. The education department says it is on the case, but this has been going on for years. And with Further Education colleges shutting or merging under some of the most severe cuts planned for the next four years, another avenue for these children is fast closing. |
| Most likely, their parents voted for Brexit: blaming immigrants when their target should have been a myopic government. | Most likely, their parents voted for Brexit: blaming immigrants when their target should have been a myopic government. |