It’s just after half past eight on a chilly autumn morning and I’m standing on the train platform. Alongside me are four students and one village elder – I’m the only commuter, bound for London. To Paddington, and as I meet my colleague from finnCap outside our office destination, I feel a sense of elation and conspiracy. …
The extraordinary Oak National Academy was created by a group of teachers in response to the pandemic. What does an Oak National University look like? That’s the sort of exam question we should be asking this year. With a national spotlight on education, too much of the conversation has been about adjusting what is, rather than imagining …
To quote an old proverb, “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”. Or, as they say in France, “one man’s fish is another man’s poisson.” For men and women everywhere, it’s a reminder that what might be heaven for you, is hell for someone else. I’m not sure whether Jean-Paul Sartre was into his fish, …
“There is more to life than increasing its speed”, said Gandhi. It could have been different. Offices, pubs, restaurants closed. No commuting. A chance to unwind, chill out, reflect. And yet person after person I’ve spoken to has revealed that lockdown has been full on. Back-to-back calls. Fighting for survival or bracing through hypergrowth. The …
I had a recurring dream when I was young. I was in the back seat of a car, going downhill, out of control, unable to stop. Sitting in a school hall one day, I finally decoded and banished my downhill dream. Despite the uniform, despite sitting and listening, despite being told to be quiet, I …