Next meeting
To be confirmed – after the school Summer holidays.
Past meetings
1 July, 2010
‘Why do Boys Fail?’
The forum was introduced by Jo Sedley, a primary school teacher.
She looked at why there is such an obsession with boys failing at school and critically examining the proposed solutions to this-from good role models to attempting to foster ’self-esteem’.
Recommended reading:
Help Your Boys Succeed: The Essential Guide for Parents
27 May
7pm in Central London
We will be discussing Sure Start. In all the discussions around the general election there is one thing all commentators and parties have agreed on – that is that Sure Start is a good thing. This forum will look at why is Sure Start so feted; and what will Sure Start become in the light of who has won the election. Jennie Bristow will introduce.
Recommended reading:
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/8665/
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/8632/
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/rachel_sylvester/article5309913.ece
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-cameron-is-concealing-his-inner-bush-1958432
Let Jane know if you can come. Contact Jane Sandeman at parents@instituteofideas.com.
31 March
In our seemingly ceaseless appetite to problematise teenagers, the latest discussion is the sexualisation of children. Cameron and Balls are fighting it out as to who identified this issue first, and who can introduce the most regulations against advertisers.
This forum critically examined are children being sexualized? What does this mean? What is the content of the strategies proposed to counteract this alleged sexualisation and what do they mean for how we think about children, sex, and adult authority.
The forum was introduced by Dr Jan McVarish.
Dr Jan Macvarish is a researcher and lecturer at the University of Kent. Her interests lie in the sociology of interpersonal relationships, parenting, family life, sex and intimacy.
Some articles to read:
http://phulme.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/linda-papadopoulos-on-the-sexualisation-of-young-people/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8521403.stm
February 25, 2010
Angus Kennedy on why the family has become the pre election topic debate. With Labour publishing its Green Paper on the family in January (with a particular emphasis on the roles of fathers) and David Cameron announcing that the Tory party will mend Broken Britain.
There are news articles on this topic every day. Perhaps the two big questions to muse on are:
- Why are they bringing this centre stage?
- How successful can it be as an area to campaign on?
Links:
The Government’s proposals
January 14, 2010
Stephen Baskerville, who is an advocate of father’s rights, talked about father’s rights, family courts and divorce.
See www.stephenbaskerville.net/articles-bydate.htm.
November 24, 2009
Jennie Bristow and Toby Marshall debated ‘Should we defend home schooling?‘
We had a lively discussion looking at: Is home schooling defensible? Should parents be prevented from educating their children in the way they wish? What do we think about proposals to increase state regulation on those who choose to home school? Are there times for the social good and childrens’ own good when parents wish to do their own thing should be overruled?
October 15
Policing the Playground: do anti-bullying campaigns do more harm than good?
The newspapers reported recently that a dinner lady was sacked for telling the parents of a girl that she had been tied up by some boys with a skipping rope and whipped.
A 9 year old boy was accused by his school of being racist because he was pretending to shoot at German soldiers.
What is happening in our playgrounds? Have adults lost their ability to judge what is bullying and what isn’t?
Beverley Marshall introduced this topical issue.
September 22
A Dutch court has put a 13-year-old girl under state care for two months, stalling her bid to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world. The decision by three Utrecht judges means Laura Dekker’s parents, who support her plans, temporarily lose the right to make decisions about her. A child psychologist will now assess her capacity to undertake the voyage. This forum asks the question should this girl be allowed to sail around the world? Are parents always right when making these decisions? Or do their own ambitions blind them to what is best for their children?
Introduced by Sally Millard, who is producing a session on this topic at the Battle of Ideas.
Recommended reading: Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry by Lenore Skenazy
June 30 2009
Discussion on the recently republished The Nurture Assumption by Judith Rich Harries
Helene Guldberg, author of Reclaiming Childhood introduced this topic. See www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/reviewofbooks_article/6399/