This Week?
Meeting with Mr. Aaqil Ahmed, BBC Commissioning Editor Religion and Head of Religion & Ethics
By Dr. Matthew Wilkinson
Monday, 13th May. Dr. Matthew Wilkinson presented Curriculum for Cohesion to Mr. Aaqil Ahmed, BBC Commissioning Editor Religion and Head of Religion & Ethics. Mr. Ahmed said that Curriculum for Cohesion is a project that “he really believes in” and he is considering Matthew’s invitation to join the Curriculum for Cohesion team of Patrons.
Our Director Dr Matthew Wilkinson appears on the BBC Radio 4 “Sunday” programme to discuss the National Curriculum for History
By Mohammed Amin
As previously mentioned in our news updates, on Sunday 21 April Dr Wilkinson appeared on the “Sunday”. The BBC were discussing the need for the History curriculum to be inclusive. All of the speakers, even the one speaking against using History teaching to promote cohesion, agreed that the Islamic contribution to world history was too important to ignore.
You can listen to the discussion at the following link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01s030c The discussion on History starts at 25 minutes and 6 seconds.
For the next 30 days, you can also download the programme onto your computer or other device from this page: http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/sunday
Curriculum for Cohesion activity during National Curriculum Review consultation period
By Mohammed Amin
We have published a report of our activity during the consultation period with details of some of the media interest generated. It can be accessed on the page of Reports to Donors.
Dr. Matthew Wilkinson to appear on BBC Radio 4′s Sunday Programme to discuss the National Curriculum for History
By Dr. Matthew Wilkinson
On Sunday, 21st April Dr. Matthew Wilkinson, Director of Curriculum for Cohesion, will be appearing on BBC Radio 4′s Sunday @ 7:10am-7:55am to discuss the Government’s National Curriculum Review for History from Curriculum for Cohesion’s point of view.
We have been told that the Rt. Hon. Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Education, is also likely to appear on the programme in a pre-recorded interview.
To listen at your leisure online, click the link below:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnbd
Curriculum for Cohesion presents our Response to the draft History Curriculum at the Department for Education
By Dr. Matthew Wilkinson with 2 comments
8th April 2013. Dr. Matthew Wilkinson presented Curriculum for Cohesion’s response to Department for Education’s draft History specification to Ms. Pam Raven, the DfE Subject Leader for History, and talked her through in some detail what we commend and what we criticise about the draft History curriculum. Pam kindly talked Matthew through some of the processes and themes of the responses that she has received as a result of the public consultation.
Matthew was pleased that our response is being considered by the History consultation team in a serious and methodical way and that Pam supports in principle our approach to the inclusion of the Muslim contribution, although she was at pains to point out that she is not in a position to make any guarantees as to the final form and content of the National Curriculum for History.
Curriculum for Cohesion has done all it can in collaboration with teachers, academics, employers, the media, civil servants and politicians to make the case for a broader, truer History for all.
BBC Radio 4′s ‘Moral Maze’ – Dr. Matthew Wilkinson is a panellist
By Dr. Matthew Wilkinson
Wednesday, 27th March. Dr. Matthew Wilkinson, Director of Curriculum for Cohesion, was invited to be a live panellist on BBC Radio 4′s Moral Maze to debate, “Should history lessons teach patriotism, national humility, citizenship or scepticism?”
The panel included Sir Richard Evans, Regius Professor of History and President of Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, Chris McGovern Chairman of the Campaign for Real Education and Antony Beevor, Visiting Professor at the School of History, Classics & Archaeology at Birkbeck College, University of London.
If you would to hear the 45 minute broadcast, please click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/moralmaze
Matthew’s contribution starts at: 18 minutes, 24 seconds.
Curriculum for Cohesion organises media roundtable discussion about History education at the Institute of Education, University of London
By Dr. Matthew Wilkinson
20th March 2013. In order the contribute fully to the debate about the UK government’s draft History specification and to launch our Curriculum for Cohesion response to the draft History curriculum, Curriculum for Cohesion organised a media roundtable discussion about History education at the Institute of Education, University of London entitled, ‘History in schools and the future of the national curriculum’.
The panel was comprised of:
Rt. Hon. Jack Straw MP
MP for Blackburn
Co-Chair for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Islamophobia
Eric Ollerenshaw MP
MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood
Member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Education & the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Islamophobia
Former History teacher
Dr. Seán Lang
Senior Lecturer in History, Anglia Ruskin University
Chair of Better History Forum
Mohammed Amin
Vice-Chairman, Conservative Muslim Forum
Patron, Curriculum for Cohesion
Dr. Matthew Wilkinson
Director, Curriculum for Cohesion, Research Fellow, Cambridge Muslim College
Former Head of History at Brondesbury School, Brent
Dr Katharine Burn
Senior Lecturer in History Education, Institute of Education
Michael Fordham
Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge
Head of History at Cottenham Village College
Journalists present were:
Ms. Helen Ward of the Times Educational Supplement
Mr. Chris Cook, Education Correspondent for the Financial Times
Mr. Paul Lay, Editor of History Today
Ms. Kim Thomas who writes for the Guardian and the Financial Times
Ms. Zahra Khimji of The Muslim News
On the page Media Presentation at the Institute of Education you can watch the full video or selected highlights, and also download the full media pack given to the journalists.
Curriculum for Cohesion attends the Westminster Education Forum to discuss the History and Geography draft specifications
By Dr. Matthew Wilkinson
7th March 2013. As part of the current consultation process of the draft specification for History in which Curriculum for Cohesion is closely involved, Dr. Matthew Wilkinson attended the Westminster Education Forum debates to discuss the History and Geography draft specifications. It was clear that a consensus has emerged amongst the History teaching profession that the aims and purposes of the UK government’s draft History specification to provide all pupils with a detailed knowledge of the British national story are shared by almost all, and that the prescribed content of this draft is, as it stands, inadequate to deliver this aim. It is at once too narrowly white English and overly prescribed and too broad in the quantity and detail of the events that teachers would be required to teach.
Curriculum for Cohesion meets the Religious Education Council
By Dr. Matthew Wilkinson
5th March 2013. Mr. Mohammed Amin, Ms. Basma ElShayyal and Dr. Matthew Wilkinson from Curriculum for Cohesion met with Mr. John Keast, Chairman of the Religious Education Council, with senior officers, Dr. Janet Orchard and Ms. Sarah Smalley, to discuss the common ground for a collaboration between the Religious Education Council and Curriculum for Cohesion. It was agreed that Curriculum for Cohesion was well placed to make a useful academic and evidence-based input into the REC’s on-going review of Religious Education in England.
Curriculum for Cohesion delivers seminar at the Faculty of Theology, University of Cambridge
By Dr. Matthew Wilkinson
1st March 2013. At the invitation of Mr. Tim Winter, the Shaykh Zayed Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the Faculty of Divinity of the University of Cambridge and Dean of the Cambridge Muslim College, Dr. Matthew Wilkinson delivered a seminar at the Faculty of Theology, University of Cambridge entitled ‘Islamic Critical Realism: A Philosophy to ‘under-labour for contemporary Islam’. This presentation outlined the Islamic Critical Realist position that Matthew is developing at the theoretical heart of the Curriculum for Cohesion project to serve the clearer and more rigorous conceptualisation of History and Religious Education for the 21st century classroom. The presentation was well-received and stimulated a lively discussion.
Ms. Sarah Teather MP for Brent Central joins the Curriculum for Cohesion Team of Patrons
By Dr. Matthew Wilkinson
28th February 2013. Curriculum for Cohesion is delighted to announce that Ms. Sarah Teather MP for Brent Central has joined the Curriculum for Cohesion Team of Patrons. Following the 2010 General Election, Sarah was appointed as Minister of State for Children and Families in the Coalition Government, a position she held until September 2012. While a Minister, Sarah was responsible for introducing the Pupil Premium and for publishing reforms to overhaul the Special Educational Needs system. Sarah brings a wealth of political experience in education policy to the project and she makes a wonderful addition to our team.
Professor Chris Husbands becomes Academic Advisor to Curriculum for Cohesion
By Dr. Matthew Wilkinson
5th February 2013. After a meeting at the Institute of Education with Dr. Matthew Wilkinson, Director of Curriculum for Cohesion, Professor Chris Husbands, Director of the Institute of Education, one of our partner institutions and the leading educational research institute in Europe, accepted our invitation to become an Academic Advisor to Curriculum for Cohesion. This is wonderful news! Chris was a teacher in urban comprehensive schools where he was rapidly promoted to senior management before moving into Higher Education. He was a Board Member at the Training & Development Agency for Schools between 2006-2012 and is a member of the RSA Academies Commission. He has served as a Board Member at two examining groups, Edexcel and the Assessment & Qualifications Alliance. He has worked as a consultant or adviser to Local Authorities, OFSTED, the Department for Education, the Qualifications & Curriculum Authority and the National College for School Leadership. He is a widely-read and respected author in the field of History education and who add enormous value to our academic and policy outputs.