.gif)
Buckingham in the news
July 2005 update
| International news | National news | Radio, television and other appearances | Local news |
International news
All 'Wright' with Raquel. This article is about the winner of the Miss Jamaica Universe competition, Raquel Wright. When asked about her future, she mentions that she has been offered a place at Buckingham to study Law. Jamaica Gleaner , 3rd July.
Guilt and debt at the G8 Summit. Professor Norman Barry looks at the G8 Summit and the main items on the agenda: poverty and global warming. Professor Barry examines the reasons behind poverty in Africa and ways in which it could recover - without large donations from the West. Brussels Journal , 6th July.
Greek sprinters' lawyer foresees acquittal. Gregory Ioannidis , lawyer to Greek athletes Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou, is confident that his clients will be acquitted. Daily Times, Pakistan , 11th July.
Emerging trends in Nigeria's insurance industry. In an article highlighting the decrease in age of newly appointed CEO s in Nigeria's insurance firms, Buckingham alumnus Peter Monye (LLB '85) is heralded as being one of the most successful members of the insurance industry. He is currently MD/CEO of Lion of Africa Insurance Company Ltd. allAfrica.com , 25th July.
The United Nations approach to international terrorism following 9/11. This article is the result of a lecture given by Dr Isaac Kfir, former Research Fellow at Buckingham. The article explores the UN reaction to the events of 9/11, through the creation of the Counter-Terrorism Committee to various reports and panels led by the Secretary-General. International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism website, 25th July.
National news
In June, Professor Philip Dover travelled to Guernsey to promote Buckingham. Whilst there he was interviewed by the Guernsey Press.
School replaces all its teachers in one year. Research carried out by Professor Alan Smithers for the Department for Education and Skills showed a high turnover of primary school teachers. Professor Smithers commented, "Some schools are regularly losing a large chunk of their staff. From the point of view of the Government's social justice agenda these are often schools who need them the most." M anaging Schools Today , July 2005.
Masters - UK and Ireland. Buckingham's MA in TESOL is mentioned in this publication. EL Gazette , July 2005.
Educationalist urges tougher scrutiny of city academy finances. Professor Alan Smithers is quoted in an article about the problems of Unity City Academy in Middlesbrough. Referring to £1.4 million the Government used to bail out the Academy, he suggests: "There need to be better checks and balances in place so that finances can be monitored more closely to avoid this happening again." Public Servant , 1st July.
Callan gives up 3 a.m. slot to go globetrotting. Buckingham alumnus Jessica Callan (MA Biography '97) is leaving the Daily Mirror after five years as a 3 a.m. girl. She intends to return to journalism after her travels. Press Gazette , 8th July.
Headteachers ban traditional school punishment, fearing parents will sue. Nine out of ten schools in Britain have stopped using the writing of lines as a punishment due to fears of complaints from parents and prosecution for degrading students. Professor Alan Smithers commented that "the old authority relationships are breaking down". The Mail on Sunday , 10th July. A similar article appeared in the Daily Star on 11th July.
Why Maggie was right ... as if she'd need
telling.
This is a review of
Margaret Thatcher's
Revolution: How it happened and what it meant
, edited jointly
by Professors
John Clarke
and Subroto Roy. The book is described as a "cavalry charge by
loyalists in the battle over how her time in office should be seen
... the book reminds us what a terrific battle she had to go
through to make a difference."
The Mail on Sunday
, 17th
July.
Read the news article about
Margaret Thatcher's
Revolution
Notebook. News of the publication of The Blair Effect II in September 2005. The book chronicles the achievements of Tony Blair from 2001 to May 2005, with a section on education by Professor Alan Smithers. The Guardian , 19th July.
Battling for the soul of a university. This article looks at the public row between the Association of University Teachers and Brunel University following Brunel's failure to withdraw the threat of compulsory redundancies. Professor Alan Smithers, who used to work at Brunel, commented, "To make changes, you have to get people to understand why you are making them." Education supplement, The Independent , 21st July.
Buckingham teams up with controversial school.
News that Buckingham will accredit degrees offered by the European
School of Economics. The deal is likely to double the number of
students receiving Buckingham degrees from around 700 to 1,400
students in 2008.
THES
, 22nd
July.
Read the news article about Buckingham and the
ESE
Teachers struggle.
A study by Professor Alan Smithers and
Dr Pamela Robinson
showed that
twice as many would-be primary teachers as secondary trainees were
still looking for work six months after finishing their courses.
Teeside Evening Gazette
, 22nd July. Articles on the same
topic and mentioning Buckingham also appeared in the
Financial
Times; Gulf Times; The Guardian; BBC Online;
Newcastle
upon Tyne Journal; Yorkshire Post; Birmingham Express and Star;
Liverpool Daily Post; Gloucester Citizen; Morning Star; Brighton
Argus; Northern Echo
and
Huddersfield Daily Examiner
on 23rd July and in the
Oxford Times
on 29th July.
Read the study published by
CEER
,
Teacher Training Profiles 2005
Putting the big in bang.
Dr Terence Kealey
reviews
Before the fall-out: The human chain reaction from Marie Curie
to Hiroshima
by Diane Preston. He comments that "Preston tells
the story so well that some of the chapters read like extracts from
a thriller."
Sunday Telegraph
, 24th July.
Read Dr Kealey's review on the
Telegraph
website
(external link)
Let's banish God from the classroom. This article, written by Professor Chris Woodhead , looks at whether the current Religious Education lessons in secondary schools have a place in education today. The article, written in response to a letter from a father asking advice on whether he was able to take his son out of 'boring' RE lessons, was met with much hostility from a large number of people. Sunday Times , 24th July.
Teacher trainees opt to learn on the job. This article looks at the growing trend for trainee teachers to attend employment-based teacher-training schemes rather than university-based courses. Professor Alan Smithers is mentioned as co-producer of the annual teacher-training league tables. THES , 29th July.
Any questions? Answering the question "which are the best universities for teacher training?", John Clare mentions the table of teacher-training courses complied by Professor Smithers and available for viewing on the Buckingham website ( see above ) . Daily Telegraph , 30th July.
Going out.
Dr Nicola Smith's lecture on
Michelangelo is mentioned as an event to attend.
Information
supplement,
The Independent
, 30th
July.
Read the news article about Dr Smith's
lecture
Grammars: the regeneration.
News that the
Professional Association of Teachers has voted in favour of
selection in schools. Professor Chris Woodhead welcomes this
decision, saying, "Any government that is serious about raising
educational standards and helping disadvantaged children must
realise that grammar schools are the most efficient agent of social
inclusion we have ever had."
Sunday Times
, 31st
July.
Radio, television and other appearances
Martin Brassell (director of the Aylesbury Vale Enterprise Hub)
- was interviewed by Mix 96 and Three Counties Radio on 5th and 6th July regarding the Enterprise Hub Clinic.
- undertook a number of interviews regarding the publication of research by the Centre for Education and Employment Research ( see above ) .
- spoke at the Cheapside Lecture entitled Limits of Education on 6th July.
- spoke at Oxford Teachers seminar to American students.
- appeared on a Channel 4 documentary on supply teaching.
June Arunga (Law student)
- took part in a documentary with Jerry Rawlings (former President of Ghana) as part of the On Africa season on BBC 4. They travelled through Rwanda and Tanzania.
- on the same day (23rd July) spoke on the BBC World Service on poverty in Africa.
Local news
Ladder of success. Part-time firefighter and former University employee Michael Dunkley is the subject of this article. He works for the retained fire service but hopes to become a firefighter full time. His interest in the fire service originated with his father who was a firefighter from 1963, retiring in 1989. Michael has created the unofficial website for Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, linking firefighters all over the world. Buckinghamshire Country Magazine , July 2005.
University of Buckingham news in the Buckingham & Winslow Advertiser, Brackley & Towcester Advertiser and Bicester Review :
-
1st July
- News of the IEA lunch hosted by Buckingham on 14th June.
-
8th July
- Welcome to new students at Buckingham and also to those returning for the start of term.
-
22nd July
- News of Dr Joachim Strupp's public lecture on 26th July.
-
29th July
- News of Dr Nicola Smith's public lecture on 2nd August.
Please contact the Publicity Office if you are interested in any of our staff or their activities.
See also:
Contact the
Publicity Office
See also:
Directory of
Experts