Newsletter Themes: kids treated as race-terrorists, the story of ‘racist’ councillor Audrey Dempsey, and the collapse of language education in Scotland
I worked for six years for a mental healthcare charity in England, helping to produce online learning for a workforce of several hundred. One of the courses I occasionally had to update was about Prevent. All staff had to take this, whether involved with patients or not.
I didn't give it much thought at the time, beyond a transient doubt about how people admitted for mental health problems could be at particular risk of becoming terrorists. I now allow louder questions into my mind over the Prevent course and its implications in that setting, for instance the possibility of admitting a person under the Mental Health Act merely for questioning government policy, this being read as a sign of having been radicalised.
Now we have yet another 'anti-' term, "anti-terrorism", poisoning the classroom vocabulary, another electric-shock word along with "radicalised" to numb young minds into submission, into not really thinking or asking questions, just regurgitating prescribed answers.
No wonder teachers might feel relief that AI could perhaps deal with this minefield, and even tailor learning for every child. What could go wrong? Of course it is a scam, which will limit children's learning opportunities even more, not least because it will lead to even more dependence on screens instead of human interaction and judgment.
I have great respect for the second writer, Prof Last, as an advocate of learning modern languages. Our young grand-daughter attends private French lessons and she thoroughly enjoys it. The early start will I hope lead to fluency, and if she wishes, perhaps in future an academic qualification. Mostly though it is just an incredibly enriching experience for her.
However I do not agree with the 'cockup theory'. The extent of sabotage of Scotland's education system means that it can still be seen as a world leader, but only in a race to the bottom of the pile. Get 'em young is a very old principle.
I worked for six years for a mental healthcare charity in England, helping to produce online learning for a workforce of several hundred. One of the courses I occasionally had to update was about Prevent. All staff had to take this, whether involved with patients or not.
I didn't give it much thought at the time, beyond a transient doubt about how people admitted for mental health problems could be at particular risk of becoming terrorists. I now allow louder questions into my mind over the Prevent course and its implications in that setting, for instance the possibility of admitting a person under the Mental Health Act merely for questioning government policy, this being read as a sign of having been radicalised.
Now we have yet another 'anti-' term, "anti-terrorism", poisoning the classroom vocabulary, another electric-shock word along with "radicalised" to numb young minds into submission, into not really thinking or asking questions, just regurgitating prescribed answers.
No wonder teachers might feel relief that AI could perhaps deal with this minefield, and even tailor learning for every child. What could go wrong? Of course it is a scam, which will limit children's learning opportunities even more, not least because it will lead to even more dependence on screens instead of human interaction and judgment.
I have great respect for the second writer, Prof Last, as an advocate of learning modern languages. Our young grand-daughter attends private French lessons and she thoroughly enjoys it. The early start will I hope lead to fluency, and if she wishes, perhaps in future an academic qualification. Mostly though it is just an incredibly enriching experience for her.
However I do not agree with the 'cockup theory'. The extent of sabotage of Scotland's education system means that it can still be seen as a world leader, but only in a race to the bottom of the pile. Get 'em young is a very old principle.