Thursday 31 January, York St John University, De Grey Lecture Theatre, 6.30pm

Professor Michael Fielding - Emeritus Professor of Education

York St John University

 
Lecture Title - 'Schools for Deep Democracy:in praise of radical traditions of publicly-funded education'

Michael Fielding is Emeritus Professor of Education at the Institute of Education, University of London. Some of his innovative research work (he coined the term Joint Practice Development) is currently influencing professional learning in schools. Widely published in the fields of student voice, educational leadership and radical education, his co-authored book with Peter Moss, Radical Education and the Common School – a democratic alternative was published in January 2011.

Lecture Content: At a time when parliamentary democracy is facing recurring challenges, particularly, though not exclusively,from young people, it is especially reprehensible that neither our schools nor our publicly funded systems of education take democracy as seriously as they could or should.

There are, however, exceptions and it is to our alternative radical democratic traditions of state education that we can usefully turn to challenge the current ‘dictatorship of no alternative’ to the tyranny of the market and the unguent condescension of our ruling elite. Drawing on his 20 years as a teacher in some of England’s radical comprehensive schools and over two decades of engaged research and writing in three universities, Michael Fielding will not only argue that we should ‘build a new world in the shell of the old’, but offer examples of what a radical democratic school looks like and feels like in practice.

5.45pm                Event opens, De Grey Lecture Theatre, York St John University 
                            Arrival reception, with the oppurtunity to meet the speaker and
                            other guests.

6.30pm                Event will commence in De Grey Lecture Theatre (DG/017)
                            The Guest Lecture will run for approx 40 minutes followed by a Q&A session.

7.30pm                Event closes