Is too much choice a bad thing? Comparing the experience of parental choice in English and Scottish education

Writer and campaigner Melissa Benn is in conversation with Aveek Aveek Bhattacharya about his new research comparing the different approaches to secondary school choice in England and Scotland.

Successive governments in England have emphasised the importance of school choice and encouraged parents to choose between different schools for their children. Contrastingly in Scotland, the government has limited the amount of choice with most children going to their local school.

Despite the difference, Scottish families are no less satisfied or empowered by their level of school choice - an equal share of parents are happy with the amount of choice they have over the school their child will attend. Another lively policy insights discussion from The David Hume Institute, which provides plenty of food for thought.

International Insights from Olli-Pekka Heinonen

Olli-Pekka Heinonen shared his insights into the Finnish approach to learning systems and lifelong learning for a skilled labour market.

Olli-Pekka Heinonen is the Former Minister of Education for Finland and is currently the Director General at the Finnish National Agency for Education. 

Before joining the Prime Minister’s Office in March 2012, he worked for 10 years as a Director in the Finnish Broadcasting Company. Before that he had an active career in politics between 1994 and 2002, serving as the Minister of Transport and Communications 1999-2002, Minister of Education 1994-1999 and Member of the Parliament of Finland 1995-2002.

A copy of Olli-Pekka Heinonen’s presentation is available for download here:

Olli-Pekka Heinonen was interviewed for ITV News Representing Border. The interview can be viewed in this clip from 17 minutes 30 seconds into the video.

Listen the the Scottish Parliament Podcast of Olli-Pekka Heninonen’s seminar in partnership with Scotland’s Futures Forum.

David Willetts on Universities

Lord Willetts spoke about how we have ended up with the higher education system that we have, and about the challenges facing universities today as globalisation and technological innovation continue to gain pace. This event took place on 22 March 2018.

Emer Smyth: Gender and education: why do girls do better than boys?

Professor Emer Smyth of the Economic & Social Research Institute, Dublin, on the widespread and persistent issue of the underperformance of boys in education, from pre-school to first degree.

Self Improving Schools

Professor Don Ledingham

This event was far more interactive than the usual David Hume Seminar. Rather than prescribing an alternative, Professor Don Ledingham – who in his career has been a head teacher and a director of education – asked the audience for help in arriving at a new model of school improvement, which might be described as ‘self directed schools’.

Nicola Sturgeon: An education system for everyone – the foundation of a fairer Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon: An education system for everyone - the foundation of a fairer Scotland

As part of the Politicians and Professionals Series 2015, the First Minister spoke to the David Hume Institute on 25 February 2015.