Blog Category: Uncategorized
2nd January
Predominant or predominate?
Predominate: according to the online Free dictionary, this intransitive verb means to “have or gain controlling power or influence”. Adding the suffix -ly turns this into an adverb. But is predominately interchangeable with the word predominantly? I have lost count of … Continue reading
10th January
Ignore the whingers, we’ve got something to be REALLY proud of!
I DON’T KNOW about anyone else, but I’ve heard the words ‘Olympics’, ‘Games’ and ‘London 2012’ about three dozen times a day for the past seven years. A rough approximation, that’s a total of 91,980 times. I must admit, it’s … Continue reading
5th November
GCSE results fiasco shows why these exams need an overhaul
NOT FOR THE first time since the summer, GCSE grading has hit the headlines. After recording the first dip in results since the examinations were introduced in the late 80s, it emerged some exam boards took the decision to mark … Continue reading
5th December
Deadening our libraries – in order to save them…
I went into my local library this afternoon to renew a couple of books. Nothing special about that, you might say. But it was the first time I’d been into my beloved little bibliotheque since the local council introduced self-service counters. Now, I … Continue reading
15th August
The best thing about education? Learning how lucky we are.
AS THE EMBERS of fires lit during arson attacks subside, and as magistrates notch up sleepless nights charging the perpetrators of theft and violence, I have been thinking long and hard about the recent riots across England, and listening avidly … Continue reading
18th April
What we can learn from marathons
Unless you’ve been to watch the drama of a marathon unfold, you might wonder what kind of person would run 26.2 miles in one go. The answer? There is no one kind of person, but a diverse bunch of people … Continue reading