Duncan O'Leary
Duncan works on projects looking at public services, skills and work.
- Networked Learning Communities enter the blogosphere The Networked Learning Communities programme, which aims to facilitate the spread of good practice across the education system, has got itself a weblog [registration required here]. The second of the two postings so far seems a good example of how it might be used ? it looks at how Local Education Authorities will be configuring the 1000 or so Primary networks that will be created following the Primary Strategy. The next posting will be used to share some of the learning from International... continue reading on 6th January 2005
- Sky's the limit? As might be expected they have gone for the Sky option, arguing that the ?2 million extra will provide a platform for greater investment in the sport and eventually a better England team. Predictably there’s considerable debate about whether this is the most effective option – with the counter-argument running that with less kids able to watch the matches, fewer and fewer people will end up playing the game, leaving an even smaller pool to be selected from the England team. Whilst... continue reading on 16th December 2004
- Smaller government...literally Apparently polling has demonstrated some support for the idea, but is it really going to achieve greater trust or belief in politics? Although I can’t find the evidence for it (well, not it England anyway), I wouldn’t mind betting that people trust and value their local MP far more than they do politicians or the government in general - this has certainly been the case with other institutions suffering from a lack of democratic legitimacy. If it does apply, then is making MPs more... continue reading on 13th December 2004 Comments (1)
- The politics of fear? There’s a bit of a storm brewing over Peter Hain’s comments in an interview this morning, when he implied that Britain would be safer under Labour than either the Lib Dems or the Tories. Predictably he’s been accused of playing ‘party politics’ with terrorism, but is this really fair? How to tackle terrorism is not a neutral issue – different parties hold different views on it and presumably one of them would be more likely to make Britain safer than the... continue reading on 24th November 2004
- From Newspapers to Viewspapers Peter Preston wrote an article in the Observer yesterday that’s worth a read if you’re interested in the plight/future of newspapers in the age of 24hr news and many-to-many communication. He suggests that newspapers are not doomed as some have suggested, but will have to adapt in order to survive in this new climate. Specifically, he suggests that “the old mantras of fairness, balance and superficial neutrality” are likely to be left behind as newspapers become... continue reading on 22nd November 2004
- Joining the party This seems to throw up a couple of issues:Firstly, that the first-past-the-post system isn’t preventing the emergence of new parties, but it is providing some real dilemmas about how they define themselves in relation to the more established parties. Are they pressure groups or real alternatives? Or can they be both?Secondly, whilst the new parties tend not to have any real hope of gaining seats in a general election, they are capable of influencing results. David Davies suggested... continue reading on 17th November 2004
- Hold the front page An experiment on the Guardian newsblog starts today which might be worth keeping an eye on. Every day someone from the newsdesk will post on the newsblog, explaining which of the main stories the paper will be covering and why, and will be asking for comments and suggestions. It seems like an interesting attempt to reconcile the attractions of real-time blogging, a live website, and a daily newspaper – and is a shift (albeit a pretty small one) towards involving its readers earlier and... continue reading on 9th November 2004 Comments (3)
- Whatever it takes It can be difficult filling an audience for an event, even if you’re President of the United States.[via the Guardian Newsblog] continue reading on 29th October 2004
- The Washington Journo On one level this seems a good example of the Pro-Am economy, but on another it interests me that in spite of the real sense of identity within the blogging community, writing for a newspaper remains an increasingly popular destination for confirmed bloggers. All of which leads to the question of whether essentially newspapers and blogs compliment each other, or whether the newspapers are simply staving off the advance of a new form of media which is destined to overtake them. continue reading on 22nd October 2004 Comments (1)
- Chocolate with a difference Following hot on the heels of Mecca Cola and The Islamic Bank of Britain is Ummah Foods, the company which has just launched a chocolate bar which 'tastes really good, but also has a positive impact on the world Insha'Alla'. Apart from offering a halal product, the company will donate 10% of profits to charity, and has already forged links with organisations in the Muslim Community such as the London Muslim Centre, as part of its committment to be a community-based business. continue reading on 20th October 2004