A Talk by Peter Young
7.30pm Wednesday, 20 October
Guildhall, Lichfield

“God, this place is dull.”

Discover poet Philip Larkin, his love of Lichfield, and his links to the City through “A personal reminiscence of Larkin from someone who never knew him”

A free event, hosted in partnership with Speakers’ Corner Lichfield.

Pitched somewhere between Universal Children’s Day and World Teachers’ Day, Speakers’ Corner hosted a short session on Saturday October 16th on Education, Education, Education …..

The excellent new Speakers’ Corner banners also made their first striking appearance on the day!

John Brough introduced the topic, stressing the need for the ‘new’ government to listen more to those who work at the chalk face of education – and especially to the real experts, students who themselves spend up to 13 years in the system.

At this point two sixth formers (Aimee in Y13 and Michael in Y12, both from King Edward VI school) stood and spoke with clarity, confidence and passion about two aspects of education which matter greatly to them: the lack of rigour in many GCSE examinations (from Aimee) and the need to fast-track more able students (from Michael).

John referred to both these concerns in the course of his speech, imploring Michael Gove, and the coalition government, not to repeat the mistakes of previous governments in focusing too heavily on examinations and qualifications, unnecessary structural change and excessive inspection and micromanagement. Instead he urged them to re-consider the fundamental question of What is education for?

Here are some extracts from his speech:

“As a former headteacher myself, I just worry that despite the undoubted and much needed investment we’ve seen in recent years in educational buildings, facilities, teacher training and support, there is a real danger that Michael Gove and company will repeat the mistakes of previous governments without examining the fundamental question – What is Education for?

I have to confess that I actually groaned, back in the late 1990’,s when I heard the then prime minister Tony Blair utter those famous words:

“Education Education Education”

because I knew that

a) another set of politicians were going to tell me what to do yet again
b) that their focus wouldn’t really be on Education at all – but on whatever aspects would catch the eye and potentially win votes and
c) that we’d be subject to yet more structural change and interference by government – which actually detracts and distracts from the real purpose of education.

So, going back to the key question, What is Education for?
For successive governments it would appear to be principally about maximising examination results – getting qualifications. Education, Education, Education = Qualifications, Qualifications, Qualifications. For sure, qualifications are extremely important but they are one outcome – an end product – of education – they don’t define it.

Of course, exams are important because they assess certain skills and allow universities and employers to make certain judgements. But all too often, they are used by government as a crude measurement of a school’s performance, when high quality education is much more than that. Exams, important as they undoubtedly are, tell us only a little about the quality of a young person. Richard Branson and Winston Churchill were not highly qualified academically, but few would question their quality as individuals.

We cannot continue to regard schools as exam factories. For a start, over-concentration on exams is not improving teaching and learning, does not encourage children to think nor does it broaden their real understanding of academic subjects. Too often it restricts their knowledge to simply memorising and developing exam techniques and model answers which can be easily assessed and score well. It was Einstein who reminded us that:

“Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; and everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted”.

Education needs to be about developing the whole human being – not least the creative, logical, moral, spiritual and social dimensions. What is not nurtured and developed by the time a young person leaves school may well remain dormant for the rest of their lives. If children are fed primarily on a diet of exam preparation, by teachers who have had their initiative and creativity gradually sucked out of them by an emphasis on instruction, then no wonder that large numbers of children at school are bored, resentful and feel unfulfilled – many lose hope.

So – my message for the new coalition and Michael Gove in particular is to stop messing about with structures, organisation, statistics and an over-emphasis on qualifications, and to start trusting schools, heads, teachers – and young people themselves – to focus on the broader view of education. And that must surely include, incidentally, the urgent development of a first-class apprenticeship system right up to the equivalent of degree level, so that we don’t get a proliferation of young people doing university courses for which they are unsuited and which may ultimately and sadly lead them nowhere. That way, education will truly help to begin to re-engage the minds, hearts and enthusiasm of so many more of our children.

Pete Wilcox brought the session to an end by thanking all the speakers and highlighting the imminent enhancement and development of Speakers Corner as part of the City’s Heritage Project, with a plinth, a stone and a rail to mark the spot much more obviously and proudly! He encouraged the audience to use it! Pete also drew attention to the next Speakers’ Corner event on Wednesday October 20th when Peter Young will give a talk on the poet Philip Larkin (in the Guildhall at 7.30 p.m.)

As Speakers’ Corner strongly signifies the right to freedom of speech, the final words of the day came from the winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize – the Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo:

Freedom of Expression is the basis of human rights, the source of humanity, and the mother of truth.

Cycling – it’s ‘green’, it’s cheap, it lets you off time at the gym and is a speedy alternative to sitting in queues of traffic in town centres in the rush hour.

Join me at Speakers’ Corner, Lichfield on Saturday 25 September at 12.00 to Celebrate Cycling, Bring your bike and bring your friends with their bikes. Speakers’ Corner is in Dam Street, by Minster Pool and is also on one Lichfield’s cycle paths, so a great place to meet!

Please spread the word!

Here’s a few dates for your diary:

25 September - A celebration of cycling
If you regularly use the cycle-paths around Lichfield District – especially the one that runs past Speakers’ Corner on Dam Street, come along for a talk on the importance of cycling and celebrate what cycling means to you. Watch this space for more news.

Saturday 16 October at 12noon – World Teachers’ Day & Universal Children’s Day.
To coincide with World Teachers’ Day and Universal Children’s Day, see and hear the views of local people, and especially students themselves, about our current education system. Watch this space for more news.

Holocaust Memorial Day & Portraits for Prosperity – October/November TBC
To commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day, and in celebration of the exciting Portraits for Posterity exhibition, which is coming to the Cathedral, the National Memorial Arborteum and South Staffordshire College, local people will mark this momentus occassion.

More about Portraits for Posterity is a unique photographic exhibition drawn from survivors of the Holocaust living in Great Britain today. Very few survived the ghettos, extermination and labour camps of the Nazi regime. Those alive today are now elderly, but still bear witness to ‘the crime of the 20th century’. By creating images of the few survivors, the exhibit provides a permanent memorial that also commemorates the millions who perished without portraits.

This moving exhibition is coming to Lichfield District this autumn, and will be on show at the Cathedral, the National Memorial Arboretum and South Staffordshire College between 11 October and 15 November.  To find out more visit www.portraitsforposterity.com

5 minute Christmas Stories - 4th, 11th & 18th December @ 12 noon
Come along and listen to Canon Pete Wilcox from Lichfield Cathedral telling stories to open up The Christmas Story. Watch this space for more details.

Why not appear at Speakers’ Corner?

If you are hoping to hold any events at Speakers’ Corner, and want to publish details to this blog, just email elizabeth.thatcher@lichfielddc.gov.uk and we’ll check it won’t clash with any planned events we’re aware of, and then add it up for you.

Buskers are being given the chance to take part in a two day musical masterpiece event in Lichfield.

Set to take place at Speakers’ Corner on Dam Street on 22 & 23 May, a Buskathon led by Dave Simcox, will be raising funds for Lichfield’s Fuse Festival.

On May 22 buskers from all genres will play from 9am to 7pm, with the following day seeing Dave Simcox (aka Bruford Low) busking for 10 hours.

Fuse Festival Director Tim Perks said: “This is a great offer from Dave Simcox – aka Bruford Low – and will be a great boost to fundraising effort for Fuse, an event which costs over £30,000.”

For further details of how you can help or to book a spot, call 01543 262223 or e-mail dave.simcox@mac.com.

Speakers’ Corner Lichfield celebrated its first anniversary on the 1st May.

Hundreds of people came along to take part in the celebrations. Over 2o speakers took part, ranging from the youngest ever speaker at to speak at Lichfield’s Speakers Corner (just 5 years old!), through to students, politicians, and artists.

The Lichfield Blog (thanks to Nick and the team!) attended and took lots of great photos.

Find out more on the Lichfield blog 

See photos on the Lichfield Blog’s Flikr site. 

Thanks to everyone who came along to celebrate Lichfield’s heart of public debate – Lichfield’s very own Speakers’ Corner!

Come along to our birthday party at 11am on May 1 2010.

Here’s what’s happening:

11.00am:  Town Crier & Welcome from Pete Wilcox, Chair of Speakers Corner Committee, and compere Lesley Bovington!

11.15am: Talks from students from local secondary schools

11.30am: Talk from Peter Walker, local artist and launch of talking sculpture

11.45am: Great cake giveaway and cake cutting

12.00 noon: Cllr David S. Smith, Leader of Lichfield District Council will bring the proceedings to a close.

Lichfield’s very own Speakers’ Corner celebrates its first birthday on Saturday, 1st May and is inviting Lichfield babies who are celebrating their first birthday, too, in May to come along and be part of the special first birthday party which will take place at Speakers’ Corner at 11 – 12noon. 
 
The Speakers’ Corner party starts at 11 o’clock and will feature local speakers and performers, including local school  students  and noted artist, Peter Walker. Babies are especially invited to come along for the cutting of the commemorative cake, when they will each receive party bag, cake and memento of the occasion.
 
Chairman of the Speakers Corner, Lichfield committee,  Canon Pete Wilcox, said, “Speakers’ Corner gives a voice to people of all ages, young and old, and it would be wonderful to have our Lichfield citizens of the future share their very special first birthday celebrations with us.”  
 
Parents are asked to contact Moira Taylor on 01543 308167 or by e-mail to moira.taylor@lichfielddc.gov.uk to register their baby’s interest!

This Friday (26 March), Lichfield Cathedral will be proud to present one of three exclusive advance screenings of the film:

Saxon Gold: Finding the Hoard

Doors open at 6.30pm, film starts at 7.30pm.
Tickets £10, with all proceeds going to the Staffordshire Hoard Campaign

Tickets are kindly being sold by the Lichfield Garrick. Call 01543 412121 or buy online at www.lichfieldgarrick.com

The film, produced by the National Geographic Channel, will be aired nationally on the National Geographic Channel on 28 March 2010 and on Channel 4 in early April. The film runs for approximately 50 minutes.

Intimate Theatre actors Ken Knowles as Dr Johnson and David Titley as Teashop owner, Tom Davies will be performing a short drama at the following sites around Lichfield on Saturday 6th March.

Come and meet Dr Johnson and hear what he had to say about fairness in world trade. Come along to Speakers’ Corner at 11am for the launch.

They will call in at various local spots and cafes en route.

11am Speakers Corner

11.30am Boots Corner

11.50am Costa Coffee

12.15pm Johnson Birthplace Musuem

12.45pm The George Hotel

1.15pm The Green Room, Lichfield Garrick