Feminism Feudalism anarchism Freedom of Information Functionalism Gender
Global Capitalism Globalisation Great Thinkers Habituation of the Nation Hellinistic Philosophy Historical Materialism
Human Freedom Human Rights Humanity Immorality Independent Thinking Industrial Revolution
Pedagogy of Revolution

Flow of Ideas: articles - After the Hillcole Group

A Capital Friendly Culture for Further EducationA Capital Friendly Culture for Further Education
Academy ChainsAcademy Chains
After the Hillcole GroupAfter the Hillcole Group
Against What We Are WorthAgainst What We Are Worth
Ambassadors of Capital in SchoolsAmbassadors of Capital in Schools
An Educational Mansion House for BusinessAn Educational Mansion House for Business
Apprenticeship and the Use-value Aspect of Labour PowerApprenticeship and the Use-value Aspect of Labour Power
Artistic OutlookArtistic Outlook
Ayers Rocked In His Own UniverseAyers Rocked In His Own Universe
B GenerationB Generation
Bourdieu on CapitalBourdieu on Capital
Bourdieu on Cultural CapitalBourdieu on Cultural Capital
Bourdieu on Social CapitalBourdieu on Social Capital
Brown PFI MonsterBrown PFI Monster
Business Sponsorship of SchoolsBusiness Sponsorship of Schools
Business Takeover of Further EducationBusiness Takeover of Further Education
Cambridge University OccupationCambridge University Occupation
Caught in the Storm of CapitalCaught in the Storm of Capital
Co-payment in Hospitals and SchoolsCo-payment in Hospitals and Schools
Cold Hands and Quarter MoonCold Hands and Quarter Moon
Communitarianism for SchoolsCommunitarianism for Schools
Compulsory Consumption and Uni-NannyCompulsory Consumption and Uni-Nanny
Conforming Schools Conforming KidsConforming Schools Conforming Kids
Copy/South DossierCopy/South Dossier
Creating MonstersCreating Monsters
Creeping Privatisation in Higher EducationCreeping Privatisation in Higher Education
Critical MassCritical Mass
Critical Pedagogy and CapitalismCritical Pedagogy and Capitalism
Critical Space in EducationCritical Space in Education
Delivering E-LearningDelivering E-Learning
Digital Rights ManagementDigital Rights Management
DistillationDistillation
Dorothy L. SayersDorothy L. Sayers
Douglas Kennedy: best-selling novelistDouglas Kennedy: best-selling novelist
E-learning for Free at the BBCE-learning for Free at the BBC
Edison Schools in the UKEdison Schools in the UK
Education and Inspections Bill (2006)Education and Inspections Bill (2006)
Education As Culture MachineEducation As Culture Machine
Education FireworksEducation Fireworks
Education for DebtEducation for Debt
Education IncorporatedEducation Incorporated
Education Markets and Missing ProductsEducation Markets and Missing Products
Education RepetitionEducation Repetition
Education the HSBC WayEducation the HSBC Way
Education White PaperEducation White Paper
Education, Globalisation and the Learning SocietyEducation, Globalisation and the Learning Society
Employers and School LeaversEmployers and School Leavers
Evaluating Different Teaching MethodsEvaluating Different Teaching Methods
Everything Louder Than Everything ElseEverything Louder Than Everything Else
Finance and FearFinance and Fear
Five Endings of DesiresFive Endings of Desires
Foibles, Frolics and PhantasmsFoibles, Frolics and Phantasms
FreedomFreedom
FreewillFreewill
French New Wave CinemaFrench New Wave Cinema
Full Report Ruth Rikowski[a]s Book Launch for Globalisation, Information and LibrariesFull Report Ruth Rikowski's Book Launch for Globalisation, Information and Libraries
Gender and Spokesperson in Group Work IssuesGender and Spokesperson in Group Work Issues
Global TradingGlobal Trading
Globalisation and Education RevisitedGlobalisation and Education Revisited
Habituation of the NationHabituation of the Nation
Higher Education and Confused Employer SyndromeHigher Education and Confused Employer Syndrome
Hitchcock: classic auteurHitchcock: classic auteur
Human capital, the knowledge economy and businessHuman capital, the knowledge economy and business
In Retro GlideIn Retro Glide
In the Dentist[a]s ChairIn the Dentist's Chair
Kids in the Land of No DreamsKids in the Land of No Dreams
KM CritiqueKM Critique
Lazy Brit KidsLazy Brit Kids
Learning in the Earthworks of CapitalLearning in the Earthworks of Capital
Learning InvestmentsLearning Investments
Learning to the MaxLearning to the Max
Librarianship and Human RightsLibrarianship and Human Rights
Lifelong Learning and the Political Economy of ContainmentLifelong Learning and the Political Economy of Containment
LSBU StrategyLSBU Strategy
Marketisation of the Schools System in EnglandMarketisation of the Schools System in England
Marx and Education RevisitedMarx and Education Revisited
Marx and the Future of the HumanMarx and the Future of the Human
Marxism and Education RevisitedMarxism and Education Revisited
Marxist Educational Theory UnpluggedMarxist Educational Theory Unplugged
Maturity and FreedomMaturity and Freedom
McDonaldization and EducationMcDonaldization and Education
Michael JacksonMichael Jackson
Michele RobertsMichele Roberts
Miss Allison and Novel WritingMiss Allison and Novel Writing
Moneythought in Higher EducationMoneythought in Higher Education
Mrs Thatcher and Holes in the Kitchen FloorMrs Thatcher and Holes in the Kitchen Floor
Multiculturalism and Faith SchoolsMulticulturalism and Faith Schools
My Tony BlairMy Tony Blair
New Ideas in Ruth Rikowski[a]s Book - Part 1New Ideas in Ruth Rikowski's Book - Part 1
New Ideas in Ruth Rikowski[a]s Book - Part 2New Ideas in Ruth Rikowski's Book - Part 2
New Labour Policy for SchoolsNew Labour Policy for Schools
Nietzsche[a]s SchoolNietzsche's School
Nihilism and Educational ValuesNihilism and Educational Values
No Learner Left UnhassledNo Learner Left Unhassled
Notes on the Confessions of John DenhamNotes on the Confessions of John Denham
On Education for Its Own SakeOn Education for Its Own Sake
On Education StudiesOn Education Studies
On the Capitalisation of Schools in EnglandOn the Capitalisation of Schools in England
On Transhumanism and EducationOn Transhumanism and Education
Open AccessOpen Access
Outsourcing Public ServicesOutsourcing Public Services
Peter Wilby on School PrivatisationPeter Wilby on School Privatisation
Planet of the CapitorgPlanet of the Capitorg
PlatoPlato
Playgound Risks and Handcuffed KidsPlaygound Risks and Handcuffed Kids
Poems by Gregory RikowskiPoems by Gregory Rikowski
Poems by Victor RikowskiPoems by Victor Rikowski
Post-Fordism and SchoolsPost-Fordism and Schools
Post-Fordism in Primary SchoolsPost-Fordism in Primary Schools
Postmodern Dereliction in the Face of Neoliberal Education PolicyPostmodern Dereliction in the Face of Neoliberal Education Policy
PowerPointlessness in Higher EducationPowerPointlessness in Higher Education
Private Schools as CharitiesPrivate Schools as Charities
Privatisation of Schools in EnglandPrivatisation of Schools in England
Privatisation of Student DebtPrivatisation of Student Debt
Races in the Imperial WarRaces in the Imperial War
Readings for Teaching CourseReadings for Teaching Course
Recruitment and Labour PowerRecruitment and Labour Power
Revealed Recruitment Criteria through the Use-value Aspect of Labour-powerRevealed Recruitment Criteria through the Use-value Aspect of Labour-power
Robotic EthicsRobotic Ethics
Ruth Rikowski Updates (Archives)Ruth Rikowski Updates (Archives)
Ruth Rikowski Updates (Archives)Ruth Rikowski Updates (Archives)
School Fees and the 1944 Education ActSchool Fees and the 1944 Education Act
Schools: Building for BusinessSchools: Building for Business
Science Fiction Films and HorrorScience Fiction Films and Horror
Second Time as FarceSecond Time as Farce
Snowballs and Risk in SchoolsSnowballs and Risk in Schools
Social Contract Theory and Political ObligationsSocial Contract Theory and Political Obligations
Socialism is not DeadSocialism is not Dead
Speed of Life - Part OneSpeed of Life - Part One
Speed of Life - Part TwoSpeed of Life - Part Two
Stroppy Individuals and Oppositional Cultures in SchoolsStroppy Individuals and Oppositional Cultures in Schools
Sustainability Policy at London South Bank UniversitySustainability Policy at London South Bank University
Ten Points on Marx, Class and EducationTen Points on Marx, Class and Education
The Business of Becoming a Business for AcademiesThe Business of Becoming a Business for Academies
The Capitalisation of Schools - Federations and AcademiesThe Capitalisation of Schools - Federations and Academies
The CBI and the Business Takeover of SchoolsThe CBI and the Business Takeover of Schools
The Commodification of EducationThe Commodification of Education
The Education White Paper and the Marketisation of SchoolsThe Education White Paper and the Marketisation of Schools
The Evolution of Federations of SchoolsThe Evolution of Federations of Schools
The Last Parents EveningThe Last Parents Evening
The New Japanisation of SchoolsThe New Japanisation of Schools
The Profit Virus - The Business Takeover of SchoolsThe Profit Virus - The Business Takeover of Schools
The Standards Language-game for Schools in EnglandThe Standards Language-game for Schools in England
The Which Blair ProjectThe Which Blair Project
Three Types of Apprenticeship - Three Forms of MasteryThree Types of Apprenticeship - Three Forms of Mastery
Tony and Caroline BennTony and Caroline Benn
Tony Benn: Letters to GrandchildrenTony Benn: Letters to Grandchildren
TransportTransport
Turney[a]s and PPUTurney's and PPU
Uninspiring TowersUninspiring Towers
Universe of Capital and My SpaceUniverse of Capital and My Space
Universities in a Neoliberal WorldUniversities in a Neoliberal World
Utopia and EducationUtopia and Education
What Can Nietzsche Teach YaWhat Can Nietzsche Teach Ya
When Bullies Roam the SchoolWhen Bullies Roam the School
When the Bowers BreakWhen the Bowers Break
Why Employers Can[a]t Ever Get What They WantWhy Employers Can't Ever Get What They Want
Will Hutton and His E-FossWill Hutton and His E-Foss
Wolf on Marx Without SparksWolf on Marx Without Sparks
Women in World WarsWomen in World Wars






Chandos Book Publishing
After the Hillcole Group of Radical Left Educators


Glenn Rikowski, 8th August 2007, London


The Hillcole Group of Radical Left Educators

The Hillcole Group of Radical Left Educators was formed by Dave Hill and Mike Cole in Brighton in 1989 in response to the campaigning of the radical right Hillgate Group, the fallout from the Education Reform Act of 1988 and the decisive shift towards neoliberal education policies in education in the final years of Margaret Thatcher’s administration. It was ‘a group of socialist practitioners and academics in education in Britain’ [1], although most members were London-based, as meetings were held in London. And:

“Their aim is to improve the quality of schooling and teacher education; to confront the assaults by the radical right on the quality of education; and to influence policy and decision making on educational matters” (from Hillcole Group web site, as in Note 1).

For a long while in the UK, the educational Left had been accused by its critics that it had no policy alternatives to mainstream capitalist schooling. However, in 1991, Hillcole produced Changing the Future: Redprint for Education, edited by Clyde Chitty. This provided not just critiques of current education policy but also set out socialist alternatives to it. As I wrote in 1996:

“In 1991, just in time for the 1992 General Election, they [the Hillcole Group] published Changing the Future: Redprint for Education. This contained some general principles for a socialist agenda in education for the 1990s and beyond, a critique of alternative policies, some proposals for change, a critique of the National Curriculum, an analysis of post-compulsory education, a radical Left perspective on teacher education, an analysis of resources and funding for state education and, finally, an outline for a New Education Act – in short, it addressed many of the issues that the Left have been continually castigated for ignoring” (in Rikowski, 1996, p.429).

Furthermore, the Hillcole Group did not just include people with expertise in the schools sector, but also some with experience in post-compulsory education and training and others in higher education. Imelda Gardiner had close knowledge of the Scottish education system, too. Although nearly all were socialists, and everyone was on the educational Left and against the neoliberal and neoconservative education policies of the Conservatives, and then New Labour, Marxist educators and educational theorists were also to be found in the Hillcole Group. Indeed, the co-founders (Dave Hill and Mike Cole) went on to become significant figures in the rejuvenation of Marxism in the educational Left in the UK.

The Hillcole Group published a significant statement regarding the principles and practices that should underpin education for democracy and progressive social change in the twenty-first century in their Rethinking Education and Democracy (Hillcole Group, 1997). This booklet was very much inspired and driven on by Caroline Benn, who was a leading figure in the Hillcole Group. Again, the booklet was not just about schools. It rethought education across all sectors – from nursery education to higher education; rethinking socialist educational futures across and between the various sectors. Two years later, in 1999, the Hillcole Group ran an important conference, Business, Business, Business: New Labour’s Education Policy, in London. This conference and the two pamphlets that came out of it (Allen et al, 1999; and Hill, 1999) constituted a powerful critique of New Labour’s education policies and priorities. Through the Tufnell Press [2], the Hillcole Group published thirteen books and pamphlets between 1989 and 2002 when it disbanded, including a booklet I wrote on The Battle in Seattle: Its Significance for Education (Rikowski, 2001). By the late 1990s, the Hillcole Group had attained a significant presence in the educational Left, which went across all sectors of education. I joined the Group in 1994, whilst I was a further education teacher. I quickly realised that one of the strengths of Hillcole was that it campaigned on issues relating to, but also beyond, schools – on issues pertinent to colleges and universities, local education authorities and training institutions. It had a “system” focus, which was impressive.


After the Hillcole Group

The break-up of the Hillcole Group was a rather drawn out process, which began with the death of Caroline Benn in November 2000. By 2002, the Group no longer held meetings. The Promoting Comprehensive Education Network (PCEN), which included some prominent Hillcole members, attempted to carry on and develop the work of the Group by seeking to bring together leading educational Left organisations. However, this was not successful. Furthermore, the PCEN was focused more on schools than the Hillcole Group had been – moving away from the notion that the various parts of the educational landscape were connected. Today, there is still no organisation in the educational Left that has the breadth of vision and interests of the Hillcole Group. Such an organisation is clearly needed.

The Socialist Teachers Alliance (STA) is an excellent campaigning group with a very informative web site. Yet it focuses almost exclusively on schools; with radical, socialist and Left school teachers and activists being its major constituency. The Anti Academies Alliance is another exciting development, yet it has an even narrower focus than the STA: i.e. campaigning against the imposition of Academies, which cause a variety of education and social divisions, in various parts of England [4]. Meanwhile, the group around the Post-16 Educator journal campaigns on post-compulsory education and training [5], and although there are some articles and material with relevance to schools, the major foci are 16-19 education in further education colleges and sixth-form colleges and adult education. Finally, there is no doubt that the National Union of Teachers (NUT) does some excellent work on school privatisation and the business takeover of schools, or that the new University and College Union (UCU) is a valuable campaigning organ for its members. Yet there is no organisation that can pulls all the various strands together. Given the lack of a single trade union for education workers (and the fact that there are several unions for school teachers), and the sectoral divides within the existing union setup, then it cannot be supposed that trade unions could be the home of such an organisation. Furthermore, critique of the positions of the education unions’ policies from time to time may be required. Therefore, a certain critical (as well as material and financial) distance from education unions might be desirable. An alternative might be to try to set up an umbrella group which brings together the various education activist groups, perhaps even including trade unions. But the experience of the PCEN was not encouraging on this score.

We need something along the lines of the Hillcole Group – but bigger and better. We need a critical mass of radical, socialist and Left educators from across all the various sectors working in a common organisation. As things stand, however, it’s difficult to see how such an organisation might be constituted.


Notes [1] Further details on the Hillcole Group can be viewed at: http://www.ieps.org.uk.cwc.net/hillcole.html

[2] The Tufnell Press – http://www.tufnellpress.co.uk

[3] The Socialist Teachers Alliance web site is at: http://www.socialist-teacher.org/

[4] The Anti Academies Alliance web site is at: http://www.antiacademies.org.uk/

[5] See details on the Post-16 Educator at: http://www.post16educator.org.uk/


References

Allen, M., Benn, C., Chitty, C., Cole, M., Hatcher, R., Hirtt, N. & Rikowski, G. (1999) Business, Business, Business: New Labour’s Education Policy, London: Tufnell Press.

Hill, D. (1999) New Labour and Education: Policy, Ideology and the Third Way, London: Tufnell Press.

Hillcole Group (1991) Changing the Future: Redprint for Education, London: Tufnell Press.

Hillcole Group (1997) Rethinking Education and Democracy: A Socialist Alternative for the Twenty-first Century, London: Tufnell Press.

Rikowski, G. (1996) Left Alone: End Time for Marxist Educational Theory? British Journal of Sociology of Education, Vol.17 No.4, pp.415-451.

Rikowski, G. (2001) The Battle in Seattle: Its Significance for Education, London: Tufnell Press.



Print Friendly - Print Friendly with links
Anti-Imperialist
 © Copyright, Flow of Ideas, Ruth Rikowski and Glenn Rikowski
current date time:
Capital and Class
Website Design and Coding by Digo PC
Site optimisation by Bytec Solutions
Free-thought Global Family Government
Higher Education Human Progress Idealism
Immorality Income Generation Indulgence
Injustice Intellectual Development Knowledge Management

Valid CSS!