Media

Robin Alexander’s work has featured in the media since the 1980s. Attention has peaked in relation to three initiatives:

  • His evaluation of a major programme of systemic primary education reform in Leeds, one of Britain’s biggest cities, undertaken between 1986 and 1991.
  • The resulting ‘three wise men’ national enquiry into primary teaching, on which he served, which was commissioned by the UK government in 1991 and reported in 1992.
  • The Cambridge Primary Review, especially during its implementation and reporting phases, 2006-2010.

There is a vast media archive on the Leeds and ‘three wise men’ enquiries, but as yet it has not been properly collated. However, media treatment of both reports is discussed in Alexander’s 1997 book Policy and Practice in Primary Education: local initiative, national agenda. Media coverage of the Cambridge Primary Review has been systematically logged since its launch in 2006:

30 newspaper articles by Robin Alexander are listed at Publications/newspaper articles, starting with commentary on the 1991 Leeds report and the 1991-2 ‘three wise men’ enquiry’ and running through to the UK government’s 2011-13 curriculum review, at which point his CPRT blog took over. In between are articles about teacher education, classroom talk and the curriculum, and critical responses to a succession of government initiatives and policies.  Some but not all of these articles may be viewed/downloaded at the independent media website journalisted.com: http://journalisted.com/robin-alexander?allarticles=yes

Several media pieces have focused on Robin Alexander personally. For recent examples see: