Education chief is taking the Michael

Opinion: As regular readers will know, Michael Gove gets up Bill Stott’s nose Hmm, he’s at it again, that Gove fellow. Wants to bring back writing lines, detention and – who knows? – six of the best, in the search for his notion of discipline in the classroom. He really hasn’t got a clue, has […]

Opinion: Cheerleading for art, part 2

Bill Stott continues to put the case for better art education in schools. You can read part one here. Of course, Michael Gove could be a keen and knowledgeable student of the arts – first in line when there’s something new at Tate Modern, burning his thumbs on disposable cigarette lighters at Glastonbury, and clamouring […]

Opinion: Cheerleading for art

Bill Stott writes: Remember your school reports? They become ingrained. Like your first snog. Mine weren’t bad. English, history, art, even P.E. (he was a bully) were all good but then they fell into the maths abyss. That bit was never good. I really didn’t care how long it took six men with rubber teaspoons […]

Whither the art

Our wise old cartoonist Bill Stott contemplates the state of the, er, art. Interesting discussion on the Radio 4 Andrew Marr slot (19 November 2012) all about arts, arts funding, art in schools, and the new National Curriculum, which doesn’t include art and design as a compulsory subject. The artist Antony Gormley and others sang the […]

Foggy and der yoof

Our anthropomorphic friend launches himself upon the hard world of educashun.

The degree of visual communication

This story raised a storm about the value of the drawn form as a subject worthy of study. The row provoked by the Labour MP Tom Harris has provided some lively correspondence for Bloghorn. Rob Murray reports: Dr Ernesto Priego, co-editor of The Comics Grid, publicly responded to Mr Harris by asking him whether he […]

Japanese Nuclear Boy

Artist Kazuhiko Hachiya has made an animated short to help explain the ongoing nuclear crisis to Japanese children. The clip’s title character, Nuclear Boy, plays the role of the ill child representing Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. Reaction to the colorful clip has been mixed, with some folks calling it distasteful and others arguing it makes […]