digitaltoast

The BBC recently ran a couple of programmes on Radio 4 called
Great White Hopes

Henry Bonsu investigates current debates about class and poverty in education policy, in the light of calls by Trevor Phillips, head of the Commission for Equalities and Human Rights, for Britain’s white working class children to receive special educational funding, alongside other underachieving minorities.

Wow – actually seems like a good idea. Unless your name is Professor David Gilbourne Gillborn (see footnote below) in which case you manage to undo the last 15 years of progress with the most ill-judged comment I’ve heard for a long while. Listen and weep!

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So, who is this Professor David Gillborn?

My work includes ethnographic research on racism in schools and classrooms; conceptual writing on the nature of racism in educational policy and practice; mixed-method evidence reviews; and analyses of policy initiatives at local, national and international levels

If you’re still awake and want to know more, his book Racism and Education: Coincidence or Conspiracy? is available second hand from Amazon marked with a “low price” of £499. I’ll take two….(cheaper copies do seem available)

Now for a correction: I was contacted on 31/March/2009 by a representative of academic publisher Taylor and Francis. I am always happy to quickly correct any mistakes, and it appears I made quite a big one confusing Gillborn and Gilbourne, who had both written on race in education.

We would like to draw your attention to your article “Great White Hopes – Professor David Gilbourne on race on Radio 4”.
http://www.digitaltoast.co.uk/great-white-hopes-david-gilbourneThe article uses a radio interview with Professor David Gillborn (note the correct spelling of Professor Gillborn’s name) of the Institute of Education, London, and then links to a lecture by Professor David Gilbourne of UWIC, Cardiff. You seem to suggest that the radio interview and the lecture are by the same person. David Gillborn of the Institute of Education, London’s research concerns race and racism in education. David Gilbourne of Cardiff Metropolitan University’s research examines qualitative research in sport and exercise. As far as we are aware, the two are not connected. Please would you amend the text of
http://www.digitaltoast.co.uk/great-white-hopes-david-gilbourne accordingly.

Thank you to that person for bringing this to my attention – as they contacted me through the private form, I haven’t used their name, but they can use the comment field below if they’d like to add anything.