Scholarship • Serving • Ministry – Ian Paul
There are some compelling arguments for the (relatively new) pattern of ‘contextual training’ for ordination. Steven Sherman, in his snappily titled Revitalizing theological epistemology (2008), argues that the historic separation of the seminary from the local church has created major problems for our whole concept of how we grow in the knowledge of God. His primary target …
A few weeks ago I was in a meeting at the school where I am a governor to review last year’s performance against targets. As we were looking at each subject area, and the ‘added value’ the school had brought to the results, mapped against ‘expected achievement’, we (quite naturally) fell into a kind of …
It has been announced this morning that St John’s College, Nottingham, having just celebrated its 150th anniversary, is to cease training full-time residential ordinands. After many months of prayerful consideration, the college Council and Directorate are ready to take the bold step of remodelling the college to meet the future training needs of the church. …
As both a parent and a governor during this year’s GCSE results, I found myself in an odd predicament. Should I be pleased with my son’s results because they were his achievement, or because the school had succeeded in ‘adding value’? How did we get into this strange dilemma? A generation ago, there would have …
The case of the supposed ‘Trojan Horse’ infiltration of some Birmingham schools by ‘Islamic fundamentalists’ has, of course, generated more heat than light. And it was only a matter of time before the spotlight was turned on Christian ‘fundamentalist’ schools. On Newsnight last night (starting at 26:20 into the programme), Jeremy Paxman introduced the issue by asking: ‘Where does belief end and bigotry begin?’
In September, I commented from my own experience in business and others’ experience in other sectors on Michael Gove’s proposal to introduce performance related pay in teaching. It is particularly pertinent for me practically, since I am on the appraisal group for the head of the school of which I am a governor. Apart from …
In 2013, Trinity College Bristol were looking for a new Principal, and for some reason several people drew this to my attention. So I looked at the ad, and this is what I found they were looking for: a person of integrity, humility and wisdom a leader of leaders, who thrives on the sharing and multiplying of leadership …
The NSS has produced what appears to be a particularly unpleasant report on the work of Christian organisations in primary and secondary schools. On their website the lead comment is as follows: Our state schools are being targeted and exploited by evangelical groups as part of their missionary work. That is a serious charge, for …
I am a governor for The Nottingham Emmanuel School, which all of our children have attended, and two are still there. At our last meeting, we signed off a revised Code of Practice, which sets out governor responsibilities. It is a daunting list, where those of us who offer some spare time in a voluntary …
I don’t disagree with Michael Gove on everything he says. Learning in any context is always a combination of knowledge acquisition and the development of skills, and I have some sympathy with the notion that the balance in secondary education has moved too far to the latter and needs more of the former. Acquired knowledge …
