Professor Donald Gillies
Education, politics, democracy:
tensions, alignments, and prospects
The lecture examined
the political control of state education in the UK in current
times. The lecture argues that there has been a longstanding
political failure to achieve the promises of democracy, and
especially that of equality, in relation to education. Given
current political practice, it is unlikely that this will change
soon to any significant degree. Professor Gillies argued that this
vacuum makes it all the more important that teachers, and
especially those in training, have the professional values,
beliefs, and skills to be able to make a positive impact on the
lives of children and young people, and particularly on those who
are not privileged. This professionalism must include a critical
understanding, and championing, of democracy, so that the citizenry
of the future can come closer to upholding, and enjoying, the
democratic ideals our forebears rightly cherished.
Donald Gillies has been
Professor of Education Policy at York St John University since
August 2012. Prior to that he was Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in
Educational Studies at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.
Before moving into higher education in 2005, he was a school
teacher for 21 years, latterly as Head of English in a large
comprehensive school in South Lanarkshire.