Articles and Columns
You can see a selection of Mike's articles here.
Do we still need creativity in schools?
10 years after the publication of 'All Our Futures' is the need for creativity in schools as great as ever?
26 May 2009 BBC News Online
Nature or nurture: which determines educational success?
Chris Woodhead raised the question of the role of genes in educational success - but what does the research show?
15 May 2009 BBC News Online
Was Mrs Thatcher right about the curriculum?
Do we need so much prescription and breadth in the national curriculum?
14 Apr 2009 BBC News Online
Cruel hoax in student admissions?
Will this summer's changes to university admissions really allow students to upgrade their offers? It looks unlikely.
10 Mar 2009 BBC News Online
School lessons from Singapore
What can we learn from one of the world's most successful school systems?
10 Mar 2009 The Guardian
Could pupils do a better job than Ofsted?
An innovative scheme shows that pupils can do a very effective job of inspecting their own school -- watch out Ofsted!
24 Jan 2009 The Guardian
Mike Baker's BBC Look Ahead to education in 2009
2009 looks like being a year of uncertainty in education.
08 Jan 2009 BBC News Online
How independent will Ofqual be?
The Queen's Speech announced a Bill to divide the QCA into two: a development agency (QCDA) and a new exams watchdog, Ofqual. But how independent will it be?
07 Dec 2008 BBC News Online
Universities need to be more flexible
British universities could learn from the USA about a more flexible offer to meet student needs.
28 Nov 2008 The Guardian
Private education and the credit crunch
Will the recession hit independent school numbers?
20 Nov 2008 BBC News Online
Obama - the 'education President'?
President-elect Obama tried hard to make education one of his big campaigning issues -- will he translate his talk into action?
08 Nov 2008 BBC News Online
The teachers deserve their Oscars
Reflections on the Teaching Awards, the status of teachers, and one of my favourite teachers.
25 Oct 2008 BBC News Online
National tests at 11 hamper primary review
The Rose Review into primary education will report soon - but why is it not allowed to look at the issue of national tests?
24 Oct 2008 The Guardian
Why were the tests at 14 scrapped?
The problems with marking were a major factor behind the demise of the tests at 14.
22 Oct 2008 BBc News Online
What future for diplomas?
With news that uptake was lower than expected, what is the future for the new diplomas?
21 Oct 2008 Public Finance
What is fair in university admissions?
Why are some independent schools so hostile to attempts to level the playing-field of university admissions?
03 Oct 2008 BBC News Online
Scrap the 2009 Sats marking?
With such a tight deadline for next year's Sats marking, wouldn't it be better to rely on teacher assessment instead?
16 Sep 2008 The Guardian
Crashing down the global university league table
Latest OECD report shows we are no longer top dog on graduation rates -- time for a more ambitious policy?
13 Sep 2008 BBC News Online
Why have school holidays in wet August?
After a miserable summer many of us are wondering why we don't cheer ourselves up - and raise standards - by changing school holiday dates.
06 Sep 2008 BBC News Online
How will schools look in the future?
A fascinating 'think-in' looks at how schools might be funded and organised in the future. For more on this see: http://www.heppell.net/horizontal/
05 Aug 2008 BBC News Online
Search this website
