John Humphrys examines the reasons behind the stark educational attainment gap between advantaged and disadvantaged pupils, which has stubbornly refused to narrow, despite the pledge made by successive governments to put education at the top of the political agenda.
This attainment gap is a problem that starts very early on, with experts saying that even before turning two, poor children have already fallen significantly behind in development. And when they reach school age, they are on average a year behind; by 14 two years behind; and by 16 half as likely to get five good GCSEs.
John travels the country visiting schools and meeting parents, teachers, pupils, tutors and researchers. He hears from teachers committed to finding ways to improve things and head teachers who have managed to turn failing schools around.
But he also uncovers the battles that exist for the best available education and how an increasing number of parents are using private tutoring companies to top up their children's education. Lee Elliott-Major of The Sutton Trust tells how research still suggests that the overwhelming factor in who does well in school depends on who the parents are, and John hears how parental choice for schools and the option for private education often exaggerate the social divide between the rich and the poor.
In Unequal Opportunities, John reflects on his own background and explores the dilemmas faced by parents wanting the best education for their children.
BBC2. Monday 20th September 2010. 60 minutes
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Thursday, 16 September 2010
Big School Lottery
Series offering an insight into one of the most important and stressful decisions a family can make - which secondary school to send their child to.
With unprecedented and exclusive access, the series follows Birmingham Education Authority, which is the largest in Europe, as it allocates its school places. And it follows a group of children - and their parents - from across Birmingham as they go through the process and make the move from primary to secondary school.
This is an intimate and revealing account of modern Britain, which brings to the fore a better understanding of the complexity and difficulty of administering a system that has to balance all the choices and find school places for 16,000 children in this year alone.
BBC2 7-15 September. 3 x 60 minutes
With unprecedented and exclusive access, the series follows Birmingham Education Authority, which is the largest in Europe, as it allocates its school places. And it follows a group of children - and their parents - from across Birmingham as they go through the process and make the move from primary to secondary school.
This is an intimate and revealing account of modern Britain, which brings to the fore a better understanding of the complexity and difficulty of administering a system that has to balance all the choices and find school places for 16,000 children in this year alone.
BBC2 7-15 September. 3 x 60 minutes
Sunday, 12 September 2010
The Tony Blair Interview with Andrew Marr
Andrew Marr tackles Tony Blair in an exclusive interview and the first major political interview with Tony Blair since 2007, the year he stood down as Prime Minister. Andrew Marr seeks to learn more about what Blair was trying to achieve in office and how he now regards his record in office, as Blair's memoirs are published.
BBC2. 1st September 2010. 60 minutes
BBC2. 1st September 2010. 60 minutes
Ben: Diary of a Heroin Addict
As a bright schoolboy from a loving, middle-class family Ben Rogers was expected to make a success of his life. Raised in a quiet, picturesque village Ben was a Boy Scout, loved cricket, played in the school orchestra and looked forward to the annual family holiday. But despite his privileged start in life Ben found himself on the road to ruin, injecting heroin up to four times a day.
During his last months, Ben kept a video diary of his drug use and desperate attempts to come off heroin. Ravaged by the drug, Ben's body began to break down: he developed DVT and his veins were rendered so useless he had to inject into his groin. Despite his family's best efforts, Ben couldn't stop. He was haunted by, and hooked on, heroin.
Ben: Diary of A Heroin Addict charts his lies and manipulation as he mixes his next hit whilst telling his mother Anne he is clean and making a new start. It reveals Anne’s anger and tears as Ben loses his fight against the drugs and shows how father Mike’s unconditional love continues undiminished as they are forced to deal with their son’s addiction.
Director Olly Lambert comments: “It’s incredibly rare to come across such raw and unflinching footage of a man so close to an abyss. I was speechless when I first watched it. I hope the film finishes what Ben had begun: to give people a visceral understanding of the nature of addiction. It has been a privilege to try and unpick who Ben really was using the intimate legacy he’s left behind.”
“I hope to god you look at these videos and see what a mess I got myself into”. Ben Rogers.
Sky3. 2nd September 2010. 60 minutes
During his last months, Ben kept a video diary of his drug use and desperate attempts to come off heroin. Ravaged by the drug, Ben's body began to break down: he developed DVT and his veins were rendered so useless he had to inject into his groin. Despite his family's best efforts, Ben couldn't stop. He was haunted by, and hooked on, heroin.
Ben: Diary of A Heroin Addict charts his lies and manipulation as he mixes his next hit whilst telling his mother Anne he is clean and making a new start. It reveals Anne’s anger and tears as Ben loses his fight against the drugs and shows how father Mike’s unconditional love continues undiminished as they are forced to deal with their son’s addiction.
Director Olly Lambert comments: “It’s incredibly rare to come across such raw and unflinching footage of a man so close to an abyss. I was speechless when I first watched it. I hope the film finishes what Ben had begun: to give people a visceral understanding of the nature of addiction. It has been a privilege to try and unpick who Ben really was using the intimate legacy he’s left behind.”
“I hope to god you look at these videos and see what a mess I got myself into”. Ben Rogers.
Sky3. 2nd September 2010. 60 minutes
Enemies of Reason
Professor Richard Dawkins tackles irrational belief systems from astrology to New Age mysticism, clairvoyance to alternative health cures and looks at how health has become a battleground between reason and superstition.
More4. 1st September 2010. 120 minutes
More4. 1st September 2010. 120 minutes
I Am Slave
From the director of Death of a President and the writer of The Last King of Scotland, and inspired by real-life events, I Am Slave is the extraordinary story of one woman's fight for freedom from modern-day slavery.
I Am Slave, starring incredible international talent Wunmi Mosaku, is a powerful story of imprisonment, cruelty and despair, but also one of hope and humanity.
The story begins when 12-year-old Malia, from the Nuba Mountains, is snatched from the arms of her father during a Muharaleen raid on their village. Sold into slavery, she spends the next six years of her life working for a Sudanese family. Then, aged 18 years old, she is sent to London where the brutality and inhumanity that she experiences continues, only under a different roof.
Hidden in plain sight, Malia's desperate situation goes unnoticed or uncared for by everyone she comes into contact with. Stripped of her passport and living in terror of what might happen to her family in the Sudan should she speak out, Malia is trapped in a ruthless, alien environment.
Despairing of the life to which she has been condemned, Malia calls on all her strength to make a dramatic escape back to Sudan to the father who never gave up hope that she was alive and who never stopped searching for her.
Channel Four. 30th August 2010. 90 minutes
I Am Slave, starring incredible international talent Wunmi Mosaku, is a powerful story of imprisonment, cruelty and despair, but also one of hope and humanity.
The story begins when 12-year-old Malia, from the Nuba Mountains, is snatched from the arms of her father during a Muharaleen raid on their village. Sold into slavery, she spends the next six years of her life working for a Sudanese family. Then, aged 18 years old, she is sent to London where the brutality and inhumanity that she experiences continues, only under a different roof.
Hidden in plain sight, Malia's desperate situation goes unnoticed or uncared for by everyone she comes into contact with. Stripped of her passport and living in terror of what might happen to her family in the Sudan should she speak out, Malia is trapped in a ruthless, alien environment.
Despairing of the life to which she has been condemned, Malia calls on all her strength to make a dramatic escape back to Sudan to the father who never gave up hope that she was alive and who never stopped searching for her.
Channel Four. 30th August 2010. 90 minutes
Dispatches: Britain's Secret Slaves
Over 15,000 domestic workers leave their families to come to Britain every year. Charities claim that many are not only badly treated but that they are living as slaves.
This report investigates the plight of overseas domestic workers brought to the UK, and enslaved behind closed doors by rich and powerful employers in the upper levels of British society.
Dispatches goes undercover as some of the employers accused of modern-day slavery are confronted on camera about how they have treated their workers.
Many workers make the sacrifice to leave their country for the UK in order to better provide for their families back home. But lobby groups and charities communicate that a worrying proportion of domestic workers have their passports taken away from them, are kept locked up and subjected to sexual, physical and psychological abuse.
Many are paid less than £50 a week for 20 hour days and some wages are withheld completely.
Even children face similar horrendous conditions; the filmmakers meet young people who were trafficked over to the UK as children and endured years of violence and forced labour.
The programme also investigates claims that foreign diplomats are among the worst offenders in this flourishing form of modern slavery.
Channel Four. 30th August 2010. 50 minutes
This report investigates the plight of overseas domestic workers brought to the UK, and enslaved behind closed doors by rich and powerful employers in the upper levels of British society.
Dispatches goes undercover as some of the employers accused of modern-day slavery are confronted on camera about how they have treated their workers.
Many workers make the sacrifice to leave their country for the UK in order to better provide for their families back home. But lobby groups and charities communicate that a worrying proportion of domestic workers have their passports taken away from them, are kept locked up and subjected to sexual, physical and psychological abuse.
Many are paid less than £50 a week for 20 hour days and some wages are withheld completely.
Even children face similar horrendous conditions; the filmmakers meet young people who were trafficked over to the UK as children and endured years of violence and forced labour.
The programme also investigates claims that foreign diplomats are among the worst offenders in this flourishing form of modern slavery.
Channel Four. 30th August 2010. 50 minutes
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