Education 3-13
Education
3-13 is now one of the journals produced by the
leading publisher Routledge.
The journal was first published in 1973 when it was founded by the
Primary Schools Research and Development Group in the West Midlands.
The first editor was Colin Richards, still a valued friend of the
Association, who edited the journal for ten years and went on to
a distinguished career as an HMI, writer and academic.
The first issues of the journal were concerned with topics such
as: the place of discovery learning; the issue of 'open schooling';
the role of the primary head teacher; reading; the aims of primary
education; and, 'children and their difficulties'. The original
aims of the journal were to seek out the central issues and problems
of education three to thirteen and subject them to scrutiny in order
to improve practice through an on-going debate.
The National Executive committee of ASPE and the Board of the journal
feel that Education 3-13 has subsequently
contributed positively to the complex and sometimes confusing period
of education over the years since it was first published. Recent
decades have witnessed an increasing 'colonisation' of primary school
education in the UK by central government which has steadily and
inexorably taken control of the aims, nature, assessment and modes
of delivery of the primary curriculum.
The era when teachers in schools were supervised by Local Authority
and Diocesan advisors and inspectors and jointly decided on the
curriculum seems now to be long gone and everyone in education is
now used to a National Curriculum, national testing, Ofsted inspections,
and all the other paraphernalia of a time when education seems dominated
by performance and outcomes determined by external tests. Nonetheless
it is clear that many dedicated teachers have sought to ameliorate
the excesses of national intervention out of a continued sense of
dedication to the children in their care. Recent years have also
witnessed a welcome reinvigoration of interest in the creative aspects
of learning and teaching.
During all of its thirty years Education 3-13
has stood as one of the few journals dedicated to the work of teachers
and other professional groups working with children in the years
associated with pre-school, primary and middle schools. In this
sense it is an unusual and important journal that is driven by the
continued desire to promote debate in order to probe the basis of
research and practice and it is striking both how much and how little
has changed during its existence. The power of Local Authorities
may have ebbed and flowed, the role of governments in education
has been magnified beyond all expectation around the world but the
fundamentals of classroom life and learning have remained the same.
The language may be slightly different but the topics that formed
the focus for those early editions of the journal are still key
areas of debate today.
The most recent editors of the journal, including Neil Simco and,
most recently, Rosie Turner-Bisset and Mark Brundrett, have tried
to ensure that Education 3-13 remains
true to its origins whilst continuing to develop as one of the few
journals that cross boundaries in terms of age-phase and subject.
We hope that its new home with Routledge will continue to enhance
its standing whilst remaining faithful to its early ideals.
We all hope everyone enjoys reading Education 3-13
and that it can play a serious role in the professional development
of all who value ASPE and an organisation.
Professor Mark Brundrett
Editor of Education 3-13
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