Category: Opinion

Don’t just give them knowledge on a plate

I’ve written a few articles over the past few days about the importance of providing foundational knowledge as we teach people, whether in schools, church or other educational type contexts.  I see this as important but things can go too far the other way. There is a benefit to not always teaching knowledge and providing… Continue reading Don’t just give them knowledge on a plate

More on not so obviously useful knowledge

The Education Secretary’s announcement that efforts would be made to encourage Latin in schools has divided opinion. Some people have immediately welcomes this as an important part of raising standards and removing the stigma of Latin as an elitist subject. Others have argued that this is a waste of time, learning a dead language is… Continue reading More on not so obviously useful knowledge

“I’ll wait for Survation”

Survation famously got their 2017 General Election prediction pretty near right when all the other pollsters floundered. So in 2019, when nearly every pollster was calling it for the Conservatives as a clear win, a frequent refrain from those rooting for Jeremy Corbyn was “I’ll wait for Survation”. The hope and belief was that once… Continue reading “I’ll wait for Survation”

COVID Passports revisited

The possibility of vaccine passports is back on the table again. On Monday the Prime Minister announced that these would be imposed on nightclubs as mandatory in September and that unlike with previous/voluntary options, the requirement would be for patrons to show they had been fully vaccinated. Currently, the COVID vaccine scheme offers three options… Continue reading COVID Passports revisited

COVID forecasting – Rear view mirrors and uncertainty

What kind of COVID numbers can we expect to be seeing over the next few weeks?  Knowing what we might expect to see is crucial for those involved in making the big decisions because  case numbers impact on hospital admissions and that in turn has an impact on mortality figures.  Those involved in leading churches… Continue reading COVID forecasting – Rear view mirrors and uncertainty

Keep the Nightclubs closed

Where is the biggest risk going to be over the next few weeks as we move out of the final stages of restrictions? I suspect it won’t be in churches as we move back to normal worship, it is clear that churches are seeking to do this responsibly. It won’t be in your local supermarket.… Continue reading Keep the Nightclubs closed

The future of Christian magazines

It was something that you used to eagerly look forward to, the day when the latest editions of Evangelicals Now and Christianity Magazine were available in your local Christian bookshop. Nowadays I get my copy through the post and in fact can read most of the content online, often before my print copy arrives. But… Continue reading The future of Christian magazines

Is it time to stop publishing the COVID case data daily?

There are increasing calls, not just from politicians but from scientists too for the daily update on COVID cases to end. Some countries have already moved to weekly reporting. The argument is that reading about exponentially growing cases serves to increase anxiety among the public. It also means we don’t look at COVID in perspective.… Continue reading Is it time to stop publishing the COVID case data daily?

Out of lockdown – a further update and more thoughts on masks and contact tracing

I’m trying to include a regular update on Faithroots regarding the COVID-19 situation and the move towards ending all restrictions here in England and the wider UK. My aim is to try and help church leaders stay abreast of what might be happening and plan accordingly.  Obviously, I’m not an epidemiologist or an immunologist, just… Continue reading Out of lockdown – a further update and more thoughts on masks and contact tracing