Essays & Opinion
Jason Arday, academia and the Church of England
Ian Paul offers some astute observations on what the Jason Arday affair tells us about academia and the Church of England. It is hard to say anything original about the tragic affair of Jason Arday, his appointment as a professor in Cambridge, the challenges made to his academic and personal claims, his resignation, and his […]
Arday and the Church of England
Nigel Biggar argues that as some leaders in academia are doubling down on their version of what happened at Cambridge, the leadership of the Church of England is doubling down on its version of white guilt and the need for reparations.
Where’s the substance? Whether or not Jason Arday was guilty of plagiarism, today’s ‘educational research’ is largely lacking in substance
DDU’s Director offers a reflection on the deeper institutional developments that have provided the context for not only the meteoric rise and tragic fall of Jason Arday, but have reconfigured official understanding of education, schools, and knowledge itself.
Henry Nowak: policing for diversity and anti-racism is bound to fail the general public
The murder of Henry Nowak, and his treatment at the hands of police officers, is an unimaginable tragedy for the family, and we offer deepest condolences for their loss. DDU’s director, Alka Sehgal Cuthbert, offers her take on the main lesson the tragedy has for the rest of us.
Book review: The Progress Trap by Ben Cobley
In his latest book, The Progress Trap: The Modern Left and the False Authority of History, Ben Cobley paints a disturbing view of contemporary culture:.
How to push back against DEI policies
Graeme Kemp reviews The Counterweight Handbook by Helen Pluckrose.
Response to Bar Standards Board proposal to amend Core Duty 8
Recently, the Barrister Standards Board (BSB) published proposals to change one of its core duties pertaining to equality. The proposed change to Core Duty 8 is to replace a duty to not discriminate unlawfully (a negative duty) to ‘You must act in a way that advances equality, diversity and inclusion.’ We asked a barrister to comment on the proposal and its implications.
From democracy to identity: the role of public policy in fostering the preconditions for violent social disorder
IntroductionOne month after the elections – with the lowest share of the population voting since universal suffrage – Britain saw riots, a minority of which were racist in their immediate targets. Few seem to have given much thought as to whether there might be any connection. Here, DDU director Alka Sehgal Cuthbert argues that the riots […]
‘Diversity & Anti-Racism’ and the threat to education in schools
On 24 July 2024, DDU sent an open letter to The Key – signed by a combination of scholars, teachers and parents – detailing our concerns about their Anti-Racism Curriculum Review which, knowingly or not, embeds significant precepts from critical race theory. In our view, these precepts are detrimental to educational goals and lack popular consent.
The State We’re In!
On Friday 28 June, DDU director Alka Sehgal Cuthbert was joined by four DDU Advisory Council members to discuss what might happen with the UK General Election 2024 – in particular, what a Labour government would be like.
