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The School of Education, Communication & Society at King’s College London is hosting its annual education lecture with a talk from high-profile writer and campaigner Melissa Benn

On 4 July 2019, we welcome writer, journalist and campaigner Melissa Benn to discuss the ever-changing landscape of the English school system and the implications for democracy. In this lecture, she will explore the contours of a commonly agreed crisis in English education but, perhaps more significantly, what she sees as hopeful signs of a consensus around a way forward. 

Melissa will draw on her latest book, Life Lessons: The Case for a National Education Service (2018), which puts forward the argument for genuine public education, shaped by democratic principles similar to the NHS, and replacing the current complex and segregated situation which encompasses maintained schools, academies, faith schools, free schools, grammars and comprehensives - and private education.

Our lecture respondent this year is Viv Ellis, Professor of Educational Leadership and Teacher Development at King's College London.

Speaker biography

Melissa Benn is a writer, journalist and campaigner. As a freelance writer, her essays and journalism have appeared in a wide range of publications, including The Times, the London Review of Books and Public Finance. She is a regular contributor to The Guardian and New Statesman, and has also published eight books, including two novels. A regular speaker and broadcaster, she has also written and presented several Radio Four programmes and has been a guest on the Today programme and Sky News.

As an active campaigner for comprehensive education, Melissa is a founder member of the  Local Schools Network, a vice president of the  Socialist Education Association and was until late 2018 chair of  Comprehensive Future, an all-party group committed to the phasing out of selection at 11 and the implementation of fair school admissions.

In 2012, Melissa was awarded the Fred and Anne Jarvis award for her exceptional contribution to the cause of comprehensive education.

Lecture details

Attendees can arrive from 5.30pm for a 6pm lecture start; this will be followed by a drinks reception.

The lecture is free and open to PGCE, Master’s and Doctoral students, students, King’s staff, friends, colleagues and the public. 

As tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis, advance booking is essential. To book, click on the 'register for this even' button above.

About the School

The School of Education, Communication & Society at King's is one of the foremost education departments in the United Kingdom, ranked 2nd in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework for research quality.

Previous speakers at our annual lecture have included David Laws; Jonathan Freedland; Michael Rosen; Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks; the Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Professor Rowena Arshad, Co-Director of the Centre for Education for Racial Equality in Scotland.

To find out more about what we do and the undergraduate and postgraduate courses we offer, visit our website.

“When we see what’s going wrong in education, we need people like Melissa Benn to give us signposts for what else is possible. As a lifelong campaigner for a fair and equitable education system, she shows she is the ideal person to map out a progressive agenda for education in the future.’

Michael Rosen, author of Good Ideas