VIEWS From the pen of... Julia Golding


In our ongoing series on authors in UK education, this month we’re delighted to hear from JULIA GOLDING, author of The Curious Crime, who talks about encouraging girls to get involved with science.


Just when you think the battle is won, another dinosaur stomps out of the primeval mud and tramples on your attempts to encourage girls to get involved with science. That’s what it must have felt like to


be a science teacher on the day recently when Professor Strumia of Pisa University told a workshop on gender and high energy physics organised by CERN that physics was ‘invented and built by men’, and that men were now


being discriminated against when applying for jobs. There is so much wrong with that statement that it is hard to know where to start; but I took it mainly as evidence that old prejudices are alive and kicking. Students may not say it aloud, but maybe they are thinking it, or hearing it at home? I’ve investigated scientific history for my latest novel, The Curious


Crime. Set in a huge museum, inhabited by (now) extinct creatures and renegade researchers hiding out like Robin Hood, the story explores the barriers girls, and boys from ethnic minorities, have experienced in entering science. The novel is (hopefully) a page- turning murder-mystery with dodos and cake, but I also aim to inspire readers about their potential to contribute to science. They won’t do that without some real-world role models to encourage them. So here are some facts to counter the dinosaurs.


• Invented by men?Women struggled for an education over the centuries, making their achievements even more striking. Founding father of science, Plato, included two exceptional female students, Axiothea and Lasthenia, in his world-famous Academy (at a time when women were rarely educated). They were there for the debates when scientific subjects were invented (4th century BC).


• Built by men?What about Hypatia, the head of the school in Alexandria in c. 400AD? This was the centre of science at the time, the bridge between the learning of Ancient Greece and our era. She earnt her position by being a top-notch mathematician, well-versed in the cutting-edge science of her day. (Her life also showed the risks women ran in taking prominent roles, as she was killed during a religious riot.)


• Give us the tools, we’ll make discoveries. Caroline Herschel (1750-1848) was given a telescope by her brother, William. She used it to discover her own comets, and provide invaluable support for his work. The first woman awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, the only reason she wasn’t a full member was because she wasn’t allowed.


• Coming into the 20th century, women’s participation broadens. I will pick just one to counter the dinosaurs: Marie Skłodowska Curie, the physicist who named radioactivity. She was the first woman to win a Nobel prize, the first person to win twice, and the only person to win in two different sciences.


So, Professor Dinosaur, both women and men ‘invented’ Physics;


it was built by courageous men, yes, but even braver women. To meet some inspiring heroines of science, created in their honour, why not try The Curious Crime?


The Curious Crime by Julia Golding is published by Lion Children’s Books, priced £6.99.


January 2019 British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA)


Not sure what ICT to use – try LendED before


you buy! This month, regular Education Today columnist PATRICK HAYES, Director of BESA, unveils a new initiative from the organisation aimed at helping schools find better EdTech solutions at no risk to their finances – LendED.


We at the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) have long attempted to be the link between schools and suppliers. We aim to represent the wishes of suppliers in meeting the needs of schools and teachers. As part of this work we regularly visit schools and host focus groups and networking events with teachers in order to keep in touch with the needs of teachers. It was out of these conversations earlier this year that we became


aware of a need to help teachers identify and source reliable education technology (EdTech) products. When looking for new EdTech, teachers often turn to their colleagues first for recommendations and advice. But if this fails to bear fruit, they were telling us that they struggled to find reliable and impartial advice on what would best suit their needs. Many also told stories of products that failed to live up to expectations and languished forever in cupboards. Teachers needed a way to ‘try before they buy’ in order to avoid costly and time-consuming mistakes. At the same time the Department for Education (DfE) was


launching their own initiative to encourage technology companies to better support schools, as outlined in Education Secretary Damian Hinds’ statement in August, where he announced that the UK EdTech industry should work to bring about a digital revolution in classrooms across the country. With such an exciting vision for the sector coming from the Secretary of State, it made sense for us at BESA to pool our efforts and create a new, free service to address these needs. I’m pleased to reveal that LendED is the result and will launch at


BETT on 23 January 2019. LendED is a new online lending platform that matches teachers to EdTech that meets their needs:


• LendED is a free-to-use online lending platform with more than 200 products listed from over 100+ reputable suppliers, and growing every day. LendED is a not-for-profit initiative.


• Every product featured on LendED will be available for teachers to trial. Whether that be a free trial, a free sample, a partial-access version or a free demonstration.


• Every product will feature a case study or testimonial from an existing teacher or school user – enabling teachers to judge its educational impact.


• Users will rate and review products so that, over time, teachers will be able to see at a glance which products are recommended by their peers.


• LendED will only feature products from BESA members – giving teachers reassurance of their quality.


We have plans to expand LendED to be able to showcase products


from new and growing companies in the future, but for now we are happy to give teachers a new way to source and select the EdTech that will help deliver positive outcomes for their pupils.


uTo sign up and start requesting your free trials now, visit www.lended.org.uk


www.education-today.co.uk 13


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