FORUM Spring 2026: Call for papers -Education and the new populism
Posted on 05/08/2025
FORUM Spring 2026
Call for papers Education and the new populism
Contributions are invited for the spring 2026 number of FORUM (68/1) for which the copy date is Friday 14 November 2025.
From 19th century Russian peasants and indebted Midwest American farmers, by way of 20th century Latin American followers of Peron and Vargas, to contemporary movements in Europe and the USA, populism has come a long way. There have been populisms of the right, shading to authoritarianism, nativism and nationalism, and of the left, advocating redistribution and social justice for ‘the many’ against the ‘elites’. At times populism has taken power, instituting a supposed common sense shared by ‘the people’ and offering an implicit threat to those who think differently. Populism’s lineaments may be hard to trace distinctly, but much as with the perfect Christmas present, you know it when you see it.
The UK seems to be experiencing its populist moment. What are the implications for education? And the realities? Reform politicians now lead a small number of local councils, including those with a selective approach to education, such as Lincolnshire and the former Tory flagship council of Kent. What does Reform intend for the schools, nurseries and colleges which now come under its purview if not its direct control? What is happening on the ground?
The coming to prominence of Reform is likely to influence education policy at all levels in other parties. What might, for example, any new party of the Left say about education, beyond generalities? Might the idea of a national education service return? Should it? What plans might be made in relation to academisation and academy chains, whose powers the Labour government has curtailed in a small way? And how might the education policy of the Green Party develop as a result of populist pressure within and beyond its ranks?
FORUM invites articles which address the impact of populist political approaches on aspects of education and schooling in England and beyond. For example, articles might outline the particular impact of populist politics on specific education policies to do with assessment, curriculum, pedagogy and/or school organisation. They might address current trends in behaviour policy, ways of teaching or decisions about SEND provision (not least the use of private providers) via the lens of populist politics. Or they might sketch ways in which populist education policy, or the broader influence of populism, has been resisted within the sector.
FORUM welcomes writing which is heartfelt as well as thought-through. There’s no set length for a FORUM article; although many weigh in at about 4000 words, many are shorter. Nor is there a set way of writing an article. We certainly welcome academic papers, but personal reflections, critically alert consideration of issues and experiences, and informed discursive writing are welcome too, as are texts written by more than one person.
If you would like to discuss the possibility of contributing, please email Patrick Yarker – patyarker@aol.com. The deadline for sending an article for the spring 2026 number is Friday 14 November 2025, but please contact Patrick beforehand to let him know you are making a contribution.
Patrick Yarker
Editor, FORUM: for promoting 3 to 19 comprehensive education https://journals.lwbooks.co.uk/forum/