Ragged schools is a name commonly given after about 1840 to the many independently established 19th century charity schools in the United Kingdom which provided entirely free education and, in most cases, food, clothing, lodging and other home missionary services for those too poor to pay. In many ways the movement embodied the notion of education as human development. Read more…
“Live one day at a time emphasizing ethics rather than rules”
Wayne Dyer
The Ragged project has chosen the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as it’s guiding ethos and document. All talks and activities of the Ragged project must fit within the scope of the U.D.H.R. If you have any questions or queries please get in touch.
After the world wars of the 20th century, it was thought that it might be a good idea to have an association of most of the countries in the world where they could work out their problems peacefully with diplomacy instead of warfare. This organization could mediate in arguments between nations, and it could also help with crises in poor countries, vaccinating children, digging wells, providing medicines, and also serve peace-keeping functions in places where war was likely.
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Through working with the Public Engagement Policy of the University of Manchester and working closely with Susan Brown, I was called to do a presentation in University of Manchester on ‘Rethinking Inequality in Historical Perspective’. Pedro Ramos Pinto and Patrick Joyce were the key organizers and invited me to make a contribution by virtue of the Ragged project, as it is both an inclusive project and one borrowed from history.
All the Ragged University events are free and open to everyone. With the project model having been tested and critiqued widely, Ragged University is now moving forward to explore how many positives can come from doing something so straight forward as open learning events where people talk in social spaces. Much well intentioned comment has come with the perspective that Ragged should charge for the events, even if just a token amount.
Well, this is not something which is going to happen as it would change the model in a fundamental way.
Anyone can do a talk at a Ragged event so long as they love their subject and are invested in it, and so long as that talk fits within the following guidelines:
Well, the night of the 12th went down very well, in fact it has generated a really positive response of support for the project. Thanks to Paul Bruce, creator of the Edinburgh Short Film Festival, we managed to have a night of film and exploring if we could viably thread short talks amongst the films. Well it happened, cinema and talks go quite well together. A special thanks to Jack the technician for making sure it all happened smoothly and without hitch. As a pilot night it proved that it could be done and over 140 people came to see the whole evening on the sunny shore of Leith. Read more…
Thomas Guthrie was born in Brechin on 12th July, 1803, was to be a famous champion of the Ragged Schools movement that introduced free education in Britain. His ancestors had been farmers in the county of Angus. The 12th child and 6th son of David Guthrie and Clementina Cay, his father was a merchant and banker in Arbroath and would become Provost of that city.
The peer led teaching methods developed by Andrew Bell and Joseph Lancaster were principal means for developing the Ragged Schools movement. Before education was free for everyone in Britain, there were Ragged Schools. Beginning in the 18th century, philanthropists started Ragged Schools to help the disadvantaged towards a better life. During the 19th century, more people began to worry about neglected children and more schools were opened. These early Ragged Schools were started by merchants and communities and staffed by volunteers.
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So, what is social capital? Jeremy Shearmur describes social capital as loosely as situations where people choose to voluntarily associate with each other and where membership in that group serves as a free resource to those members. Why is it important ? I feel that social capital is important because it helps to express aspects of community and belonging. I suppose that it is because we are social creatures and I suggest we are social creatures because of the greater benefits of being part of a community than of being solitary. Read more…