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Donald Trump’s election victory sparked many responses, but my favourite was by David Tollerton of the University of Exeter. He spoke for thousands of us when he wrote that, combined with the Brexit vote, this felt like a defeat for “the practice of logical, reasoned argument itself”.
But he also argued persuasively that we must fight for the right of expertise, evidence and critical argument to be heard. I agree. This is where the University and College Union’s fourth annual Cradle to Grave conference on the defence of public education comes in.
The Left has long dreamed of political change that will overthrow the established order. The irony is that while support for both Brexit and Trump has its roots in working-class anger with an economy tilted against them, it is the populist Right that has gained. The twist is that it is not just bankers who are out of fashion but knowledge too.
For my part I believe there are four things the education community should be doing now in response to what has been called post-truth politics.
