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Financial Times for Sixth Formers Andrew Jack on how the FT will inform tomorrow’s leaders Krishan meets John Ridding, FT’s CEO
The Financial Times has launched a programme to offer free access to its journalism for sixth forms across the UK, in an exciting new project designed to help supplement classroom study and better prepare students for university and work. Schools, teachers and their students in secondary education aged 16-18 now have the chance to read FT.com articles, allowing them to receive its award-winning news, analysis and opinion articles as well as data, video and podcasts. The main objective is to provide high quality content from our leading global network of writers and contributors that teachers and their students will find useful in the classroom, in discussions and in their wider reading. Examiners and interviewers see the value of such broader material to allow the best students to stand out. We are currently seeking teachers who are willing to join our panel of advisers to help select suitable FT.com content, describe its relevance and suggest discussion questions for the classroom. We are also looking for ideas on how best to engage students directly, through quizzes, discussions and short written comments about our articles. While universities and other organisations can already receive discounted subscriptions, a partnership with Lloyds Bank has allowed the FT for the first time to provide its content for free to a younger age group which it believes will benefit. In the long-term, we hope some students who come across the FT for the first time will realise the benefits of our journalism
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and remain regular readers. We are sure that teachers – many of whom already read the FT – will be happy to receive it for free and explore new ways to use it in the classroom. Krishan Puvvada, a sixth former from The Leys School in Cambridge, who first proposed the idea to the FT in summer 2016, says: “It is very important that young people like myself better understand economics, business, finance and politics in preparation for working life after school, and appreciate the value in what is taught in lessons. This initiative enables both because it really can bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world. I hope many other students find the FT engaging, inspiring and useful.” The FT worked with Krishan, his peers and his school to refine the idea, which was launched in summer 2017. Martin Priestley, his headmaster, said: “I am very excited about this project. The Leys has been involved in the trial for this and one of our sixth formers, Krishan, has been deeply engaged with the FT in developing this idea which I am sure will be welcomed by my colleagues across the country. I applaud Krishan’s initiative and the FT’s willingness to engage with young people in this enriching way.” The project comes at an important time in the debate over the value of the media. It follows rising concern about ‘fake news’ in the era of Donald Trump, and the need to clearly distinguish high quality journalism from manipulation and propaganda.
Autumn 2017
CCR Vol54 no3 Autumn 2017.indd 54
22/08/2017 15:57
