‘Parents are frightened for themselves a...

British progressives have suffered major setbacks in recent years, in both public opinion and court rulings. Was a backlash inevitable, and are new tactics needed? By Gaby Hinsliff. Read by Carlyss Peer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod 

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: the closure of John Lewis’s store in Sheffield after almost 60 years was a bitter blow. As debate rages over what to do ... Show More

In my 40s, I found myself with a life that didn’t look like it was ‘supposed’ to. What was I doing? On trips to South Korea with my mother, an answer began to emerge By E Tammy Kim. Read by Jennifer J Kim. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod 

Last-minute safety worries about the structural soundness of school buildings threw the new term into chaos for many children and their parents. Could the episode spell disaster for Rishi Sunak’s government?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus 

With the possibility that millions or tens of millions of American children will not enter a classroom for an entire year, school districts face an agonizing choice: Do the benefits of in-person learning outweigh the risks it poses to public health in a pandemic? Today, we explor ... Show More

With Labor Day weekend gone, summer is unofficially over — and millions of children head back to school this week, many virtually. Two teachers — Rosie Reid in California and Lynette Stant in Arizona — share how things are going in their schools so far. Many states have decided t ... Show More

South Africa’s teachers are worried.Children seem to be dropping out of school at alarming rates.Experts say the problem isn’t new, but it certainly hasn’t been helped by Covid-19.The pandemic has forced many families to pull their kids out of the classroom – but at what cost?And ... Show More

Parents who have their kids placed in foster care often get a bill to reimburse the state for part of the cost. NPR found that in at least 12 states there are laws that say parents could lose their kids forever if they fail to pay it. We hear about one family in North Carolina wh ... Show More

Before the pandemic, about 8 million U.S. students were considered chronically absent during the school year. Now, that number has doubled. Students who are chronically absent often have lower test scores, fall behind, or even drop out at higher rates than others. Which students ... Show More

Cecilia Sirianni's small office at Massabesic High School can sometimes get a bit messy. Piles of donated clothes and boxes of snacks fill cabinets and shelves — all for students at the rural district in York County, Maine. For more than a decade, a big part of Sirianni's job has ... Show More