Dr Roland Meighan. 29.5.1937 – 20.1.2014. Full Obituary

Our dear friend and colleague Roland Meighan will live long in our hearts and his work will continue to be the engine underpinning  the Centre for Personalised Education – Personalised Education Now. This full obituary includes listings of his work.

A brief obituary has also been published in The Guardian hard copy Other Lives p.54… 12.04.2014 and The Guardian eNewspaper’s – Other Lives http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/apr/08/roland-meighan-obituary

Dr Roland Meighan died on 20th January 2014, he had been hospitalised since the New Year finally succumbing to heart failure. Roland was an academic at Birmingham, Nottingham (Special Professor of Education) and the Open Universities. He was a global thinker, researcher, publisher, and author who helped establish the Education Now Publishing Co-operative, was a founding trustee and director of Centre for Personalised Education – Personalised Education Now (CPE-PEN) and publisher of the Educational Heretics Press.

Roland worked in primary, secondary and further education in the UK and he also had experience of the Local Education Authority Inspectorate.   He lectured principally in Social Psychology, Curriculum and Sociology, and was involved in teacher training and in-service teacher education. He was Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Birmingham for over twenty years and was associated with the Open University in various part-time roles since its inception.   Roland was appointed Special Professor of Education at the University of Nottingham (1992-98) in recognition of his research and writings in the field of current and future learning systems in education.

In a distinguished career Roland researched, wrote and presented extensively on a range of topics including home-based education, personalised education and educational futures. His research included: 1. a ten year study of the perspectives of pupils and their judgements of teaching performance, 2. an ongoing study of over twenty years duration of the learning systems of parents who educate their children at home, 3. action research into democratic learning practices in teacher training over a fifteen year period, 4. theoretical research into the concepts of (a) the Hidden Curriculum, (b) Ideologies of Education, and (c) Flexischooling  (d) Current and Future Learning Systems.

Roland opened a window on and provided a framework for understanding education and schooling. His focus on learning systems, past, present and future led him to identify key distinctions between authoritarian, autonomous and democratic patterns.  He proposed that, in a democracy, learners must manage their own education, choosing the mode of learning that is appropriate for their learning style and type of intelligence, rather than making the best they can of what is prescribed for them by the state.

Roland had a very clear view of how he was educated and perceived. Typically, he wrote a tongue-in-cheek alternative curriculum and vitae that included the following…

Roland appears to have made most of the ‘blunders of education’.  He was an early school-leaver who grew to think that the boy’s grammar school he attended was a machine for insulting the intelligence of its inmates.  He therefore missed out on the much-vaunted sixth-form experience and as a result was probably deemed to be eternally handicapped. He was a two-year trained teacher and therefore a non-graduate entrant to what he considered the semi-profession of teaching.  His first degree was triple-tainted.  It was an external degree, obtained part-time and in Sociology and the Social Sciences. His research was amongst the despised and rejected, the ‘low castes’ of education.  First, there was a study of part-time youth leaders, and then investigations into the perspectives of pupils and their judgements of teaching performance.  Next, there was an account of the world of deviant parents – those who chose to educate their children using the home-based alternative. Then there was a fifteen year action research into using democratic methods of learning with new entrants to teaching by giving them the opportunity to plan, direct and review their own curriculum.  The education establishment barely stirred. Despite these handicaps, he somehow managed to become one of the most highly qualified professors of education with both a doctorate and a higher doctorate to his credit before going independent. 

The thread running through all his activity was an interest in learning systems, past, present and especially, the future. He was founder and director of Educational Heretics Press, a not-for-profit concern devoted to questioning the dogmas of education in general and schooling in particular, a director of the Education Now Publishing Co-operative, and a trustee and director of the Centre for Personalised Education.

He accepted no labels, political or otherwise, other than that of educational heretic and freethinker.  He was hostage to no man, institution or ideology and he didn’t bend with the wind.  He was very much the British John Holt (a man he met and greatly admired) and the Bertrand Russell of educational philosophy. He was an internationally renowned critic of oppressive educational systems, the upholder of reason, the enemy of bad schooling, and sloppy educational thinking. His voice was forthright, his analysis razor sharp, his wit equally so, his values as solid as rock.

 Although an academic, Roland wanted to reach a broader audience and he learned to communicate in an enthusiastic, compelling manner with child-like directness and playfulness.  He didn’t waste words he thought more, spoke and wrote economically. Consequently, what you heard and what you read is steeped in wisdom, clarity and common sense.

This was a man who knew his lines, his facts and figures and examples… as those who challenged him soon found out. His influence on educational ideas is incalculable. He never sought fame, would never compromise his values and principles but his ideas and his language ranges across the creative, radical and alternative educational thought. Many educational thinkers and writers will find Roland’s work underpins their own. He composed and recycled a range of memorable strap–lines and phrases that are much emulated ‘guide on the side’, ‘sage on the stage’ ‘alternatives for everyone, all the time’, ‘anybody, any age, anytime, any place, any pathway, any pace.’

Roland’s work cut to the heart of personalised education and learning. This was not about the shallow tailoring of a proscribed curriculum offer as epitomised in current governmental interpretations of personalised education. This was something more fundamental, deeper and wholly personalised with the learner directly in the driving seat, self-determining their own lives and learning pathways.

His experience, research and position gave him credibility and gravitas. It was a potent, convincing combination.

At Birmingham University in the 1970s and 1980s Roland both ran a PGCE secondary teacher training course in social sciences and taught courses in the sociology of education. Roland had a lifelong professional interest in humane and democratic alternatives to the existing nature of formal education that might take place within or outside of existing educational structures. This influenced his practice so that, based on an idea put forward by Adam Curle, then Professor of Peace Education at Bradford University, Roland developed the idea of ‘democratic learning co-operatives’ both on the teacher training programme and in his sociology of education courses. This was where the students designed their own course as a group and implemented it with staff as senior learners. This had a profound effect on the thinking of students as it immediately raised fundamental issues about the nature and purposes of education that questioned the assumptions of their previous experiences.

He also became increasingly interested in the practice and theory of home-based education during this period and in the early 1980’s was critically involved with one of the early court cases (the Harrison family) where a family’s right to educate their children at home was tested by the law. He was also active in ‘Education Otherwise’, the organisation run for and by people who are educating their children at home and being educated at home.

His writing on social science education and the sociology of education attracted the interest of the publishers Holt Rinehart who approached him about writing a book on the sociology of education. The first edition of A Sociology of Educating was published in 1981 and was an immediate success and was sold globally. It is still probably the book that Roland is best known for. Roland was particularly proud when it was translated into Polish. It has now been revised and reprinted five times. The title suggested its interactionist approach to sociology and, while being an introductory textbook, it nevertheless also introduced readers to alternative approaches to education and the ideas behind them.

Roland retired from full-time employment at the University of Birmingham in 1989 but continued for one day a week for three years. Towards the end of the 1980s Roland helped to establish the Education Now publishing cooperative and then later Educational Heretics Press and the Centre for Personalised Education. These were to become a major focus of his ‘retirement’. In the 1980s he had become increasingly concerned at the way mainstream publishers of books on education focussed solely on conventional education or the government agenda and he wanted to provide a publishing outlet for those more concerned with alternatives to existing patterns of formal schooling. He also wanted to try to reach a wider audience than academic writing permits.

One of the first books published by Education Now was Flexischooling written by Roland himself in 1988 which examined how education can become better suited to the complex, post-industrial world rather than the nineteenth century institutions that schools currently are. This book followed on from conversations with John Holt about the notion of flexischooliing. Holt had stayed with the Meighan’s during one of his European Tours and cemented the close association of their friendship and their shared educational world view. This was followed by a catalogue of nearly one hundred books all of which were in some way critical of existing provision and providing an alternative to it, whether in the form of more democratic education, home-based education or personalised education. A number of these such as Damage Limitation, Comparing Learning Systems and The Freethinkers Guide to the Educational Universe were written by Roland himself. Through his own writing and his encouragement of others via Education Now, Centre for Personalised Education – Personalised Education Now and Educational Heretics Press Roland has had a significant influence on the thinking of generations of those involved in education, whether in schools, higher education or otherwise. Whether of not they fully agreed with him, he made people think and his voice will be missed in the landscape of uniformity and dullness.

Roland undoubtedly had a massive and direct impact on countless lives. Tributes flooded in to his partner Janet from far and wide on his death. He had been a man who gave people an educational home when we were lost in the wilderness of learning systems dogged by oppressive control, increasingly narrow curriculum offers and the empty rhetoric of success. He gave hope and direction; he pointed to a saner educational future and encouraged people to remain free-spirited and true to themselves and to democracy.

Audiences listened to Roland intently. They knew that they were likely hearing something significant, certainly worth while and potentially life-changing. Such was the respect Roland engendered that countless families and learners redirected their lives to try and put some of his educational work into practice. Others were inspired to create their own radical alternative educational projects and settings. Recently even mainstream schools have started to think creatively about how they could accommodate flexischooling. For all the rhetoric about choice and change in Academies and so called Free schools they are not transformational and pale by the side of these alternatives.

Roland lived his unshakable beliefs in co-operation, democracy and free thought. He was a light in the creeping darkness of the nation’s politics and yet painfully, towards the end he declared himself weary of the battle, knowing that all had been said and done. His legacy is beyond measure and one day what he stood for will be surely be revisited and reasserted; the deaf ears of this generation will become the open minds of generations to come. Roland could take heart in the fact that, twenty-six years after he brought the concept of flexischooling to our attention he witnessed the current growth in interest in flexischooling and the part CPE-PEN is taking in its development.

His works provide a map for an alternative educational future based on the deep and natural principles of personalised learning and social justice. He understood acutely that an education is very different from schooling and would not settle for the limitations of the latter.  Roland’s prolific writings were driven by his inexhaustible conviction that the world could be a better place and an education could be more efficiently and effectively gained. He was unwilling, unlike so many of his contemporaries, to bow to the orthodoxy of the times.

As a youngster Roland had been a gifted footballer and made the books of his beloved West Bromwich Albion. He spent his National Service with the Royal Signals Regiment. Later, he worked for the army as Lieutenant Colonel in Malta. He nearly trained to be a vicar, but became a humanist. His politics were originally Liberal then finally Green, his market views were co-operative and mutual, underpinned by an adherence to democratic ideals. He loved jazz and would regularly frequent festivals and concerts. He was self-taught on the keyboard and loved playing for his own pleasure. His sense of humour made him a joy to work with. He was always full of interesting and provocative ideas

A fortunate minority are able to make a difference to lives and influence this world for the better. Roland was such a man. He was a truly unique and imaginative educator and thinker whose absence from the educational landscape will be sorely missed.

Peter Humphreys. Chair / Trustee / Director Centre of Personalised Education,

Professor Clive Harber. Emeritus Professor of International Education, University of Birmingham,

Paul Ginnis. Independent educational trainer, consultant and author.

 Qualifications:

D.Soc.Sc. (University of Birmingham),    

Ph.D. (University of Birmingham),    

B.Sc. (Sociology) University of London

L.C.P. (Licentiate of the College of Preceptors),

Cert.Ed. (University of Birmingham)

 

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (F.R.S.A.)

 

Editorial Work:

An Editor of Educational Review since 1973,

A Founding Editor of the British Journal of Sociology of Education,

Co-editor of Social Science Teacher 1975-9

Examining:

Various appointments have included:

 External examiner to Exeter University School of Education for B.Ed. Education Course Work and Teaching Practice.

External Examiner for B.Ed. to various universities and Colleges of Education for Sociology of Education.

External Examiner to University of York for Undergraduate Courses in Education.

External Examiner to the Open University for Education Course E208 and Ph.D. work.

Examined over 25 Ph.D theses in UK and overseas.

 

Publications – Selected List

Books and Edited Collections

 Meighan, R. (ed) (1973) Sociology and Teaching, special edition of Educational Review, Summer

Meighan, R. and Doherty, J. (eds) (1975) Education and Sex Roles, special edition of Educational Review, Summer

Meighan, R. (ed) (1978) The Learners’ Viewpoint, special edition of Educational Review, Summer

Barton, L. and Meighan, R. (eds) (1978) Sociological Interpretations of Schooling and Classrooms: A Reappraisal,     Nafferton Books

Meighan, R, Marks, A and Shelton,I. (eds) (1978) Perspectives on Society, Nelson

Barton, L. and Meighan, R. (eds) (1979) School, Pupils and Deviance, Nafferton Books

Barton, L. and Meighan, R. and Walker, S. (eds) (1980) Schooling, Ideology and the Curriculum Falmer Press

Meighan, R. (1981) A Sociology of Educating, first edition Holt Rinehart Winston

Meighan, R. (1986) A Sociology of Educating, second edition, Holt Rinehart and Winston

Meighan, R. and Siraj-Blatchford, I. (1999) A Sociology of Educating, third edition, Cassell

Meighan, R. and Siraj-Blatchford, I.  (2003)  A Sociology of Educating, fourth edition, Continuum

Meighan, R. and Harber, C (2003) A Sociology of Educating, fifth edition, Continuum

Meighan, R, Harber, C. and Roberts, B. (eds) (1984) Alternative Educational Futures Holt Rinehart Winston

Harber, C. and Meighan, R.(eds)(1984) Political Education In 1984, special edition of Educational Review, Summer

Harber, C. and Meighan, R. (eds) Ideas for Teaching Social and Political Studies, Association for the Teaching of Social Sciences

Meighan, R. (1988) Flexischooling   Education Now Books

Harber, C. and Meighan, R. (eds) (1989) The Democratic School: Educational Management and the Practice of Democracy, Education Now Books

Meighan, R. (ed) (1989) Parents and Education: A Wider Agenda of Possibilities, special edition of Educational Review, Summer

Meighan, R. (ed) (1992) Learning from Home-based Education, Education Now Books

Meighan, R. and Toogood, P. (1992) Anatomy of Choice in Education, Education Now Books

Meighan, R. (1993) Theory and Practice of Regressive Education, Educational Heretics Press

Meighan, R. (1994) The Freethinkers’ Guide to the Educational Universe, Educational Heretics Press

Meighan, R. (1995) The Freethinkers’ Pocket Directory to the Educational Universe, Educational Heretics Press

Meighan, R. (1995) John Holt: Personalised Education and the Reconstruction of Schooling, Educational Heretics Press

Meighan, R. (1997) The Next Learning System: and why home-schoolers are trailblazers, Educational Heretics Press

Meighan, R. (2000) Natural Learning and the Natural Curriculum, Educational Heretics

Meighan, R. (2002) The Next Learning System: pieces of the jigsaw, Education Now Books

Meighan, R. (2002) John Holt: Personalised Education instead of ‘uninvited teaching’ Educational Heretics Press

Meighan, R. (2004) Damage Limitation, Trying to Reduce the Harm Schools do to Children, Educational Heretics Press

Meighan, R. (2004) Comparing Learning Systems, the Good, the Bad, the Ugly and the Counterproductive, Educational Heretics Press

Meighan, R. (2007) John Holt, Continuum Books

 

Book Contributions

 Meighan, R. and Chambers, P. (1971) The Structure of Teacher Education, in Tibble, J. (1971) The Future of Teacher Education, Routledge Keegan Paul

Meighan, R. (1978) Joint Proposals for a Social Sciences ‘A’ Level: Is an Integrated Social Sciences ‘A’ Level Possible?  Ch.7 in Whitty, G and Gleeson, D (eds) (1978) Sociology: The Choice at ‘A’ Level, Nafferton Books

Meighan, R. (1978) Consultation and Educational Ideologies: Some Issues Raised by Research into Children’s Judgements of Teaching Performance,  in Barton, L. and Meighan, R. (eds) (1978) Sociological Interpretations of Schooling and Classrooms: A Reappraisal,  Nafferton Books

Meighan, R. (1978) The Pupil’s Point of View in Meighan, R, Marks, A and Shelton,I. (eds) (1978) Perspectives on Society, Nelson

Rutherford, D. Fielding, R. Meighan, R. and Sparkes, D. Towards Democratic Teaching and Learning? in Benjamin, T and  Massey. (ed) (1979)  Improving University Teaching, Fifth International Conference papers, University of Maryland Press

Barton, L. and Meighan, R. Schools, Pupils and Deviance, in Barton, L. and Meighan, R. (eds) (1979) School, Pupils and Deviance, Nafferton Books

Boardman, D. Fitzgerald, A. Meighan, R. and Rutherford, D (1980) Innovation and Evaluation in PGCE Methods Courses, in Alexander, R.(ed) (1980)Current Developments in the Postgraduate  Certificate of Education  S.H.R.E.

Meighan, R. Brown, C. (1980) Locations of Learning and Ideologies of Education : Some issues Raised by         a Study of Education Otherwise in Barton, L. and Meighan, R. and Walker, S. (eds) (1980) Schooling, Ideology and the Curriculum Falmer Press

Meighan, R. (1982) Planning the Content of Teacher Directed Social Science Courses in Gomm, R. and McNeill, P. (1982)  Handbook for Social Science Teachers, Heinemann

Meighan, R. (1982) Individual Study Folders in Gomm, R. and McNeill, P. (1982) Handbook for Social Science Teachers, Heinemann

Meighan, R. (1982) Organising a Social Science Resources Bank in Gomm, R. and McNeill, P. (1982)  Handbook for Social Science Teachers, Heinemann

Meighan, R. (1984) Flexischooling in Meighan, R, Harber, C. and Roberts, B. (eds) (1984) Alternative Educational Futures, Holt Rinehart Winston

Meighan, R. (1987) From Home-based Education to Flexischooling in P.Toogood (ed) (1987) Flexischooling Dialogue in Education Publications

Meighan, R. Harber, C. and Meighan, J. (1989) Democratic Practice: A Missing Item on the Agenda of Teacher Education in Harber, C. and Meighan, R. (eds) (1989) The Democratic School: Educational Management and the Practice of Democracy, Education Now Books

Meighan, R. (1991) Small School Jottings in P.Toogood (ed) (1991) Small Schools Education Now Books

Meighan, R. (1992) Never Too Late To Learn To Educate in Meighan, R. (ed) (1992) Learning from Home-based Education, Education Now Books

Meighan, R. 1992) The Strange Case of Democracy in Action, in Ginnis, P. (ed) (1992) Learner-managed Learning,  Education Now Books

Meighan, R. 1993) Home-based Education and the Re-appraisal of the Role of Parents as Educators in Smith, F. et.al (1993) Parental Involvement in Education, ITS Nijmegen

Meighan, R. 1994) Part Six Education and Schooling comprising three chapters, pp 291-335, Natural Learning, Approaches to Education, and Choices in Education in Natural Childhood: A Practical Guide to the First Seven Years, London: Gaia Books 1994

Meighan, R. and Meighan,J. (1995) The Preparation of Prospective Teachers and the Strange Case of Democracy in Action in Harber, C. (ed) (1995) Developing Democratic Education pp 44-52, Ticknall: Education Now Books

Meighan, R. (1996) The Implications of Home-based Education Effectiveness Research for Open Schooling in Evans, T. and Nation, D. (1996) Opening Education: Policies Practices and Technologies in an Era of Globalisation, London: Routledge

Meighan, R. (2000) Alternatives for Everybody, All the Time, in Miller, R., (ed) (2000) Creating Learning Communities, Brandon, VT, USA: F.E,R,Inc

Meighan, R. (2001) The Role of Education in a Democracy in Clarke, P.B. and Foweraker, J. (eds) (2001) Encyclopaedia of Democratic Thought, London; Routledge

Meighan, R. (2008) Restructuring Education – so it works for kids and society in Priesnitz, W. (ed) (2008) Life Learning: Lessons from the Educational Frontier, Toronto: The Alternate Press

Meighan, R. (2008) Personalised Learning and Democratic Learning Co-operatives in Webster, M. (ed) (2008) Personalised Learning: Taking Choice Seriously, Nottingham: Educational Heretics Press

Meighan, R (2013) Learner –Managed Learning in Farenga, P. and Ricci, C (2013) The Legacy of John Holt. Holt, GWS, Medford, MA

Articles

Meighan, R. (1973) Sociology and Teaching: A Reappraisal in the Light of Current Trends in the Sociology        of Education in   Educational Review 25,3. 1973

Meighan, R. (1974) The Concepts of Authoritarian and Democratic Regimes and Classroom Discipline in Dudley Educational Journal, Spring 1974

Meighan, R. (1974) Some Reflections on the Social Studies Curriculum Guidelines in Social Education, March 1974

Meighan, R. (1974) Children’s Judgements of the Teaching Performance of Student Teachers in Educational Review 17,1. 1974

Davies, L. and Meighan, R. (1975) A Review of Schooling and Sex Roles in Educational Review 27,3. 1975

Meighan, R. (1977) The Pupil as Client: The Learner’s Experience of Schooling in Educational Review 29,2. 1977

Meighan, R. (1977) Pupils’ Perceptions of the Classroom Techniques of Post Graduate Student Teachers, in British Journal of Teacher Education 3,2. 1977

Meighan, R. (1978) A Pupil’s Eye View of Teaching Performance, in Educational Review 30,2. 1978

R.Meighan and M. Roberts (1979) Autonomous Study and Educational Ideologies: A Review of some Theoretical and Practical Issues  with Special Reference to the Schools Council General               Studies Project in Journal of Curriculum Studies 11.1. 1979

Sharma, S. and Meighan, R. (1980) Schooling and Sex Roles: The case of G.C.E.’O’ Level Mathematics, British Journal of Sociology of Education 2.1. 1980

Meighan, R. (1980) Parents as Educators: A New Teaching Force?  Educational Review 33,2. 1981

Meighan, R and Reid, W. (1992) How Will the ‘New Technology’ Change the Curriculum? In Journal of Curriculum Studies 14,4 1982

Meighan, R. (1984) Political Consciousness and Home-based Education in Educational Review, Summer 1984

Meighan, R. (1984) Home-based Educators and Education Authorities: the Attempt to Maintain a Mythology, in Educational Studies 10,3. 1984

Harber, C. and Meighan, R. (1986) Democratic Method in Teacher Education, for Political Education Teaching Politics 15,2.  1986

Harber, C. and Meighan, R. (1986) A Case Study of Democratic Learning in Teacher Education in Educational Review 38,3.  1986

Meighan, R. and Harber, C. (1986) Democratic Learning in Teacher Education: A Review of Experience at One Institution in Journal of Education for Teaching 12,2.  1986

Meighan, R. (1987) Comment on Concepts of Democracy in Journal of Education for Teaching 13.1.  1987

Meighan, R. (1988) Other Ways from ‘Otherwise in Education Now No.1. 1988

Meighan, R. (1988) Training Teachers for Democratic  Practice in Education Now No.2. 1988

Meighan, R. (1989) Parents and Schools: Alternative Role Definitions in  Educational Review  41,2. 1989

Meighan, R. (1990) Flexischooling: New Blueprint for Education in Education Now No.7.

Meighan, R. and Meighan, J. (1990) Alternative Roles for Learners with particular reference to Learner as Democratic Explorer in Teacher Education Courses in The School Field  Vol.1 No. 1,1990

Meighan, R. (1991) The National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools USA in Education Now No. 11, 1991

Meighan, R. (1991) Parents as Educators: A Focus of John Holt’s Work in Education Now No. 12, 1991

Meighan, R. and Meighan, J. (1991) John Holt and Two Visions of Learning in Early Years Education Vol. 12 No. 1, 1991

Harber, C. and Meighan, R. (1991) Democratic Practice in Social Studies Teacher Training in Social Science Teacher Vol. 20 No.3, 1991

Meighan, R. (1991) The Message from Home-based Education: The Way Forward is Flexischooling in Green Teacher Autumn 1991

Meighan, R. (1994) Some Principles of Educational Reconstruction a three part article in successive editions of Education Now News and Review (1994) and reprinted by Education Now as a booklet in 1995

Meighan, R. (1995) Home-based Education Effectiveness Research and Some of its Implications in Educational Review Vol.47, No. 3  pp 275-287 (1995)

Meighan, R. (1997 – 2002) Pages from Natural Learning Magazine additionally found on the Educational Heretics Press Website:

Meighan, R. (1997) Natural Learning in Natural Parent Magazine December 1997

Meighan, R. (1998) Dyslexia and the obsession with literacy in Natural Parent Magazine February 1998

Meighan, R. (1998) Parents as researchers in Natural Parent Magazine March 1998

Meighan, R. (1998) Educational Superstitions of our time – Shakespeare, Maths and Handwriting in Natural Parent iApril 1998

Meighan, R. (1998) Where does the bully mentality come from? In Natural Parent Magazine June 1998

Meighan, R. (1998) Learning systems in Natural Parent Magazine June 1998,

Meighan, R. (1998) What is a good teacher? in Natural Parent Magazine Sept/Oct 1998

Meighan, R. (1998) A superstition called socialisation in Natural Parent Magazine Nov/Dec 1998

Meighan, R. (1999) Wanted! A new vocabulary for learning in Natural Parent Magazine Jan/Feb 1999

Meighan, R. (1999) Purposive conversation and effective learning in Natural Parent Magazine March/April 1999,

Meighan, R. (1999) Back to the future? In Natural Parent Magazine May/June 1999, under the title of Putting children in their place

Meighan, R. (1999) The superstition of school ‘standards’ in Natural Parent Magazine July/Aug 1999
under the title of How your child can be a deep learner

Meighan, R. (1999) You become what you read in Natural Parent Magazine Sept/Oct 1999 under the title of the writing’s on the wall

Meighan, R. (2000) The question of damage limitation in Natural Parent Magazine Jan/Feb 2000 under the title of How to survive school

Meighan, R. (2000) Natural’ curriculum or National Curriculum? In Natural Parent Magazine, March/April 2000 under the title of The natural curriculum

Meighan, R. (2000) Head Teachers, leadership and courage in Natural Parent Magazine, May/June 2000, under the title of What kind of head teacher do you want for your children?

Meighan, R. (2000) Grandparent Power? in Natural Parent Magazine, July/Aug 2000

Meighan, R. (2000) It’s not what you learn, but the way that you learn it  in Natural Parent Magazine, Sept/Oct 2000, under the title What sort of children do we want?

Meighan, R. (2000) Interview with John Adcock in Natural Parent MagazineNovember/December 2000 under the title of: School’s Out

Meighan, R. (2001) Learning centres instead of schools? In Natural Parent MagazineJanuary/February 2001 under the title of: Parents are doing it for themselves

Meighan, R. (2001) Beans in a jar and the domination of the peer group, in Natural Parent Magazine March/April 2001 edition under the title of How many peers make five?

Meighan, R. (2001) Instead of fear, in Natural Parent Magazine May/June 2001 edition under the title of In place of fear

Meighan, R. (2001) Are children people?  In Natural Parent Magazine July/August 2001

Meighan, R. (2001) Boulevard of Broken Dreams in Natural Parent MagazineSeptember/October 2001 edition under the title of The Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Meighan, R. (2001) Interview with Jan Fortune-Wood in Natural Parent Magazine November/December 2001 under the title of A different way.

Meighan, R. (2002) Why Dick and Jane are learning fascist tendencies. In Natural Parent MagazineJanuary/February 2002 under the title of Why Dick and Jane are learning to be bullies.

Meighan, R. (1999) School Britannia in Education Today and Tomorrow, Vol. 51, 2, Autumn 1999

Meighan, R. (1999) Home or Away? in Times Educational Supplement Millennium Edition, 31^st December 1999

Meighan, R. (2004). Restructuring Education in Life Learning, Nov/Dec 2004

Meighan, R. (2005) Some Educational Superstitions of Our Time in Life Learning, March/April 2005

Meighan, R. (2005) An Education Fit for a Democracy in Life Learning, July/Aug 2005

Meighan, R. (2005) Publishing Your Own in Life Learning, Nov/Dec 2005

Meighan, R. (2006). Which Way for Learning? Part One in Home Education Journal, Vol 1. Feb.2006

Meighan, R. (2006). Which Way for Learning? Part One in Home Education Journal, Vol 2. May.2006

Meighan, R. (2007). A Film-based Study of Home-based Education in Home Education Journal, Vol 6. May 2007

Meighan, R. (2007). Home-based Education and the Problem of the Competence of Inspectors, in Home Education Journal, Vol 7. Aug 2007

Meighan, R. (2007) How Others See Us – an Animation in Home Education Journal, Vol 8. Nov 2007

Meighan, R. (2008) A Kind of Treason in Home Education Journal, Vol 10. May 2008

Meighan, R. (2009) Book review: Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor-Gatto in Journal of Personalised Education Now (Centre for Personalised Education), 10, Spr/Sum 2009

Meighan, R. (2009) Recycling Schools 1. Invitation, Choice and the catalogue Curriculum in Journal of Personalised Education Now (Centre for Personalised Education), 10, Spr/Sum 2009

Meighan, R. (2009) Book review: Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor-Gatto in Journal of Personalised Education Now (Centre for Personalised Education), 11, Aut/Win 2009

Meighan, R. (2010) Eighteen Superstitions in Education in Journal of Personalised Education Now (Centre for Personalised Education), 12, Spr/Sum 2009

Meighan, R. (2011) Edmond Holmes and Pink Floyd, Winston Churchill, John Holt and Others in Journal of Personalised Education Now (Centre for Personalised Education), 14, Spr/Sum 2011

Meighan, R. (2012) Flexischooling, a Personal History in Journal of Personalised Education Now (Centre for Personalised Education), 16 and 17, Aut/Win 2012