Professor Edward Conrad Wragg (26 June 1938 – 10 November 2005) known as Ted Wragg, was a British

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

alist and academic known for his advocacy of the cause of education and opposition to political interference in the field. He was Professor of Education at the

University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a public university , public research university in Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of Min ...

from 1978 to 2003, serving as

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of Education from 2003 till his death, and a regular columnist in the ''

Times Educational Supplement ''Tes'', formerly known as the ''Times Educational Supplement'', is a weekly UK publication aimed at education professionals. It was first published in 1910 as a pull-out supplement in ''The Times'' newspaper. Such was its popularity that in 19 ...

'' and ''

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'' In the UK, the Ted Wragg Teaching Award for Lifetime Achievement honours his memory, and is given out annually to educators who are considered to have shown excellent devotion to teaching throughout their careers.

Early career

Wragg was born in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

and attended Hunters Bar Primary School and then King Edward VII School
photo
), followed by

Hatfield College , motto_English = Either the first or with the first , scarf = , named_for = Thomas Hatfield , established = , senior_tutor = , master = Ann MacLarnon (2017–) , undergraduates = 1010 (2017/18) , postgradu ...

Durham University , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_chan ...

where he obtained a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in

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, awarded with first class honours. He taught at

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (QEGS) is an independent, public school for boys in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. The school was founded by Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I in 1591 at the request of leading citizens in Wakefield (headed ...

from 1960 to 1964 when he moved to be Head of German at Wyggeston Boys' School in

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

. In 1966 he went to the

University of Leicester , mottoeng = So that they may have life , established = , type = public research university , endowment = £20.0 million , budget = £326 million , chancellor = David Willetts , vice_chancellor = Nishan Canagarajah , head_labe ...

where he obtained a

Master of Education The Master of Education (MEd or M.Ed. or Ed.M.; Latin ''Magister Educationis'' or ''Educationis Magister'') is a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum a ...

degree.

Academic career

His long association with the

began in the late 1960s when he went there to lecture on Education, principally the methodology of teaching Modern Languages, and to study for a

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

, which he was awarded in 1972. As Professor of Education at the

University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public university, public research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. The University of Nottingham belongs t ...

from 1973 to 1978, he created the university's

Post Graduate Certificate of Education The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE/PGCertEd) is a one- or two-year higher education course in England, Wales and Northern Ireland which provides training in order to allow graduates to become teachers within maintained schools. In ...

course (he also acted as Specialist Adviser to the

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Select Committee on the attainments of school-leavers in 1976–77). In 1978 he returned to Exeter as a Professor where he headed the amalgamation of the Exeter Education department with St Luke's College. While at Exeter he directed numerous research projects on such topics as classroom processes, teaching strategies, curriculum evaluation, appraising competence and incompetence, and

performance-related pay Performance-related pay or pay for performance, not to be confused with performance-related pay rise, is a salary or wages paid system based on positioning the individual, or team, on their pay band according to how well they perform. Car salesmen o ...

. He also studied education in numerous countries around the world. Throughout his academic career he would always make time to teach a class of children for one or two days a week so that he would remain in touch with the profession at the 'chalkface'.

Professional recognition

Wragg was president of the

British Educational Research Association The British Educational Research Association (BERA) is a member-led charity to encourage educational research and its application for the improvement of practice and public benefit. It is an association promoting a researching culture within the ...

in 1981–82, Chairman of the Educational Broadcasting Council of the UK from 1981 to 1986. In 1997 he was invited to deliver the

Hockerill Lecture The Hockerill Educational Foundation was founded on the closure of Hockerill College, a Church of England (Diocese of Rochester) and Non-conformist churches, teacher training college, in 1978."Distinctive or Divisive? The Role of Church Schools ...

. He was a member of the board of the

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority The Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) was a charity, and an executive non-departmental public body (NDPB) of the Department for Education. In England and Northern Ireland, the QCDA maintained and developed the National Cu ...

from 1997 to 2003. He wrote more than 50 books on a wide range of educational topics, as well as producing a 120-book reading scheme, two CD-ROMs, a

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on teachers' questions, and many videos and audiotapes. Shortly before his death he was elected as an

Academician of the Social Sciences The Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) is an award granted by the Academy of Social Sciences to leading academics, policy-makers, and practitioners of the social sciences. Fellows were previously known as Academicians and used th ...

Commentary

He was a frequent broadcaster on radio and television and wrote regularly in newspapers including the ''

'' and ''

''. Wragg was an advocate of warmth, humour and humanity in the classroom and defended these ideals with passion against a narrowly

utilitarian In ethical philosophy, utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for all affected individuals. Although different varieties of utilitarianism admit different charac ...

approach to learning; he was vociferous in opposing attempts to roll back the education changes of the 1960s. He had a ready and sharp wit, which worked well with his savage indignation at politically inspired educational reforms. Although initially his beliefs were reflected by the government of

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...

, he later fell out with it and attacked it, nicknaming

Ruth Kelly Ruth Maria Kelly (born 9 May 1968) is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolton West from 1997 until she stood down in 2010. Previously, she served as the Secretary of State for Transport, ...

"Ruth

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" and "The Duchess of Drivel"; he also coined the nickname 'Tony Zoffis' ( Tony's office) for

Andrew Adonis Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis, (born Andreas Adonis; 22 February 1963) is a British Labour Party politician and journalist who served in HM Government for five years in the Blair ministry and the Brown ministry. He served as Secretary of State ...

, then a member of the

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policy unit but subsequently ennobled and appointed as

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (or just Parliamentary Secretary, particularly in departments not led by a Secretary of State) is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the UK government, immediately junior to a Minister o ...

for Education.

Bibliography

Wragg was a prolific writer. The following list of some of his books is freely adapted from the material posted on his University of Exeter curriculum vitae. * E C Wragg (1974) ''Teaching Teaching'' David and Charles * E C Wragg, J Oates and P Gump (1976) ''Classroom Interaction'' Open University Press * E C Wragg (1981) ''Class Management and Control'' Macmillan * E C Wragg (1982) ''Swineshead Revisited'' Trentham * E C Wragg (1982) ''A Review of Research in Teacher Education'' NFER-Nelson * E C Wragg (ed) (1984) ''Classroom Teaching Skills'' Croom Helm * E C Wragg (1984 ''Pearls from Swineshire'' Trentham * E C Wragg (1986) ''Education: An Action Guide for Parents'' BBC * E C Wragg (1987) ''Teacher Appraisal'' Macmillan * E C Wragg (1988) ''The Wragged Edge'' Trentham * E C Wragg and J A Partington (1989) ''Schools and Parents'' Cassell * E C Wragg (1990) ''Riches from Wragg'' Trentham * E C Wragg (1991) ''Mad Curriculum Disease'' Trentham * E C Wragg and M Williams (1993) ''The Parents' File'' Southgate * E C Wragg (1993)'' No, Minister!'' Trentham * E C Wragg (1993) ''Class Management'' Routledge * E C Wragg and G Brown (1993)'' Explaining'' Routledge * G Brown and E C Wragg (1993) ''Questioning'' Routledge * E C Wragg (ed) (1993) ''Education: a Different Vision'' IPPR * E C Wragg (1993) ''Primary Teaching Skills'' Routledge * E C Wragg (1994) ''An Introduction to Classroom Observation'' Routledge * R Dunne and E C Wragg (1994) ''Effective Teaching'' Routledge * E C Wragg, F J Wikeley, C M Wragg, G S Haynes (1996) ''Teacher Appraisal Observed'' Routledge * E C Wragg (1994) ''Flying Boot'' Nelson * E C Wragg (1995) ''The Ted Wragg Guide to Education'' Butterworth Heinemann * E C Wragg (1996) ''The Last Quango'' Trentham * E C Wragg (1997) ''The Cubic Curriculum'' Routledge * E C Wragg (1997) ''Assessment and Learning'' Routledge * E C Wragg (1998) ''The Prince of Darkness'' Trentham * E C Wragg, C M Wragg, G S Haynes and R P Chamberlin (1998) ''Improving Literacy in the Primary School'' Routledge * E C Wragg (1999) ''An Introduction to Classroom Observation'' (2nd edition) Routledge * E C Wragg, G S Haynes, C M Wragg and R P Chamberlin (2000)''Failing Teachers?'' Routledge * E C Wragg (2001) ''Class Management in the Primary School'', Routledge Falmer. * E C Wragg (2001) ''Class Management in the Secondary School'', Routledge Falmer. * E C Wragg (2001) ''Assessment and Learning in the Primary School'', Routledge Falmer. * E C Wragg (2001) ''Assessment and Learning in the Secondary School'', Routledge Falmer. * E C Wragg and G Brown (2001) ''Explaining in the Primary School'', Routledge Falmer. * E C Wragg and G Brown (2001) ''Explaining in the Secondary School'', Routledge Falmer. * E C Wragg and G Brown (2001) ''Questioning in the Primary School'', Routledge Falmer. * E C Wragg, G Brown (2001) ''Questioning in the Secondary School'', Routledge Falmer. * E C Wragg, G S Haynes, Wragg, C M and Chamberlin, R P (2004) ''Performance Pay for Teachers'', Routledge Falmer. * E C Wragg (Ed) (2004) ''Teaching and Learning'', RoutledgeFalmer. * E C Wragg (Ed) (2005) ''Letters to the Prime Minister'', Central Books. * E C Wragg (2005) (in press) ''The Art and Science of Teaching and Learning'', Routledge. * Editor of the international research journal ''Research Papers in Education'' (Taylor and Francis) since 1986.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wragg, Ted 1938 births 2005 deaths English educational theorists People educated at King Edward VII School, Sheffield Alumni of the University of Exeter Alumni of Hatfield College, Durham Alumni of the University of Leicester Academics of the University of Exeter Academics of the University of Nottingham Fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences