Katharine Birbalsingh, Britain’s strictest headmistress, talks about what matters for our culture both at school and in the home. Gentle parenting and progressive schooling have replaced the values our grandparents understood instinctively. Whether you’re a parent, a teacher, or anyone interested in how politics impacts children, Strictly Education is your source for the traditional advice you can't find anywhere else. New episodes released every Thursday.

Latest episodes

Test Scores Are Plummeting Across Europe. England Held the Line.

October 1, 2026 · 42 min

Education Secretary Michael Gove was hated for his school reforms in the early 2010s. He worked to bring back classical texts, rigorous exams, and real authority for teachers. Years later, the very countries his critics wanted us to…
Nikole Hannah-Jones Ruins Black Kids’ Lives… Even Her Own Daughter’s

September 24, 2026 · 44 min

Nikole Hannah-Jones, the New York Times journalist behind the 1619 Project, just admitted something remarkable: her own daughter thinks she was cheated out of a good education by her mother's politics. Ten years ago, Hannah-Jones wrote…
Why I Don’t Let My Students Play the Victim

September 17, 2026 · 33 min

Victimhood is not virtue. Modern culture has taught children and adults alike that suffering confers merit, and now claiming victim status is a faster route to power than actually overcoming hardship. This logic plays out everywhere from…
Why Nathan Cofnas Is Wrong About Race Science and IQ

September 10, 2026 · 45 min

Nathan Cofnas made his name exposing Jason Arday's plagiarism, but he’s also controversial in his own right. Cofnas believes that racial disparities in education and income can be explained by IQ and genetics. He also argues that avoiding…
White Guilt Politics Hung Jason Arday Out to Dry

September 3, 2026 · 48 min

Cambridge University professor Jason Arday, celebrated in the press for his unbelievable life story, resigned amid plagiarism accusations and was found dead days later. The real scandal is not academic integrity, but rather institutional…
Elon Musk Thinks AI Can Replace Teachers. He's Wrong.

August 27, 2026 · 28 min

Elon Musk thinks education should feel like a video game. Sam Altman wants every child to have an AI tutor. When someone says a great new piece of technology will transform how kids are taught, be very suspicious. “Innovations” in…
If We Don’t Start Taking Kids Seriously, the West Is Done For

August 20, 2026 · 34 min

Values, not privilege, determine whether a child thrives. In this episode, Katharine Birbalsingh traces her journey from left-leaning Oxford graduate who blamed racism and poverty for school failure, to founder and headmistress of Michaela…