Jim Knight

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Jim Knight (Lord Knight of Weymouth) is a Labour peer and shadow spokesperson on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

A former Schools minister, Knight now works as a consultant on the use of technology in education, including as Chief Education Adviser to TES Global.

He actively promotes the use of technology in schools in the UK and overseas.

Education reformer

Jim Knight has long had an interest in education technology and has held a number of paid jobs with edu-businesses in the UK. These include:

Knight is described as being an 'active member of TSL Education’s advisory board since 2011'. In 2014, when he was appointed MD of Online Learning at the company, he was said to be 'committing to work full-time' as the company focused on accelerating growth and developing its online learning offerings.[1]

Knight has also provided advice and 'project work in education, technology and literacy', through is own company Egale Ltd. Recent clients include:

He has also been paid by:

Knight has also been involved with a number of organisations that promote the use of technology in education:

  • Shareholder and director (until October 2014, although still listed on its website in Sept 2015) of Step-A International Ltd, a lobbying consultancy providing 'policy advice and support on use of technology in education overseas'[2] This describes itself as a company 'formed by former ministers and senior civil servants' who have a 'detailed working understanding of governments, education systems and the technology industry.' It says it works in following areas: identifying future market trends and potential new markets; helping companies 'maximise their CSR opportunities'; training programmes to develop a 'more effective existing management and workforce'; and brokering public sector openings and knowledge for the benefit of private sector companies. STEP-A directors 'have a long history of supporting and advising major international companies such as Microsoft , Apple, Intel, DELL, HP, and Promethean.[3]

Other education interests

Knight was also chair of HTI Academies, a sponsor of state schools that folded in 2014.[5]

Other non-education related interests

  • Xrapid Ltd, a company that diagnoses malaria with iPhones.

Political career

Knight was Labour MP for South Dorset from 2001 until 2010. He was made a peer in 2010.

His roles in parliament included, parliamentary personal secretary to Rosie Winterton and the Department of Health, parliamentary under-secretary to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and minister of state to the Department for Education and Skills, Department for Children, Schools and Families, Regional Affairs and the Department for Work and Pensions.[6]

Notes

  1. Press release: TSL Education appoints Lord Knight as Managing Director of Online Learning, 10 February 2014
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lord Knight of Weymouth Parliament.UK, accessed 4 December 2014
  3. Current Projects], Step-A website, accessed Sept 2015
  4. Lord Knight register of interests, Parliament website, accessed Sept 2015
  5. Ex-minister’s multi-academy trust collapses, SchoolsWeek, 3 December 2014
  6. Lord Knight of Weymouth They Work For You, accessed 4 December 2014