It started with the Dark Force of Gove and continues at a rapid pace. They have created a system where results are the only thing of worth. It is narrow, knowledge based, divisive and a disaster. This is what they are creating:
- A fifties based emphasis or knowledge and nothing else
- A narrow curriculum created by the baccalaureate
- The abandonment and decimation of creative subjects (Art, drama, music)
- The use of Ofsted as a political tool to hammer teachers
- The introduction of free schools with no need for qualified teachers (On the cheap)
- The introduction of Academies with Faith groups and Big Business muscling in (Creationists, Fundamentalists and right wing lunatics)
- Forcing teachers to follow a strait-jacket of a three-part lesson model enforced by Ofsted – forcing out all forms of eccentricity, different classroom practice and flair – all to be poured into the same boring mould.
- Putting child centred education on the scrapheap
- ICT and skills are no longer valued – only knowledge is deemed important
- Teachers work conditions, pensions and pay has been decimated.
- A divisive system of winners and losers where a good proportion of our children are consigned to the scrapheap (streaming, exam failure and pass/fail strategies)
- Gone is the caring, support, the effort scores and valuing of all. The ones who cannot perform are hammered and then abandoned.
A nightmare of uniform sausage factories – machines of misery who pressurise and bore our children to death.
The result is that good teachers, overworked, undervalued and underpaid, are leaving in droves.
Education is increasingly in the hands of outside groups (Creationists, Islamic organisations, Big Business) who are willing to put money in in order to get their hands on our children.
All is judged on the narrow criteria of exam results. Nothing else matters.
But hey – that’s alright! Those of worth will send their kids to Eton and Harrow. Who cares about the rest? They are only job fodder.
As a successful Headteacher of an outstanding Secondary School – read how it should be done. A book that has been described as the most important book on education since Summerhill:
I can’t comment on this you are the expert.
Anyone can comment. We all have a view from a different perspective. There’s a real debate here.
Finally it sounds like there’s something more depressing THERE than here! And btw, FANTASTIC pix, Opher! (I told Drollery you’d posted a pix and he said, “Opher cryin’ out loud! Let me see it!” I think you and Badfish are becoming legends to him! Giggle.
It’s good to be a foot!
A foot? o_O
Yes – a leg end.
So depressing but just read an amazing blog on we don’t want no department of education…. Politicians leave our kids alone. Think there should be a petition and national outcry but democracy has been browbeaten and who knows what will prevail.
Thanks Georgina. I’ll check that blog out. The country is in a mess under this lot. They do not seem to care at all. They are quite brazen.
I know I got quite frustrated reading the news on Wednesday, BBC app and guardian app! However the politics in Spain is under strain with all these different new parties not able to form alliances. Possibly a bit like asking Labour to align with UKIP and the Green Party. But at least voters have asked for change here in Spain. London NUT are holding a demonstration against academies next week.
I think the Tories believe they are unassailable. They are totally brazen. The callousness is frightening.
Dreadful … worse than I remember it and it wasn’t good then! … have sent for your book on the strength of your powerful list of sins!
I have a number of sins Dave. Hope you enjoy the book.
Me too, but I doubt either of us is to blame for the 12 above!
Far from it. This bunch of megalomaniacs think they can get away with murder – in fact they are.