This prevailing idea that ‘they are all the same’ is utter bollocks. It is simply not true. The differences are stark. As someone who was in education for thirty seven years and a headteacher when Labour lost to the Tories, I saw the differences first hand and had to manage them.
Under Labour the school was properly funded. Teachers were paid well. We managed to employ quality staff (the type you’d want your children taught by). The curriculum was wide and teaching styles active and creative. Arts and music flourished. We taught through investigation, experimentation and had active discussions. Education was fun. Minds were expanded. Kids were switched on, enjoyed lessons and were taught to think.
We had building programs and great teaching. Buildings were repaired. There was equipment and a good teaching environment.
Kids were happy. Standards were high.
The minute we went over to the Tories we were starved of funds, teachers’ pay was cut. It was really hard filling vacancies. Good, well-qualified people did not go into teaching.
Gove narrowed the curriculum forcing out art, music and anything creative.
Teaching styles were stifled. It was back to rows of students and a boring three part lesson. The syllabi became 1950’s style knowledge regurgitation with kids in rows writing down information to memorise for exams. Turgid, boring and useless.
We had teaching by numbers, crowded classrooms, poor pay, deteriorating buildings and threw creativity and exploration out the window. It could not be more stark.
In this day and age knowledge is redundant. If you want to know something you google it on your phone. What is needed is creativity, lateral thinking and flair. Just what we used to produce under Labour.
I remember the day of the election. The minute the Tories won the national education platform shut down and all the resources were gone.
The same is true for all public services. The Tories use private health, education and security. They see public services as parasitic and really don’t care about the plebs. Money spent on public services is considered a waste. They like to rob the public services to give tax cuts to the wealthy.
I get so mad. Schools, NHS, Councils and Police have been starved of funds under the Tories – end result – libraries shut, potholes in roads, no youth services and youth clubs, decaying NHS, broken schools and no midwives or police. Even the courts don’t work.
The difference could not be more stark. As a headteacher I had to manage it!
The Tory Party was formed by the wealthy to look after the wealthy. They try to tart it up but that is what they do. Under them we have rough sleeping, food banks, poverty, austerity and a cost of living crisis – at the same time the wealthy have doubled their wealth!!
THEY ARE ALL THE SAME – BOLLOCKS!!!!!!