Friday, April 19th, 2013
Who would want to be a teacher, more importantly who would want to be a student in the UK at the moment? Ever since his appointment as Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove seems to be lobbing mortars into our teaching resources in an attempt to instigate fundamental changes.
Common with the military application of this weapon it is designed to maim and terrorise rather than mend. The onslaught by Education Secretary has had a disastrous effect on teachers. Moral has slipped, stress has increased and a colossal number of teachers have left the profession. Educational initiatives have come and gone, perhaps they were strategically designed to weaken the enemy than achieve a breakthrough in education.
The recent Easter conferences held by the teaching unions heralded distrust in the government’s approach and threatened industrial action. Crucial to the evolution of our educational programme is its total integration with the teaching resources and its relevance to the future needs of the UK. Our performance, measured against targets set in the UK is lamentable. But targets are by default open to manipulation, which defeat their purpose. Emphatic reliance on such data would be horribly flawed. What is required is a fundamental review of the educational programme designed to stretch our children to match the demands of a now truly global market and the evolving needs of the UK. This has to be achieved in close association with teachers. Their intimate involvement in the design and construction of the programme is surely no great shock. If you want the system to work you have to lead not demand.
At the moment our Secretary of State for Education seems dramatically out of touch with his troops. He is lobbing mortars on teachers, achieving nothing but bloodshed. Of course there is a battle to be won. Our position in the world educational league tables is appalling. The rising stars in educational programmes are seen in the Far East and Scandinavia. Issues surrounding the curriculum, length of the school day and holidays are the latest mortars to land. And for good measure a final barrage announced teaching assistants, all 220,000 of them could end up on the scrap heap.
The teacher strikes in Denmark and adverse reaction in France to the increased school working day appeared to have encouraged rather than dissuade a similar strategy by the Educational Secretary of State.Teachers are backed into a corner and like a wounded animal can only attack to defend themselves. The resultant impasse could take months to resolve. In the meantime a cohort of children will be devoid of their education, a situation that will do absolutely nothing to jack the UK back up the educational league tables.
Maybe the best strategy is for Michael Gove to be relieved of his cabinet duties and allowed to concentrate solely on developing an educational strategy he, the teachers, children and future employers will be proud of. An educational plan fit for purpose developed in close association and agreement with the guys who will implement it, and those who will benefit from it. Now that’s a novel concept.
Tags: Michael Gove, teachers new working day, teaching assistants to be made redundant, teaching unions reaction to changes
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Friday, February 8th, 2013
Pity the teaching resources that are now having to reorganise their thoughts resulting from the now abandoned English Baccalaureate Certificate (EBC). This educational landmark, due to save our schooling now seems a “Bridge Too Far” according to Michael Gove, Secretary Of State for Education. It is a stark example of how to get a major strategy wrong. Ignoring the market forces in teachers is a perilous route. Surely should they should have been consulted in the first place. Regretfully the system is still broken and need fixing to prevent a further slide down the international league tables in our educational standards.
The EBC is a no-go but the problem still remains. Clearly the UK educationalists need to regroup and advise the secretary of state what is desirable and possible. But this needs to happen fast as we cannot afford to slip any further. The EBC debacle has cost us all dearly.
Tags: EBC abandonment, Michael Gove
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Saturday, August 18th, 2012
The vicarious cycle of government funding applied to educational teaching resources continues. We are far from educational consistency shown by the annual games played in the selection of schools by parents and in turn; of students by schools.
Epitomised by the postcode lottery applied by many good schools, children are still subjected to a national scandal where the average school in the UK when compared to the international performance standards can be seen to be well down the league table. It seems the system, already creaking due to population growth, must expect more frequent reports of failure.
Sir Michael Wilshaw, head of OFSTED, must have the worst job in UK schooling. As a previous exceptional head teacher who turned a failing academy into a significant success now sees failure at school inspections at virtually every turn. The educational system in the UK has largely failed to thrive. Manipulative teaching techniques allowing teachers and schools to hit targets, a decline in the quality of exam standards have collectively induced criticism by employers that many schools leavers do not have the requisite numeracy, literacy, social skills and work ethic to enter the work place. The recent announcement by the Secretary of State for Education that we should return to exams standards abandoned in 1987 have conspired to confuse, denude and demoralise. Sir Michael Wishaw can really only achieve a damage limitation exercise whilst the system regroups.
Ideals of educational equality for all schoolchildren have long been unachievable. State schooling stalwart Sir Jonathan Miller, who once believed in the state comprehensive system, has recently opted for private education for his grandchildren. Parents of school children face an awful dilemma. They risk seeing a state education that can leave a child home dry at the end of secondary school. A 15-year investment programme ending in dismay. Qualifications that have suffered such manipulation in the eyes of the educational minister and should be completely replaced represents a testament to collective failure of his all too many predecessors. And devastating news to millions of children will pass through the system to gain a series of now, suspect, qualifications there are openly stated as being irrelevant in the commercial world.
This is just not a whim of Michael Gove. The OECD has compared the quality of UK education with other countries systematically over the last 10 years. Our ranking in English literature and numeracy, originally placed in the top five positions of the international league, now occupy slots in the also-ran mid 20’s. Whilst Britain can excel in the Olympics we perform appallingly in something as basic and vital as education.
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Tags: GCSE's, Michael Gove, Michael Wilshaw, New school syllabus, Ofsted
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Wednesday, June 27th, 2012
Educational Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove is on a roll. Having announced the potential reintroduction of O levels in secondary education he is now planning to wage war on poor performing primary schools. Hundreds of schools rated poor during Ofsted inspections will be turned into academies. Defending the expected teaching union negative reaction to academies schools academies damned if you do damned of you do not. Michael Gove said “It would be morally reprehensible to allow children to be taught in poor schools year after year.”
Tags: Failing primary schools to become academies, Michael Gove, Ofsted
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Friday, January 20th, 2012
The national curriculum will make continue to make certain subjects compulsory until students reach the age of 16 years. Although expected to be reformed, lessons in history, geography and modern foreign languages are set to continue. This will come as shock for those children who historically have dropped these subjects at the age of 14 years to concentrate on their preferred options. Although this dictat will enforce these subjects from 2014, schools will be given more freedom as to how they teach art, music, design and technology and computing.
The GCSE exams course will also be extended over three years from the current two to allow a wider choice of subject to be followed. Ironically the review by the Department of Education is part of an exercise to slim down the national curriculum which it concluded had become too narrow. Design and technology, computing and citizenship should no longer be part of the curriculum but can be taught by teachers who will set the content. This sets the opportunity for these subjects to reflect contemporary developments.
Michales Gove’s later announcement advises that ICT is also to move away from a rigid curiculum and be tught on a ,ore open basis. Technology is, after all, moving at a phenomenal pace and lessons have become outdated and boring in a classroom of children operating outside of school on later technology.
Tags: Changes to the curiculum, DfE, History and geography key to lessons, Michael Gove
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Saturday, January 7th, 2012
The secretary of state for education, Michael Gove is stamping renewed vigour into his policy to sack governors of failing schools and had them over to academies. His current target, Downhills Primary school in North London are attempting to resist being taken over by an academy sponsor after years of poor performance. Academy Groups Scooping Up Failing Schools.
The school is one of many who are in the sights of Michael Gove who wishes to remove poor performance in school. The announcement last year that over 200 primary schools will be placed into academy status remains at the forefront of his quest to improve schooling standards. Speaking at Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College he said “For years hundreds of children have grown up effectively illiterate and innumerate. In one of the most disadvantaged parts of our capital city poor children have been deprived of the skills they need to succeed.”
The transfer to academy status is certainly forefront in the sights of the Educational secretary. He has the option to utilise his intervention powers within the Academies Act to push failing schools to switch to academy status. But there is opposition from concerned schools, educational authourities and the National Union of Teachers they he will need to overcome.
Tags: academies, Downhills Primary school, Michael Gove, NUT
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Monday, December 5th, 2011
A surprisingly high percentage of parents have stated they want their children to be taught the truth about history not the patriotic bias that is currently used. The teaching resources for history will need to be updated along with lesson plans as over 80 per cent of parents said they wanted the negative elements of the history of Britain to presented alongside the positive ones.
Micheal Gove, Secretary of State for Education said he was changing the national curriculum to reflect history as “proper subject” and take pride where it is due but the poll of parents suggested we also need to reflect our part in some of the less encouraging elements of history. The establishment of concentration camps during the Boer war and our success in dealing with the slave trade would educate children to the fact the UK was commercially engaged in the lamentable slave trade beforehand.
The educational journal “Impact” commissioned the poll which was effected by YouGov. Micael Hand, of the Institute of Education said “Michael Gove wants to build patriotism through school history lessons, but this isn’t a justifiable aim of education. Schools must not prejudice by deliberately promoting the love of Britain.”.
Tags: history education in schools, History games, Institute of Education, Michael Gove, Michael Hand
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Tuesday, September 13th, 2011
The need to monitor key performance indicators in the learning progress of a child’s secondary education has spawned so many tests and exams the practice is now overwhelming the learning process itself.
The examination merry-go-round has left many children, parents, teaching resources and the examination boards themselves in a spin. Overstretched, the exam bodies have made mistakes in setting exams and are guilty of inconsistencies in marking.
The effect on secondary schools and children is huge. GCSE grades needed to support “A” levels and subsequent university places have been falsely assessed and either wrecked chances or subjected children to undeserved psychological trauma.
The solution may not be that easy to find. This chaotic situation is virtually ingrained in the learning process. Any change would take years to prove but Michael Gove, Educational Secretary of State plans to scrap mid-course or modular exams in GCSE from next year. Such a bold move may not be the solution according to Kenneth Durham, Headteacher of University College School who said “The exam system has become a monster”. He is also concerned the proposed review of GCSE’s would not mean fewer exams but a concentration of the exams at the end of the course.
“A” level exams would change and put the focus on content and structure rather than the exam assessment which is where the problem lies. In 2010 a staggering 171,700 requests were made to exam boards to check or re-mark children’s GCSE and A level exam papers. The subsequent investigation revealed large variations between exam boards is common subject areas.
The confidence we must instil in children to continue to learn competently to pursue further education and a rewarding career is being lost. The pressure on children to succeed is becoming unbearable and echoed in the stress and frustration felt by teachers. Michael Gove’s proposal on exam structures seems like another treatment for the symptoms that may not cure the disease.
Tags: GCSE and A level exam accuracy, Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education.
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Monday, June 20th, 2011
Imagine the trauma of GCSE and A level students entering the examination room to find the question papers are incorrect, have missing data and the Educational Secretary is condemning the exams saying that they are an inadequate means to measure the teaching resources used. Educational Secretary Michael Gove’s recent comments urged the need for UK exams to match the world’s toughest. The content and timing of these strident comments has left head teachers, parents and students reeling. Confidence in the educational secretary and the educational system has once again been severely undermined.
For the children taking the exams having spent five years concentrating on the curriculum content, exam techniques and revision our teaching resources and pupils find the games being played by Michael Gove, who believes the exams are too easy and wildly adrift of what is required in our modern world, is a staggering blow to their confidence. In August when the results appear we will inevitably be involved in the annual debate with exam regulators and teachers on one side versus employers and universities who claim any increase in the pass rate implies a lower standard rather than students working harder or our teaching resources being more efficient. This criticism has faded all too quickly and the status quo remains largely unchanged.
Left unchanged The Department for education believes we will see a further decline in our world educational standards. Already we have sunk to the mid-twenties position in the world league table developed by the OECD. The view from keen2learn voiced many times in the past is that the curriculum and the exam standards should be controlled as entry levels to the next educational stage of the student. Primary school exams should be set by secondary school, GCSE’s set by industry and commerce, “A” level set by universities. This would remove the exam controversy and avoid children arriving on the doorstep of the next stage of their learning ill prepared for what is to happen next.
The recent statement by Michael Gove may appear strident and clumsy in the timing but seeks to address the misfit of our schooling with the needs of modern adult life. The fire from the hip approach will cause significant aggravation with teachers and the possibility of an overt rebuff that will allow the problem to still remain. Michael Gove further stated “By 2015 I want us to be on an irreversible trend to get more good teachers into teaching, more schools enjoying autonomy and all underperforming schools been taken over. I want us to refocus our curriculum to get rid of unnecessary extras and change our discredited exam system. It’s as much about modernisation as going back to tradition.”
The Educational Secretary has compared the output to the UK with the educational standards in Singapore, New Zealand, Canada and Hong Kong and believes that the route ahead lies in a mixture of old fashioned teaching resources and modern technology. This is to be combined with ill performing schools being handed over to local academies that would benefit more from a concentration of educational effort than perhaps emerged with local authorities.
Clearly the viewpoint of the Educational Secretary is paramount in the future for our schools and the education standards of our teachers and ultimately our children. The transfer to academy status may be a solution but overall it appears his strategy is being developed and released in piecemeal and in conflict with the head teachers who will be responsible to make it work. Surely the better approach would have been to take time out to develop the strategy thoroughly in association with our teaching resources and not rushed into premature statements which could imply muddled thought going off half-cocked leading to concerns, ridicule and negative reaction from teachers, parents and children.
Tags: DfE, edcuationla strategy, Michael Gove, National Curriculum, teaching resources
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Wednesday, February 9th, 2011
The educational secretary Michael Gove is poised to parade his Education Bill before parliament this Friday. Andy Burnham shadow education secretary feels it is a “huge gamble.” The content is far reaching and will centralise power firmly in the lap of Michael Gove. Yet is this a negative move.
Obviously Andy Burnham has an axe to grind and unlikely to give the government his blessing, such is the way of politics. But the current regime where the national curriculum specifies what children are taught and how the teaching resources should be managed is hardly a shining success. The UK has slipped down the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) educational world league tables to be languishing around 25th position for most subjects – way behind China who has moved in the number one slot. Each year we slip further, and hear criticism of the exam results are too easy whilst employers and Universities complain that those children released into the job market have woefully inadequate schooling.
Children are routinely transferred form primary to secondary school without the requisite attainment in maths and literacy. Their life in secondary school destined to become a burden for child, teacher and school. Statistics reveal the significance of the drop off that occurs with many children aged 11 – 14 years. Children that fail to thrive occurs both in the struggling group as well as gifted children that fail to be pushed. Teachers are constantly chasing targets and if nothing else have become street wise in hitting the key performance indices leaving little room to expand their teaching prowess. Countless initiatives abound. The Department for Education is able to churn out a staggering number of new ideals that pass through the system and achieve nothing apart from creating a level of disruption in schools that beggar’s belief.
Educational career opportunities seem to stagnate at Headteacher level. Despite a competitive salary the role fails to meet the promotional aspirations of deputy heads. Thousands of headteacher’s jobs remain unfilled – some for several years.
Do we therefore need a new Educational Bill, a new English Baccalaureate, a new schooling system? Do we agree with Andy Burnham and the maxim “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” and leave education alone? But the UK educational programme from Sure Start to university tuition fees is in dire need of being fixed. Let us therefore hope that Michael Gove has had the time to think things through strategically and not use the opportunity as a cost cutting charter. We cannot stay with a continuing failure in education. The Education Bill could be the turning point for the salvation of our schooling process. It is a truly massive undertaking and must address the cause rather than the symptoms. Will it work? Lets hope so because to achieve nothing is not an option.
Tags: Andy Burnham, Education bill, Michael Gove, National Curriculum
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Wednesday, August 4th, 2010
The latest SAT’s results reveal a further decline in reading standards at primary school level. Falling for the third year in a row how can we stop the slide in this essential ability to progress in education.
Shrouded in a bewildering cloud of statistics, perhaps proving numeric skills are just as important, the Department for Education (DfE) announced the results of this year’s SAT tests in primary schools. You may recall the actions of the National Union of Teachers boycotted the tests in around 25 per cent of primary schools, thus the results are a little wobbly. The aim of the NUT was to highlight concern that SAT’s have induced a “teaching to the test” process which focused undue attention to passing the test at the expense of a wider learning programme. Despite the test to test syndrome the results show we are still failing a great chunk of kids.
Reading is the key to all learning. Educational programmes have yet to implant knowledge via Star Wars technology so without these brain programming rays we are stuck with conventional teaching resources. Yet after centuries of teaching English and reading skills the process is still largely unchanged. Techniques using for example phonics have ebbed and flowed as the tide. All have seemingly failed to fundamentally break the mould to improve overall standards. This years results show 84 per cent of children achieved the expected level in the national curriculum tests (ignoring the boycott effect). This is down from 86 per cent in 2009, and 87 per cent in 2008.
The results include a mix of some better news with brighter children improving their skill in English and Maths. But the damning evidence reveal lower achieving children are being traumatised by the tests showing the disparity in our primary teaching resources. Interestingly the Teachers’ assessment of pupils progress, rather like a Doctors prognosis, used skill and judgement and revealed predictions of children performance in the SAT’s within one per cent of that achieved. Michael Gove Secretary of State for Education has stated SAT’s will go ahead again next year. Christine Blower of the National Union of Teachers said the tests should be replaced by sample testing. I must admit to siding with the NUT on this. Teacher predictions have been proven accurate and can be checked through sample testing. Freed from Teaching-to-test activities would leave teachers with an extra nine weeks a year of teaching time. And the winners would be more children equipped with the reading skills essential to all further learning. Could lead to an ability to comprehend government statistics.
Tags: Christine Blower, DfE, Michael Gove, NUT, Primary school resources, reading skills, sat's
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Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
The SAT’s are out and show the usual confusion of claims, counter claims and criticisms. Headline results imply improvements in our primary resources in Maths and English. Schools Minister Nick Gibb congratulated pupils and teachers on the results – and defended externally verified test. He, also warned that there were still too many pupils failing to make the grade.
“Despite pupils’ and teachers’ hard work, one in five pupils are still not reaching the expected level in either English or maths and over a third are not achieving this level in reading, writing and maths combined.”
Christine Blower, leader of the National Union of Teachers, said the scale of boycott would “render this year’s league tables an irrelevance”. With 25 per cent of schools boycotting the SAT tests this year she has a point. The disruption was no idle whim of teachers. Frustrated by teaching practices which focused disproportionate effort on “teaching to test” where children were deliberately taught how to answer exams rather than receiving a more general education. Teachers believe this damaging syndrome is skewing the chances of children receiving a wider more relevant education.
The topic of SAT’s has long been a bone of contention – at least in England. We may think this is a national educational issue but Wales and Northern Ireland have already abolished SAT’s and Scotland never introduced them. This situation should prove beyond doubt whether they work or not. We have two samples which will reveal the effect of abandonment, and one control area who never introduced them. This presents the statisticians’ ideal set of results. Analysis of the cause and effect of SAT’s would prove the way ahead conclusively. The NAHT and NUT unions representing a key proportion of our teaching resources are predominately against the tests in the current format.
In the meantime Education Secretary Michael Gove has said the tests will go ahead next year. However, he has said there were “flaws” in the testing system and has promised a review. But we have to wait and see if this will this be clouded by the coalition manifesto. Prior to the election, the Conservatives said the tests need to be “reformed but not scrapped” while the Liberal Democrats said they would keep SAT’s, but refine them with more weight put on internal teacher assessment and greater external checks to guarantee quality and consistency. Not quite the clear cut answer or direction we might hope for. In the meantime we can expect some changes to the tests. Let us hope the results do not muddy the waters on the real problem- How are we still failing to educate so many children? The overall standards are still far too low and this is 2010.
Tags: Christine Glover, DfE, educational resources, Michael Gove, NAHT, NUT, sat's, teaching resources
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Friday, July 23rd, 2010
Michael Gove’s plan to entice schools to become academies and take greater charge in their own affairs seems to be stalling. The 750 applications from schools has resulted in only 50 state schools being ready for the September start.
Schools are saying their request for an information pack has been counted as an application. Keen2learn believed schools should be allowed to take the summer break as the ideal opportunity to review options. This allows considered thought rather than rash reaction. But the Departmental of Education seemed to have jumped the gun. Once again we see Michele Gove on the back foot scrambling around personally phoning some Head Teachers to urge them to apply. Maybe they’re a bit concerned about the rebuilding programme cancellation that left some schools truly beached could emerge half way through the academy programme.
Maths games give wrong answer for schools rebuilding programme
Academy Success Could Overload Universities
Tags: Department of Education, Michael Gove, school academy
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Friday, July 16th, 2010
Foreign Secretary William Hague recently announced he is reviewing the UK’s foreign policy to develop new strategic partners overseas. These medium to long-term objectives need to be integrated in the educational policies and teaching resources of the national curriculum. After all, those responsible for the effective follow through of foreign policy are probably in school at the moment.
The political and economic map of the world is changing. The UK’s status has moved from a world leader in the industrial revolution to become a potential follower. But this may not be the disaster it sounds. It makes greater sense to take the lower risk option and develop a structure based on a rear guard movement. Learning from infrastructure faults will allow us to introduce a more refined mark II version.
We inherited many weaknesses from the industrial revolution. Not least being the first to introduce a new infrastructure. Our railway network is logistical fraught. A combination of Engineering brilliance and innovation mixed with old thinking and compromise. Whilst the rest of the world delights in modern railways able to travel at twice the average UK speed, updating the original and ageing London underground and national rail network is now a gargantuan task and economically unviable. Concorde was technically brilliant but commercially a disaster. Supersonic passenger flight followed travel by hovercraft have come and gone. Yet innovation is the very soul of the UK.
William Hague has flagged up potential realignment with developing countries. China, India and Brazil are showing distinct signs of emerging economies. Some pundits consider the UK, Europe and North America as aging economies. History reveals huge swings in the economic fortunes of leading countries. Portugal, Spain, Greece, Italy, the Roman Empire, even Venice once made fortunes as international trading nations. Ironically the current economic situation now reveals massive debt and ailing economies in this same group of “ex” world leaders.
To secure a future economic position for the UK the foreign policy, determined by the Foreign Secretary, has to be integrated in the educational curriculum by the educational secretary Michael Gove. This requires considerable long term strategic planning. Modern foreign languages in schools currently focusing on French, German and Spanish would need to switch to Mandarin, Hindi and Portuguese. Cultural awareness, customs and religion become essential if we are to capture any meaningful role in the new world market. No more can we assume empire status as we will be on the back foot.
We are not alone in this situation. Recent forecasts indicate the progressive assimilation of the Hispanic worker as essential in the economy of the U.S.A. Years of political stability in South America where national leaders have outlived their western counterpart is leading to a growing presence and a critical mass in world economies. If we fail to open this economic door we could slip up badly. We and more importantly our children need an educational curriculum that is matched to this objective, and the process needs to start right now.
Tags: educational secretary, Foreign policy, Michael Gove, National Curriculum, teaching resources, William Hague
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Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
An educational nightmare is looming as the Government and Local Educational Authorities play games with the finances of schools considering academy status.
The current financial proposals for academy schools are not all they seem and some Headteachers may be in for shock. A profound maths rule emanating from the financial world states that Cash is King ,which needs to be foremost in any Headteacher’s plan whilst they convert their schools to academy status. A recent survey by the Times newspaper, however, indicates most local educational authorities (LEA) believe the cash from the Department for Education may be a lot lower than anticipated. And this is before any final countdown announcements in the emergency budget. Cracks are appearing raising concern this significant educational move may backfire.
A secondary school with an operating budget GBP 5 million could find a shortfall of around GBP 400k. This represents eight percent of their budget levied by the LEA to cover the provision of central services to all schools. But the levy can vary depending on the LEA and in some area schools could actually enjoy further funding instead of the charge. Many Lib Dem MP’s are concerned the overall scheme may serve to undermine local authorities rather than achieve educational excellence.
School heads, and so far there are 1,100 who have applied to become an academy, see the freedom to manage their destiny as a huge advantage. Autonomy in the relevance of the national curriculum, teacher pay scales, and removal from local authority inspections are among the key benefits.
Whereas the funding transfer is assumed to come under the influence of the LEA, the Department Of Education Secretary, Michael Gove, said they would decide on extra funding for academies based on the services they receive through their local authority and a VAT grant.
Mick Brookes, General Secretary of the National Association of Teachers of summed up the confusion in the maths when he said “I’m not surprised at the disparity. The way in which numbers are manipulated is a bit like smoke and mirrors.”
Before any school switches to become an academy perhaps they need some independent financial advice from the banks. Talk about being in a Rock and Hard place!
Tags: academy budgets, Department of Education, maths, Michael Gove, school academies
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Sunday, May 30th, 2010
Michael Gove in one of his first acts as Educational Secretary has offered school head teachers to convert their school to academy status and school governors the chance to run their own school. Many educational heads understandably are groaning under the strain of yet another change. Do they – don’t they? This strategic move requires considerable thought and should be not be rushed. But whilst the sword of Damocles hangs more immediately over their heads in the shape of targets, tests and league tables, Headteachers and school governors deserve the summer holiday to ponder on the options.
The real challenge, occurring in the midst of economic difficulties, is the need to instigate changes to plan for a population boom requiring 300,000 new places in primary school over the nest few years. Clearly the new coalition has been planning in the background but the onset of the policy appears almost to be a panic move. Schools are expensive both in building and teaching resources. If the schooling output is suspect then clearly something has to be done, but the option to offload responsibility to parents or academy options seems be a cop out.
Parents have a predefined role in the schooling process and naturally wish to do best by their children. The underlying question is whether their involvement in managing their own schools can remain effective after their children have left school. It would be a disaster if a “parent’s school” collapses after 5 years due to changes in the motivation of the leadership.
Population evolution in size and geographical spread can outweigh the relevance of a schools location. Many schools were therefore originally built with a finite life of 25 – 50 years. This approach seems highly logical process but unfortunately results in a time bomb in those schools required for continuing use. We now have a need for both a massive rebuilding and refurbishment programme. Originally covered in the 50 billion pound schools rebuilding programme announced by the previous government, it is now at risk from cutbacks. The sting in the academies or parents school programmes is therefore the possible transfer of the rebuilding costs to the new schemes.
Providing each child with an educational dowry from the government would subsidise the programme but we could see schools ultimately fail due to reduced attendance fees from future population changes. Education is a long term strategy. We desperately need the future scientist, engineer and entrepreneur that are to manage the fortunes of the country in the future, hopefully, more effectively than we are currently achieving. For this we really shouldn’t be playing educational games with the future of our school children.
Tags: academy schools, educational cutbacks, Michael Gove, parents schools, schools rebuilding programme, teaching resources
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