Teachers to get pay cut

Gordon the con-artist has set up the Aunt Sally of 2% for pay increases, but as we know inflation is at over 4% (real world RPI - not in Gordon's magic fairy land New Labour CPI).

So roughly the teachers are getting a 1.55% pay cut in real terms this year and potentially bigger cuts in the years to follow ( as they have to accept the risk of varying inflation rates over the three years.)

Now I can't really complain about cutting back the state sector - it certainly needs doing. But I'll just point out the cowardice, spin a deception used by Gordon Brown and the Labour government ( and faithfully reported by the -as ever pro-Labour- BBC as a good pay rise ).

Remember private sector pay rises are averaging 4%, and RPI inflation ( including things you actually have to pay for unlike CPI ) is 4% (link is live - so will be update RPI inflation reported as 4% for Dec 07).

Update: Looks like the teacher's can do the math - see here

Plans to further Balls up education

Softly and bit by bit Ed Balls looks like he's going to undermine Tony Blair's academy schools. Not directly - as the socialist have become cowards about outlining their ideas in the light of day - but by stealth ( wonder where he learnt that trick ?).

Universities are to be bullied into running academies. Now the headline might sound good but if you have some experience of universities the idea should fill you with horror. ( Perhaps Ed Balls privileged private school education and time at that most a-typical of British universities Oxford has blinded him to the problems.)

Now Universities have enough problems running themselves. Many academics can hardly teach - let alone administer things. The trendy academic educationalists are who cause a large amount of the break down in standards and achievement in our education system - putting them in charge is just madness.

Anyway why should Universities be any better than LEA's ?

But its a good stalking horse to remove the cash requirement for setting up the schools. It also provides a route for Brown/Balls to do their social engineering so that those school's pupils will get favoured entrance to the Universities, by taking the places of gifted children whose parents vote the wrong way - just like Eastern Europe under Stalin.

The BBC quotes Balls as saying:

"The test of whether an organisation can be a potential sponsor should not be its bank balance, but whether it can demonstrate leadership, innovation, and commitment to act in the public interest," said Mr Balls.

Which other potential sponsors does Balls have up his sleeve - Trade Unions perhaps ? The government will no doubt give them more money like the Union modernisation fund - so the Union's will have more money to give to the Labour party.

Having said that it would be fun to watch the NUT try to run a school - as long as my Children don't have to go there.