Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Gove getting on with schools

Its heartening to see Michael Gove hitting the ground running on schools today. We had the same old tired response on improving schools not being fair from the dead hand of the Labour party, but they still haven't woken up to not being in power.

I know everyone says Labour governed as if they were running an opposition campaign, but I see the likes of Ed Balls (R4 Today this morning) still giving the sort of blocking statements on fairness in interviews they used to use to avoid scrutiny whilst they got on with the business of socialist destruction in government. It won't work now as no one cares if what they say adds up or prevents further questioning as no ones interested in them right now. No doubt they'll figure this out in a few weeks time.

But education reform is the key plank of this government. The LEA's and left wing educational establishment will squeal and shout, but Gove must push on.

Its time to put the customers of education - the children and their parents first - and in doing so provide our country with a work force that can pay off the debt Labour has saddled us with.

See also Stephen Pollard - Gove's first fight is against the enemy within

3 comments:

Rachel Joyce said...

I agree we need to encourage the high performing schools into academy status, and let parents set up their own schools. However, it is the poorest communities that need the most help, and we will really need to encourage charities to get involved here.

none said...

When I first heard these ideas I thought they were a load of shit.

I'm still fuming about the "healthy schools" crap that led to teaching staff taking cakes and biscuits out of my child's lunch pack that *I* had decided they were going to have - all at the command of Balls.

I can't believe the extent to which teacher's ability to think for themselves has been deleted by labour... the ridiculous corporatese they spout - even the children do, is down to labour.

...but onto the point. The main caterwauling about the schools changes seem to be along the lines of "two-tier system", as if it's possible to have any other situation than one where schools are different?
We all know that some pupils/teachers/schools/unis/subjects/qualifications/areas etc... are better than others; accept it and move on. No amount of tinkering will ever change it; it's down to the kid and their parents more than whatever school they go to as to their prospects - attitude counts for more than whatever the system can offer.
I don't quite see what academies are going to do to improve anything... it's a return to grant maintained schools and centralisation as far as I can see; the idea of liberating teachers from the system is good; but I don't see why that can't be done whilst still keeping schools run locally.

The "free schools" thing seems completely impractical; but I like the idea of business getting involved - less keen on religion getting involved.

In short, anything that takes education away from state control is good (axe the national curriculum!).

Barking Spider said...

So Labour and their Lefty teachers' unions are immediately wailing that their national, common-purpose, child-indoctrination programme is about to be dismantled and that proper education and free thought is once again to be encouraged - what a shame...not!