Stories + Views: Government Policy

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Henry Stewart: “Enablers of Promise”: a refreshing new approach

For years the teaching profession has been used to attack and criticism from the government - whether Labour or Conservative. Politicians and press regularly focus on what is wrong, in their view, with our schools. Instead Stephen Twigg said, in yesterday's speech, "we start from a position of strength" and described our education professionals as "enablers of promise". Too often the standard ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Davd Howard: "Nice piece Henry, thank you. Can you point me at any sources for the fall in GCSE grades in new academies/free schools? Thanks..."

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Fiona Millar: Stephen Twigg’s speech .More detail needed but the direction is promising.

Stephen Twigg, the Shadow Education Secretary, made an important speech yesterday. Twigg has been on the receiving end of some criticism over the last year, not least from me, for failing to make a clear and robust argument against what the Coalition government is doing. But I have read the speech carefully and think it shows that he has been listening ... read more and comment →

6 comments

Latest comment by libby lawson: "Some hope then and a move forward from the talk given to the SEA in November. But I do agree with Roger too...."

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Francis Gilbert: Why it’s important to applaud Toby Young for getting a genuine social mix in his school

I suspect some people on the site won't be too pleased with me for actually applauding Toby Young who has, let's face it, been horrible about all of the founders of the Local Schools Network at some time or another. However, I think credit needs to be given where credit is due, and I think it's clear that the school ... read more and comment →

31 comments

Latest comment by Rosie Fergusson: "Aaahh I see..."

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Michael Dix: Contrasting approaches to educational reform in successful countries and England!

I have just spent three fascinating days at the National College for Teaching and Leadership annual conference - seizing success. Along with a whole range of expert speakers from inside and outside of education, I was fortunate enough to listen to two who have been at the forefront of raising the educational performance in their respective administrations. Sad to say, the ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Janet Downs: "Michael - for Mr Gove it's not enough even to be an "outstanding" head. They must also be heads who support his policies. So the ones he frequently names are those who have set up free schools or ......"

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Janet Downs: Hidden in a dark corner of the DfE website: Gove’s latest thinking on assessment

Hidden away in the deepest recesses of the Department for Education (DfE) website is a general article called Assessing without levels. Assessment is a hot topic at the moment – the new GCSE proposals have been announced and the consultation about secondary accountability has just finished. So why was an article about primary school assessment hidden away? The article says Education Secretary, ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Clare Smith: "Thanks Janet - my printer had squashed the last lines. I had just written a long rant about this latest Gove piece of insanity, but the computer froze and lost it... perhaps a good thing in hindsight. My MA in ......"

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Rebecca Hanson: People who are passionate about fast tracking ex-military personnel into teaching.

Significant elements of Gove's policy have focused on setting up schemes which can fast track ex-military personnel into teaching. Recently quite a few posters have arrived on this forum to promote the idea that this is an important area of policy for this government to pursue. The main problem I have with this is that these views don't seem to exist in ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Rebecca Hanson: "thanks for clarifying the situation Thomas. If you want to make a relevant contribution to this conversation please do feel free. If you feel like you're struggling to do so please do remember I'm happy to ......"

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LocalSchoolsNetwork: The Gove Revolution Scrutinised – New Pamphlet

The Socialist Education Association has produced this very interesting analysis of education issues under Gove. Not available online but recommended reading in printed form. Details on how to order, and how to get a free copy, below: The Gove Revolution Scrutinised    The reality behind the rhetoric - essays on the current crisis After three  years  of Michael Gove as Secretary of State, ... read more and comment →

4 comments

Latest comment by Janet Downs: "John - you're right about the importance of consensus about what education is for. That's how Finland reformed its education system - it formed a consensus over time and this consensus has held despite changes in Government. http://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/46581035.pdf The problem ......"

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Janet Downs: Careers switchers are to be welcomed in classrooms – but they must be properly qualified and trained

Those who switch careers to become teachers bring experience and skills gained in previous employment to the classroom. But experience and skills alone are not enough – career switchers need to be qualified and properly trained. Lance Bolton (see Department for Education press release) is one such career switcher. After leaving the Coldstream Guards he did a one-year course which allowed ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Nick Fairburn: "I am against all special interest groups peddling their wares inside the public sector, at the taxpayers expense, instead of getting on with the task in hand, namely to improve the lot of those they have engaged to serve; the ......"

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Janet Downs: University’s warnings about its literacy and numeracy survey were ignored by cheer leader for Gove’s reforms

“A survey conducted by the University of Sheffield two years ago discovered that something like 20% of 16 year-olds are leaving school functionally illiterate and functionally innumerate and in general they’re children from the most socially deprived backgrounds. That’s the status quo that the teaching unions are defending,” said Michael Gove’s champion on ITV’s Tonight (6/6/13, 9.55 mins). But is this ... read more and comment →

6 comments

Latest comment by Janet Downs: "Tubby - I think the academics were doing both. They were issuing a warning about careless use of the terms "functionally illiterate" and "functionally innumerate". At the same time they warned about "experts" imposing their views on the ......"

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trevor fisher: Gove is on the edge

May 2013 saw Michael Gove's third year in office. It may also mark the point when his political credibility began to peak. Not because of our activities, but because he started to act in public like a politician outside the circle of even the current right wing Tory Party. The tactics used by Gove of denigrating and marginalizing any critics have ... read more and comment →

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Latest comment by Rebecca Hanson: "I've no idea why you think we're rich or that your language in this context is in any way more appropriate...."

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