Comments on: How to ruin education in the UK

By: Circus Queen

Circus Queen — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 21:45:07 +0000

It cannot work. It just cannot.

By: Emma

Emma — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 13:51:42 +0000

I can only hope that these grand and foolish plans are not meant for primary aged children. My two are completely shattered by 3.15 and in need of a big hug.

I just can’t see how it would work without completely alienating teachers and where is the extra money going to come from to pay for the extra staff and facilities needed?

On different note, don’t worry too much about little Frog starting school. Year R is rather lovely, certainly in my experience there is plenty of time set aside for play. xx

By: Ghislaine Forbes

Ghislaine Forbes — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 22:06:57 +0000

Very eloquent my dear Mols! The product of a brilliantly creative, liberal state primary school and MP which was full of enthusiastic hard working teachers. Between your dad and I and other members of the family plus friends we could put together a wonderful “school” for F. There would be lots of play and NO BLOODY HOMEWORK, let alone long school days. Love ma x

By: Josie

Josie — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 16:36:17 +0000

This post needs to be read by every parent, teacher and politician in this country. Brilliantly put Molly.

By: Commonsensemum

Commonsensemum — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 13:30:28 +0000

As a teacher and a mum this is an idea that loses on every point. Teachers really recognise that the one-to-one time that parents manage to give their kids (even if it isn’t every night) is a key support to the time they get in class. Parents want to see their kids – even if it is a bit of a struggle to balance that with work – taking our kids away is not the answer!

By: Phil Dance

Phil Dance — Sat, 01 Feb 2014 14:57:39 +0000

What will happen to the children of teachers? Will babies have to go to daycare from 7-7 then? So, basically if you are a female teacher you can’t go back to work until your kids are at school? So you miss out on 4 years of professional development and are so far behind when you go back that you’re kinda unemployable? Plus, how ever much would 12 hours of baby care cost a day – more than teachers earn I bet! This is ridiculous, but not surprising from a government/party who seem hellbent on destroying the education system. I’ve worked in both private and state schools – you get a more dynamic education in state (perhaps this is why politicians have a cock eyed view of education – they’ve rarely been within 100 miles of a state school!). Private schools, in my experience, teach in the style of the 50′s (I’ve seen staff turn their backs, literally, during an INSET session on using iPads in class as they thought it was not educationally viable – all my colleagues in state would give their ight arm to have a class set!). Not really a great model. I agree that the system needs reform, it is not fit for purpose. But this is because we seem to be increasingly focused on squeezing everyone through academia and it isn’t fair – my car broke down yesterday and I was really glad that we aren’t a nation of astro-physicists! There needs to be more diversity of options for children earlier on, more focus on skills and frankly, a bit more trust of professional people who have spent 4 years training to do a job they usually love. Gove wants us to be more like China – hmmmmm what a wonderful country to model ourselves on (some schools in Briatin, private, who have a lot of Chinese students have to have special suicide watches for these kids if they get a B grade – not really what I’d want for my child). Further, his constant focus on learning facts by rote means we will have a generation of kids who are unbeatable in a pub quiz but have no idea how to find, assess, evaluate or analyse information – which skills are more important in the modern world of iPad’s and smart phones where you can find out who Henry 8 was married to in less than 20 seconds. What I wish is that the teaching unions would stop the focus on performance related pay (not a problem if you do your job properly) and pensions (whose hasn’t taken a bashing?) which loses public sympathy and focused more on making the public aware of the absolute car crash that British education is heading for under Gove.

By: Sue

Sue — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 23:10:48 +0000

Fantastic post! I am a mum and a part time teacher, married to a principal. We are New Zealanders. I had not heard about this proposal, but am flabbergasted…of all the changes that could be proposed…this?????? It shows a lack of knowledge on many levels…family life…child development…and definitely the life of teachers. I hope it all gets thrown out at the first hurdle. (And I think the worries you touch on in paragraph two are perfectly valid as well.)

By: Grandma from the north

Grandma from the north — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 20:36:39 +0000

This is ridiculous suggestion. Do we want the Singapore model with greenhouse education – children studying 20 hours a day. No. A child grows from having a happy home with lots of experiences and love.
Has this person got children?

By: headinbook

headinbook — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 14:09:04 +0000

Great post, completely agree on all fronts (especially the undermining of teaching professionals).

By: Actually Mummy...

Actually Mummy... — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 12:58:51 +0000

THIS. Without my support at home, my son would not be writing averagely well for his age. He needed one to one support and regular focus, which he was not getting at school, because there just isn’t time to give that to him there. Will an extra 3 hours give him that level of care and support. No, of course it won’t. Instead of attempting to find funds for the extra hours for all children, government need to find funds for the extra attention needed by those children who aren’t making the grade, and the extra attention that more able children could use to gain even better grades.

It’s blindingly obvious, and atrociously ignored.