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SecEd: On Your Side
Why we should What
witter on Twitter
DO YOU Tweet?
This was the question asked
Pete
does the
of me by a very good friend
Henshaw
a while back. And at that
Editor,
moment it was the question I
SecEd
had been waiting for.
For weeks previously I had been railing against the
devastating consequences of social networking websites
D mean?
on the state of our nation – the loss of social skills in our
children and the damage to our already teetering sense of
community that being glued to a computer can result in;
the impact on families as a whole generation of children
locks itself away in their bedrooms to poke and prod on
Facebook, or “A N Other” website.
The dangerous encouragement of false friendships, as
young users become obsessed about how many “friends”
they have got online – maybe even valuing their online
D-Day: Andrew
friends above those of flesh and blood.
Hall, the new
The equally dangerous loss of privacy as young children, chief executive
perhaps a little naïve despite their technological know-how
of the QCDA
and their status as “digital natives”, fall victim to predators
and bullies online, or post material that they should be
WHILE TEACHERS and heads education. Does he regret missing
more guarded about sharing with the world – all while their
were taking their well-earned
Over the summer break, the
out on time at the chalkface?
parents watch Eastenders downstairs.
summer breaks, one of the most “I think I’m very lucky that I
Sure, social networking sites have lots of positives, and
influential organisations in education body responsible for developing have enjoyed everything I’ve done.
the potential from an educational point of view is plain to
was quietly undergoing an overhaul.
The Qualifications and
England’s curriculum unveiled a
I actually think my teaching training
made me a far better industrialist,
see – international links or the use of social networking
Curriculum Authority (QCA)
groups for revision or for pupil mentoring, for example. is no more. It has split into the
new chief executive and changed
and being an industrialist has made
me far better equipped to manage the
However, the exploitation and exploration of this
Qualifications and Curriculum
its name. Chris Parr finds out what is
QCDA and contribute to education
potential has to go hand-in-hand with effective education
Development Agency (QCDA) and going forward,” he said.
and discussion about how large a part social networking
Ofqual – but what does this actually happening at the newly renamed QCDA I asked Mr Hall if his
mean for schools? background in business was likely
should play in a healthy student’s life.
In short, the QCA used to both to have an impact on the way that
So as you can see, I had my soliloquy prepared and was develop exams and regulate them. activity when it’s done within the all of that in for a job developing the organisation was run. Were
waiting for the chance to unleash it. My chance had finally
Now those roles are separate, same organisation? I think the England’s curriculum? checks in place to ensure a second
come, as I knew it might, during that quick after work drink
with the QCDA taking control of answer is that no, they don’t.” He told me: “I spent a lot of SATs “debacle” was avoided, for
the development side and Ofqual So does this mean that the time travelling, and in the mid- example?
with my IT-obsessed (works in the industry) friend.
becoming the new watchdog. QCA was guilty of not keeping 90s I ended up closing plants in “We can’t discuss the QCA
My rousing dismissal of the subject climaxed with a
I met with Andrew Hall, the man the processes of development and the UK and moving the work without saying that in 2008, we
flourish as I demanded of my friend: “Why should I witter who took the reins at the QCA when regulation independent? – and the jobs, effectively – not had a major delivery failure. That
on twitter?” (Yes, I thought it was pretty clever too).
its former chief, Dr Ken Boston, was “When you’re trying to regulate only to places like China, India created an enormous amount of
I felt sure my devastating oration would lead to a
suspended in December 2008 after and develop, it’s very difficult to and Vietnam, but also to France, pain in this organisation. There is
an inquiry into the delivery of SATs maintain objectivity. You do it Germany and Italy. a lot of pride here, and we know
quick fire victory on the subject. However, my friend’s
partly blamed the organisation. through your professionalism, “I could get the skilled engineers that we let children down, we let
frustratingly short response was equally emphatic: “But you
Dr Boston tendered his but do people get to see that and a well trained workforce in schools down, and we let parents
edit a newspaper for teachers, don’t you?”
resignation in December, although professionalism day in, day out? these countries that I was struggling down. It is one of those ‘never
It seems he had spent part of the day searching the inner
it was only accepted by the QCA in No they don’t. to get in the UK. again’ situations. I was brought in
workings of his Twitter account for teachers – and he’d
April, following an internal inquiry. “I know, from what I’ve seen, “You reach a stage in your life, to help sort that out.
Mr Hall was officially named as that the organisation – the QCA when you’ve earned enough money, “Now, we’re looking to take
found thousands – big names (Ed Balls, Dr John Dunford),
chief executive of the newly formed – did do its job properly, both as and you want to give something the organisation forward. It’s all
and countless teachers, support staff, and school leaders. QCDA in July. regulator and developer. But it back to society and say ‘I actually about making sure that we fulfil
I was intrigued. Up until then I had not really considered
He told SecEd: “When we both wasn’t anything like as transparent want to make a difference’, and our remit to provide advice on the
the world of social networking professionally. I had only
regulated and developed, there was as it is going to be with two separate help the UK to improve its quality national curriculum, make sure
discussed it in the context of children using it personally.
the potential for internal confusion. bodies,” he said. of education and become a more we really look at how policy is
“For example, if you are Mr Hall describes himself as a competitive force – and give practically delivered, and feed that
So as SecEd broke up for the summer, I dedicated
designing a Diploma and you are “Johnny-come-lately” to the world children a chance.” back to make sure that the decisions
some time to researching Twitter, and I discovered that an also regulating the delivery of that of education, having spent much However, it turns out that before we make to move forward are
incredibly large group of teachers had made Twitter home
Diploma -– doing it all within of his career working in the upper he joined the world of business, Mr practical.
to one of the most effective practice-sharing forums I have
the same management team – do echelons of large, multi-national Hall trained as a maths teacher at “We have no reason to exist if
the public and do schools see the engineering firms. St Paul’s College in Cheltenham, we don’t add value to the process,
ever seen.
independence of that regulation So why did he decide to trade before opting for a career away from and my job is to make sure we do.”
After much discussion internally, a few weeks later we
launched SecEd into the world of social networking and
began tweeting about all things education. IN RESPONSE…
The fact that SecEd is free made it all the more effective
as we now use the tool to send out many of our features,
Nutrient-based standards for beneficial if children take up the Ed Balls, minister for children, leaving them at an increased risk
news articles and breaking news.
school lunches have come into meals on offer. schools and families: of developing conditions such as
We now have teachers and educationalists from across
effect for England’s secondary Recent research highlights that “We want to make sure that type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart
the globe among our “followers”. Our articles on best
schools, amid fears that there could be as many as 300,000 children are getting a healthy, and liver disease later in life.
practice and offering support and advice to teachers are
thousands of pupils entitled children currently missing out on balanced meal at school which is Nutritious school lunches can
to free school meals are not the opportunity of a free school why we have introduced the new make eating well a healthy habit
being tweeted, re-tweeted and passed between hundreds
claiming them. meal. nutrient standards. for life. The measures announced
of teachers, with more joining everyday. In return, we are The new standards do not Reasons behind this are Teenagers are the hardest group today are an important part of
being told about ideas for articles and being advised on
apply to every meal, given the complex, but parents tell us that to reach but that doesn’t mean our work to tackle childhood
issues we might cover. The potential is huge.
choice on offer to pupils, but stigma and not knowing whether giving up, we must simply work obesity, alongside the national
Of course, my caution to those who personally immerse
are based on an average meal. they are eligible or not can put harder to encourage them away Change4Life movement and
Among the standards them off signing up. from the take-away and into their our new ambition to move from
themselves in the world of social networking is still strong,
specified are the maximum and We are working with schools school canteen. The government is ‘relegation candidates to play-off
but professionally my eyes have been opened. minimum amount of energy in and local authorities to promote creating a legacy of healthy eating contenders’ in the international
SecEd has always been about sharing best practice and
the food, the maximum amount free school meals and make sure in children from a young age so physical activity league tables.”
has always been free to all, and so Twitter suits our purpose
of fat and saturated fat, and the parents have all the information by the time they reach secondary
minimum protein, fibre, and they need in order to claim them. school they are more likely to want Christine Haigh, co-ordinator of
perfectly. And is that not the one golden rule for how and
carbohydrate levels. As the recession bites and to eat a school meal.” the Children’s Food Campaign:
why you should use the internet – to suit your purpose and
unemployment rises, families will “The new rules on school food
your goals, and not simply because you can? SecEd Judy Hargadon, chief executive want to be making all the savings Andy Burnham, minister for are good news. Jamie Oliver
of the School Food Trust: they can, so we would urge any health: showed us what happens if you
• Pete Henshaw is the editor of SecEd. Email editor@sec-
“The nutrient standards are key to parent to check with their school or “Obesity is the biggest health do not have rules on the quality
ensuring all children have access local council and, if entitled, start challenge this country faces. There of school food. If these new rules
ed.co.uk and visit www.sec-ed.co.uk, and you can follow
to a healthy and nutritious lunch claiming this great benefit for their are currently 1.5 million children were removed, we’d soon be back
SecEd on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SecEd_Education
at school, but they will only be children.” who are overweight or obese, to Turkey Twizzlers again.”
6 SecEd • September 10 2009
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