At the chalkface
News
The audacity of certainty
Education! Education! the bloggers and shock jocks.
Apprenticeship Week set to
Education! opinion! opinion! “Bring back the birch!” “Bring in
opinion! the army!” “Get rid of them poof
Everyone knows what should teachers! Bleedin’ tree-hugging,
be done. anyone can join in. Go yoghurt-knitters!” Marvellous!
on! Mixed ability or streaming? all have one thing in common.
celebrate talents and skills
tough nuts or woolly liberals? they don’t actually teach. their
Public or state? dumbing up or opinions are unencumbered by
dumbing down? tweedledee any actual experience of real live
or tweedledum? national children. they’ve never actually
by Emma Lee-Potter
curriculum? take your pick, met someone like the antic attila
have a mental tic and dervish, the tragic charlie a five-day event to promote
call it an opinion! Easy! Johnstone or the anorexic apprenticeships and mark the tal-
Just listen to these Big cordelia Swansong, all ents and skills of apprentices takes
Wigs debating “state of whom trump glib place next week (February 1 to 5).
school standards”. it opinion. they’ve never With the government aiming
went roughly thus. been in the philosophical, to have one in five young people
“Woefully low!” psychological, cultural, undertaking an apprenticeship by
thunders Mr tesco. “We linguistical, epistemological 2020, a growing number of school-
should be ashamed!” crossfire hurricane that is leavers are keen to find out more
booms Mr cBi. He the inner city classroom. a about what becoming an apprentice
develops this opinion. thrilling place, yes, but often involves.
“there’s a correlation tough. Some teachers get burn almost 240,000 people
between GcSE out. Some just leave. embarked on apprenticeships in
results and free school this exercises imminent 2008/09, including 99,000 young-
meals” – an insight that education minister the above sters aged between 16 and 18. there
has been bleedin’ obvious Gove. He too has an opinion. are currently more than 190 job roles
to most teachers since the “this is a tragic waste!” Yo! available, ranging from engineering
early medieval monasteries. Gove! “Why are there so many and construction through to textiles
“Wrong!” says Big chief of qualified teachers not working in and business administration.
London schools, “state schools are schools?” apprenticeship Week 2010
doing very well!” “oh no they’re Why indeed? Because will feature a range of national and
not”, say the chattering classes of they’re knackered and bone regional events across England, each
islington. “oh yes they are!” says weary of barking opinion. and, with a different theme and focus.
Big chief. “chatter ye not! You’re in the case of my old school, as well as giving business and
uninformed and prejudiced!” because they were bullied out. public sector leaders the chance to
“chill!” says Fiona Millar. “Go Why? “they were bad!” What? experience a typical day in the life of Pipedream:JamesWickhamfromBBCRadioLincolnshireandplumbingapprenticeAme
to the comprehensive!” “over all of them? “Yes!” Who said? an apprentice, events include a day AustenattheGelderGroupinLincolnshireduringlastyear’sApprenticeshipWeek
my dead body!” shrieks Melanie the powers that be. But they at Lord’s cricket Ground in London
Phillips. “Vote for me!” says didn’t see them. no matter. it organised by Skillsactive, the sector an interactive event for year 10 to discuss the benefits of doing an year’s apprenticeship Week big-
Michael Gove. So it goes – on was a matter of opinion. only skills council for the active leisure to 13 pupils and their parents. in apprenticeship. ger and better than ever and there
and on. the audacity of certainty! theirs matter. ours don’t. and learning industry, where employ- London, tV chef Jamie oliver’s “over the week we will celebrate is plenty to get involved in. there
Experts, pundits, politicians and ers and apprentices will showcase Fifteen Foundation will host a mini- the talents and skills of appren- will be numerous events, job swaps
pesky columnists, promiscuous • Ian Whitwham is a former their training programmes. Masterchef competition, and Leeds tices across England,” said Simon and ‘back to the floor’ activities
with opinion. Moreover, this teacher. A book of his best ever the Skills academy for university will hold a debate on Waugh, chief executive of the which will highlight the great work
stuff is Socrates compared to the columns is out now. For details, automotive, Engineering, the future of apprenticeships, giv- national apprenticeship Service. apprentices do.”
more brute end of the market, email editor@sec-ed.co.uk Manufacturing and Logistics at ing employers, training providers “Building on the success of to find out more, go to www.
Gateshead college will be running and young people the opportunity last year, we hope to make this apprenticeships.org.uk
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16 SecEd • January 28 2010
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