politics

Party lines

On behaviour and bureaucracy

I

N THE WAKE of the ‘parent/pupil guarantees’ – which set off alarm bells among many school leaders (edb

nov/dec 09), the Government has come up with a 'Teachers' Guarantee', designed primarily to “help support teachers to do what they do best”- ie planning, preparing and delivering lessons. It also provides clear guidance on the thorny topic of the use of force to control and restrain unruly pupils, which, it hopes, with “dispel the myth” that schools should have ‘no contact’ policies. Clarification is offered on how teachers can defend themselves against aggressive, disruptive or dangerous behaviour. Teachers can use reasonable force when pupils are fighting or where

pupils are deliberately damaging property, and can also act when a disruptive pupil refuses to leave a classroom when asked. With more than 1,000 pupils a day being excluded for assault and abuse, plans to restore “adult authority” to the classroom have widespread appeal. The

nothing but an expensive overly-bureaucratic half measure

Conservatives have strengthened their position by promising that teachers facing an allegation made against them

On school buildings

Labour: Investment and modernisation

schools workforce has been radically rebuilt with over 42,000 more teachers

“O “T

UR education system has gone from below average in the world to well above average. The

and 212,000 support staff and through the Building Schools for the Future programme, 148 schools to date have benefited from investment, with a further 1,000 schools in the pipeline. This is on

top of 4,000 schools that have been rebuilt or substantially refurbished since 1997 through capital investment, creating a 21st century environment that supports inspirational teaching and learning.”

Conservatives: Smaller schools with smaller classes

HERE ARE 344 fewer maintained secondary schools than there were in 1997, whilst the number

of pupils at these schools has risen by 104,500. Labour’s policy of closing small schools has forced parents to accept ‘Titan’ schools with more than 1,500

pupils. The average secondary school has 124 more pupils than in 1997: the average size of a secondary has risen from 852 to 976 pupils (an increase of 15%). The proportion of secondary schools with more than 1,000 pupils is also on the rise: in 1997, 32% of state funded secondary schools

had more than 1,000 pupils. The proportion has risen to 44% today. The Conservatives will give parents the power to stop the closure of local schools. We will also create a new generation of independent and free primary and secondary schools run by teachers who know your child's name.”

edbmagazine.co.uk 9

by a pupil would be given anonymity “until any guilt is proven”. The teaching licence is one of the

controversial reforms the Government has been obliged to shelve in the rush to pass legislation ahead of the dissolution of parliament. Shadow Secretary Michael Gove opposed the measure, describing it as “nothing but an expensive overly- bureaucratic half measure”. The Tories have identified bureaucracy as a major flaw in the current education system, promising to strip away unnecessary layers and free up teaching time. “We’ll end the disastrous system of limiting judgements which sees good schools failing inspections for failing to file a form correctly," says Michael Gove. Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100