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NEWS • VIEWS • INFORMATION • ADVICE
THE PERFECT STORM
NASUWT General Secretary Chris Keates argues that the actions of Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove are creating the conditions for a perfect storm to hit in the new academic year.
The date of 12 May 2010, when the Coalition Government took office, marked a turning point for the education service in England. It signalled the end of over a decade of genuine partnership between government and unions, which saw remarkable gains in teachers’ pay, improvements in working conditions to support them in raising standards, a recognition of the important role played by support staff as part of the education team, major improvements in educational standards and record levels of investment in education. By 2010, England was one of the 20 topperforming countries in education in the world.
Of course not all was perfect. No system is. But the direction of travel was right. Standards of literacy and numeracy vastly improved, more young people went on to further and higher education, annual job satisfaction surveys of teachers showed year-on-year improvement, teaching became one of the top two career choices for graduates and the crisis in recruitment and retention, inherited by the last Government, became a distanct memory.
The advent of the Coalition Government saw the adoption of a scorched-earth policy.
Despite a wealth of evidence to the contrary, it claimed that schools routinely failed children and young people, teaching standards were poor, sacking teachers was too difficult, the teacher’s contract lacked flexibility, the curriculum was too broad, too many subjects were soft options, Diplomas lacked rigour, education spending had been profligate, the system was overregulated, school leaders lacked autonomy and the country was at the bottom of the international education league tables. The Secretary of State pledged to end the monopoly of state education and declared himself not to be ideologically opposed to schools making a profit.
Not one scrap of evidence has been produced to justify such denigration and the relentless reform that has followed.
Swingeing cuts have been made to local authority and school budgets, removing vital special needs, behaviour and advisory support.
The Secetary of State’s ideological academisation project, launched on the back of driving through legislation using procedures normally reserved for matters of national security, is being established through bribery and bullying, without any evidence that standards will be raised, by riding roughshod over the views of staff, parents and local communities.
The National Curriculum is being abandoned for the E Bacc, resulting in the slashing of curriculum time for important subjects such as music, art, IT and RE, specialist teachers being sacked and the post-14 offer being dramatically reduced.
Primary teachers face the imposition of systematic, synthetic phonics as the only method of teaching reading. Burdensome moderation of teacher assessment for creative writing is on the way.
As part of the Coalition’s assault on public service workers, teachers face a two-year imposed pay freeze from September 2011, an increase in National Insurance contributions, continuing rises in the cost of living, a reduction in the value of their pensions, a 3% rise in pension contributions and a retirement age of 68.
Regulation, guidance and model policies designed to protect teachers from exploitation are being swept aside. Teachers are buckling under the burden of excessive lesson planning, report writing and assessment systems.
No-notice Ofsted inspections are being introduced, driving schools to be on a permanent war footing in case an inspector calls.
Teachers’ professional status is being undermined by the removal of the independent regulatory body enjoyed by other professions and the removal of the requirement for teachers in some (Continued on page 19...)
By 2010, England ws one of the 20 top preforming countries in education in the world…
Not one scrap of evidence has been produced to justify such denigration and the relentless reform that has followed.
The advent of the Coalition Government saw the adoption of a scorched-earth policy.
Teachers are buckling under the burden of excessive lesson planning, report writing and assessment systems.
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