|
This essay first appeared in School Report five years ago. Most of the comments are still relevant today.
AN EFFECTIVE INSPECTOR
As an instrument of state control Ofsted has been a success. It has reported on the quality of education in state schools and has also generally endorsed the policies and initiatives of successive governments despite a remit to exercise independent judgement. If you believe, as I do, that, on the whole, government education policy since the Education Reform Act of 1988 has led to higher standards in our schools then by association, at least, Ofsted can claim some credit for bringing this about.
What is more problematic is whether the actual organisation and processes of Ofsted in themselves have contributed much to the raising of standards or whether just the fact of its existence has been a more potent factor. Has it really been necessary or useful to have whole teams of inspectors descend on small schools collecting and generating mountains of paper and shuffling from class to class observing the minutiae of lessons? Is the present expensive and bureaucratic system really the best way of using public money to inspect schools or are there better alternatives?
However sophisticated they may be it is not the structure and systems of Ofsted which have shaken the culture of low expectations in many schools and among many misguided advisers in local education authorities. It has been something much more powerful: a combination of mythology and demonology which has swirled into staffrooms like choking smoke as rumours of ritual humiliation and degradation have been passed on. Sadly, and seriously, there have been tragic instances where the strain of an imminent inspection has caused illness, depression and, it seems probable, even suicide.
Such has been the dread of a bad Ofsted that most schools have knuckled down to the task of raising their standards. Worse than a bad Ofsted, of course, has been the ultimate disgrace: a failed Ofsted. To fail an inspection has been the supreme weapon of deterrence in the government’s armoury, the cane in the chief inspector’s study.
Deterrence theory is a fascinating subject, not to be dwelt on here, but my own belief is that simply the knowledge that every school at some stage would be given the Ofsted treatment has concentrated minds as never before. How something would look to an unsmiling inspector sitting in the corner of the classroom has been, and still is, an intrusive thought in many teachers’ minds.
If it is the case that fear of the dark forces of Ofsted has contributed more than the work it has actually done then it could well be argued that this not so independent deterrent should be retained. If it’s doing the business leave well alone. Some money could probably be saved by replacing overpaid members of Ofsted teams with less highly paid traffic wardens, especially selected for their lack of humour, who would sit quietly in classrooms doodling in their notebooks, but apart from that the reign of terror should remain as it is.
The unpleasant reputation which Ofsted has acquired, and, in fairness, is beginning to shed, contrasts sharply with the reality of an organisation which actually employs capable, courteous and normal people working within clear, sensible and well publicised guidelines. It says something about the collective insecurity of the teaching profession that Ofsted mythology should have been given such credence and allowed to dominate the debate about how best to inspect schools. Unfortunately as a result of this restricted debate the real weaknesses of the present system have been largely ignored.
Some of these weaknesses stem from Ofsted’s pursuit, almost to the point of collapse, the productivity and efficiency models of education where every minute activity and piece of information has to be analysed in terms of its contribution to the learning process. But as we know learning is not the sum of its component parts. It is much more unpredictable.
Thus, for example, while it is obviously important to observe teachers presenting individual lessons even the most perfectly prepared, perfectly delivered and perfectly organised lesson does not necessarily deliver the optimum learning situation in the classroom. It is admittedly going to be a lot more useful than a bad lesson but what needs to be focused upon much more is the learning outcome for all pupils, not just a sample of them, over a period of time. Real learning requires rather more than one or two glossy lessons prepared well in advance for the benefit of visiting inspectors. It requires a range of teaching techniques and motivational strategies to be used week by week, term by term.
The excessive and unnecessary scrutiny of piles of documents is another sign of Ofsted’s misguided enthusiasm for productivity models and managerial analysis. Producing impressive-looking documents on paper or screen for the purpose of future inspections is as misconceived an activity as preparing glossy lessons, and heads and teachers should be putting their time to better use.
The present system has other weaknesses: a reluctance to make genuinely independent judgements, free from either political influence, or worse, the influence of current orthodoxy; an unwillingness to engage in purposeful discussion; a lack of precision in its reporting and the dubious practice of giving schools prior notice of an inspection
Given these shortcomings it is now time for the Ofsted inspector to slip quietly away from the educational scene. He or she has invariably been polite and thorough and has carefully followed some useful guidelines. But he or she, and all the many members of the many teams, with all their observations and meetings, and all their detailed analyses and soporific reports, have contributed to higher standards in schools not through the quality of their endeavours but through the simple fact of their rather menacing existence.
The world of education can do better than this. We can have a system which is fair and rigorous, which retains an element of deterrence but which also contributes much more positively to raising standards in individual schools. This system would be one of freelance inspectors, who would not be consultants, advisers, or descendants of those misguided HMI who some years ago wanted to see children moving around and talking to each other all the time.
The freelance inspector would operate alone and would give no prior notice of a visit. She or he would want to observe and comment on the normal life of a school, the real thing, with all its difficulties and imperfections. Judgements about the delivery of the curriculum would be made on the basis of appropriate and measurable learning outcomes and not on the basis of grading individual lessons.
The freelance inspector would do some observations and some talking to pupils but would also take whole classes for long sessions in order to administer formal and informal assessments of work covered and attainments reached in any subject. This would happen across all key stages. All books, folders and files would be looked at thoroughly as would internal school test results in all subjects. Encouraging regular self-evaluation by pupils of their learning and teachers of their teaching would be an essential role of the inspector. Successes and achievements of pupils and teachers would be commended and comments invited as to how these were brought about. Shortcomings and weaknesses would be pointed out, and open and honest discussion would be encouraged on any aspect of school life. Listening and offering advice would be integral to this discussion.
The inspector’s judgements and comments would be incisive and analytical and would form an objective evaluation of teaching methods, learning progress and the acquiring of values and attitudes. This evaluation would be based on pupil performance in meeting nationally agreed standards and criteria and any other criteria set by the school. Whether the methods used to attain these standards were inclined towards progressive or traditional styles, or were in or out of fashion, would be of interest but would not impair objective judgements.
The freelance inspector would not always be welcome or loved but would visit the same school regularly and would earn the respect of everyone in the school by being seen to be part of its success.
Above all an inspector would help motivate teachers to give all their pupils a love of learning, an excitement about knowledge, inquiring minds, rational thought processes, a good deal of wisdom and, of most importance, a caring attitude towards each other and towards people everywhere. To undertake successfully these varied and difficult tasks would require considerable ability in any one person. It would be hard work to be an effective inspector but the job would bring with it the reward of knowing that a real contribution had been made to our young people’s education.
***************
Edition 47
8 December 2006
Headlines
WRONG PRESENT FROM SANTA GORDON
Santa Gordon's little stocking filler for schools will no doubt be received with gratitude. Unfortunately it is a long way short of the best Christmas present our pupils could have had.
The Chancellor clearly believes in giving money directly to schools since this is something he has done on previous occasions and something he is always keen to point out that he is doing. Why then does he not take his natural inclination for this method of payment to its logical conclusion and give schools all their money straight from his coffers rather than via local education authorities? This would open the way for a much needed national funding formula which would finally bring to an end the present postcode lottery whereby millions of pupils are disadvantaged simply because they happen to live in an underfunded area.
It would have been much better this year if, for example, Santa Gordon had not visited the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, whose pupils receive a staggering 62% more funding than those in Leicestershire, but had instead distributed his gifts to those schools who need it most.
What our pupils should have received in their stockings should have been an announcement in the pre-budget statement which signalled the phasing out of the inequitable system of school-funding which continues to blight our educational provision. Let us hope Gordon Brown urgently addresses this issue, from wherever he resides, before next Christmas.
For further headlines on the subject of the school funding lottery please see below.
Such is the folly of the proposal to raise the school-leaving age to 18 that the following two headlines appear again from editions 45 and 46.
NATIONAL LUNACY STRATEGY – see Edition 46
LOWER THE SCHOOL-LEAVING AGE – see Edition 45 or 46
SCHOOL FUNDING LOTTERY (1) – see Edition 31
SCHOOL FUNDING LOTTERY (2) – see Edition 32
JOSEPH STALIN, OFSTED AND THE NITTY-GRITTY – see Edition 46
|
Notebook
|
|
TWO TEACHERS – see Edition 46
Essay
AN EFFECTIVE INSPECTOR – see Edition 46
***************
Edition 48
5 January 2007
Headlines
|
NEW YEAR WISHES
Three wishes for the coming year:
1) That there is a conceptual leap in the way society views education - for everyone to understand that to be educated is to be thoughtful, knowledgeable and caring, able to look after oneself and one's family, and able to participate in society whilst contributing to it; for everyone also to understand that education is a privilege, a great gift bestowed on the young by the community and one which should never be taken for granted.
2) That there is a commitment to introduce a system of vouchers and learning credits so that parents are able not only to exercise a wider choice over which schools their children attend but can also begin to consider other educational options altogether. With such a system alternative forms of education would emerge and the present monopoly of traditional forms of schooling would be challenged. With over £5000 to spend, even parents on the lowest of incomes could consider alternatives which would provide their children with real personalised learning and individual tuition.
3) That vocational education achieves parity of status with academic education. Not an impossible dream by any means once people begin to appreciate the value of vocational skills in terms of their contribution to society and their potential for obtaining well-paid employment.
And if two more are allowed? Sorting out the lottery of school funding (see Editions 31 and 32 in Archives) and giving headteachers a forty per cent teaching timetable so that, as school leaders, they can be seen to be leading from the front - in the thick of all the action that will be coming this year.
TRAINING TEACHING ASSISTANTS
The way teaching assistants are trained is in need of urgent review. Their occupational standards have been put out to consultation and how the NVQ should be used is also being considered. Now is the ideal time, therefore, to look at the qualifications new entrants should have and the sort of training they should be given.
The present NVQ has serious weaknesses in the way it is presently delivered with its over reliance on the tick box approach. Instead of signing off vast numbers of tasks which teaching assistants undertake, many of which are simply common sense, there should be a much greater emphasis on ensuring they receive high quality training in the areas which really matter - the learning support they give to individuals and groups, and the care that goes with this.
See this week's Notebook
PLOWDEN'S PROGRESS
This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the publication of the Plowden Report, one of the most significant reports on education that has ever been produced and one that has generated more heated debate than any other. To mark the anniversary Alan Kerr has written a pamphlet, to be published shortly, entitled Plowden's Progress, which looks at the effect of the report on primary education over the past forty years.
Note - the pamphlet ultimately turned into a book.
See this week's Essay for some extracts
|
| |
|
Notebook
|
|
CROSS OUT THE TICK BOXES
I know the many excellent qualities our teaching assistants bring to schools. I know about them because over the years I've seen these qualities for myself and also because I see them in the assistants I now teach. It's not being patronising to list them. Teaching assistants are committed, caring, thoughtful, intelligent, practical, highly capable, generous of their time and a lot more besides. They carry bags full of common sense around with them, which is just as well as this commodity is often in short supply in the world of education. But the most important quality they possess is that they get on well with the pupils they work with - children and young people of all ages, with different abilities and all sorts of special needs. They relate to their pupils and that's what matters most.
A pity, then, that our teaching assistants are not being given high quality training to match their capabilities. If they are doing the NVQ they will be spending an inordinate amount of time filling in hundreds of boxes to show that they can carry out tasks which anyone with a bit common sense can do. Giving out pencils and switching on the computer are the two which grate on me most. They record their evidence in weighty portfolios and use an elaborate system of referencing to indicate the tasks they have completed. I then spend hours and hours checking what they have done and initialling all the hundreds of boxes which they have filled in.
What they should be doing, instead, are assignments and case studies which focus on individual pupils, learning strategies, special needs, literacy and numeracy, other curriculum areas and behaviour. They should be looking in depth at the essential features of teaching and learning in primary, secondary and special schools and they should be assessed properly on their practical skills and their background knowledge. Yet again, in our education system, we need to raise our expectations, and if we do, I have every confidence that our teaching assistants will rise to the challenge.
|
| |
|
Essay
|
|
Some extracts from Plowden's Progress - to be published shortly
.... It seemed to me that there were too many flaws in the Plowden philosophy and that these flaws contributed to the many shortcomings of Plowden’s practice.
A Flawed Philosophy
Many of the ideas which were part of the progressive belief system have been critically examined, as we have seen, by academic philosophers, and their inconsistencies have been mercilessly exposed. But one doesn’t need to be a Professor of Educational Philosophy to be aware of the obvious flaws...
Common sense tells us that children are not the same as garden flowers and that horticultural metaphors about children growing naturally might sound attractive but are not very useful. We all want children to have a happy, fulfilled and natural childhood but we also want them to grow up, and to grow in the right direction. Most of us believe that parents and adults have a duty to ensure that children grow properly by nurturing, guiding and instructing them. This is what parents and adults are for – it is an enduring truth of human existence and why teachers should ever have questioned it is one of the great mysteries of education. There is no contradiction in children having a happy childhood and children being taught the values and skills they need to take their place in society...
Learning by doing is undoubtedly one of the best ways of learning at any age. It is something we do throughout our lives. Quite obviously, though, neither children nor adults can learn everything this way. There are plenty of other methods of learning such as by reading, watching DVDs, listening and discussing or just wrestling with abstract ideas...
The same argument can be made about learning through experience. Of course this is a good way to learn and it is in tune with children’s natural instincts to explore their immediate surroundings. It is always better to learn about trees by going outside and studying real ones. But children cannot see and touch everything. Beyond the world they can experience directly is the rest of the world and they want to know about it. They want to know about tigers, crocodiles, rain forests, rivers, mountains and the mysteries of the universe. The world is endlessly fascinating for them and they need to see further than the horizon, which is why they need books, television programmes, DVDs and the internet...
Organisation
If it was no longer desirable for pupils to sit in rows and listen to their teacher what should they be doing instead and how should they be organised? One solution, it seemed, was group work and the arguments for this method of working were persuasive. Children could be more active and independent in their learning if they were set tasks to do on their own. Teachers could give them more attention as there would be a manageable number to engage with, and practical activities in art and craft, or even science and maths, could be organised more calmly in groups rather than whole class sessions.
It seemed like the perfect solution but in practice it had weaknesses which were not acknowledged and there was a lack of clear thinking about its purpose and effectiveness. The method of working became more important than the quality of work being produced, or, to use the phrase which was current at the time, the process became more important than the product. When groups were working well the classroom looked good, a model of enlightened learning, but what was not immediately apparent was the quality of work being produced. To look behind the show at the substance was to see too much work which was below standard...
More extracts in future editions
|
| |
|
***************
Edition 49
19 January 2007
Headlines
|
IF YOU CAN READ THIS
Reading to children and sharing books with them is one of the great joys of parenthood. There is something magical in being allowed to enter a child's imagination as stories are listened to and pictures are looked at. Many parents introduce their children to books at an early age and continue to read to them long after they have started school.
A study by the National Literary Trust has reported that during the first four years of a child's life 53 per cent of parents read to their children at least once a day but between the ages of five and eight this drops to 37 per cent. The study also found that having books at home encouraged children to read for pleasure which resulted in higher reading attainment, better writing ability, wider vocabularies and a greater general knowledge.
The whole subject of reading, and how it can best be taught, has stirred passionate debate in educational circles for the past forty years and more, with the latest outbreak of hostilities centred around the use of synthetic phonics. A recent government directive has stated that this method should form the basis of reading instruction with all schools teaching phonics "first and fast".
Perhaps, though, the government should be taking a different line altogether, one which is closer to the findings of the National Literary Trust. Instead of putting its weight behind this or that teaching method should it not promote the idea that since reading is such an essential skill it should be the responsibility of parents, not schools, to teach their children to read? Should we not be changing our expectations of the role of parents and teachers in this most fundamental area of education?
Most parents are perfectly capable of teaching their children to read and many already do so using a mix of methods and common sense. If a reading and story session is a pleasurable experience it will be an occasion for all to enjoy and one of the delights of childhood.
It is time to consider a fundamental role reversal, one in which schools support parents in their efforts to help children to read, and not, as we have at present, one in which parents support schools. Those whose memories stretch back some distance will recall the message on a car sticker which was once used in a campaign to secure better pay and conditions for the teaching profession: "If you can read this thank a teacher." Maybe we should look forward to the day when the slogan becomes "If you can read this thank your mum and dad".
TO BOLDLY GO
The 40th anniversary of the first showing of Startrek is a noteworthy occasion which trekkies will no doubt be celebrating in style. The television series had compelling stories with great characters and dialogue. Along with all the instruments which defied gravity, time and matter the SS Enterprise had something else on board which guided its journey through the universe. It had a moral compass which was permanently set in the direction of doing good and it was this which added a powerful dimension to the series. As we remember the heroic adventures of the crew let us hope that we can always find writers and programme makers on our planet who want to boldly go and bring this combination of entertainment and morality to our screens.
PLOWDEN'S PROGRESS
This year also marks the fortieth anniversary of the publication of the Plowden Report, one of the most significant reports on education that has ever been produced and one that has generated more heated debate than any other. To mark the anniversary Alan Kerr has written a pamphlet, to be published shortly, entitled Plowden's Progress which looks at the effect of the Report on primary education over the past forty years.
|
| |
|
Notebook
|
|
TEACHING ASSISTANTS
I know the many excellent qualities our Teaching Assistants bring to schools. I know about them because over the years I've seen these qualities for myself and also because I see them in the assistants I now teach. It's not being patronising to list them. Teaching Assistants are committed, caring, thoughtful, intelligent, practical, highly capable, generous of their time and a lot more besides. They carry bags full of common sense around with them, which is just as well as this commodity is often in short supply in the world of education. But the most important quality they possess is that they get on well with the pupils they work with - children and young people of all ages, with different abilities and all sorts of special needs. They relate to their pupils and that's what matters most.
A pity, then, that our Teaching Assistants are not being given high quality training to match their capabilities. If they are doing the NVQ they will be spending an inordinate amount of time filling in hundreds of boxes to show that they can carry out tasks which anyone with a bit common sense can do. Giving out pencils and switching on the computer are the two which grate on me most. They record their evidence in weighty portfolios and use an elaborate system of referencing to indicate the tasks they have completed. I then spend hours and hours checking what they have done and initialling all the hundreds of boxes which they have filled in.
What they should be doing, instead, are assignments and case studies which focus on individual pupils, learning strategies, special needs, literacy and numeracy, other curriculum areas and behaviour. They should be looking in depth at the essential features of teaching and learning in primary, secondary and special schools and they should be assessed properly on their practical skills and their background knowledge. Yet again, in our education system, we need to raise our expectations, and if we do, I have every confidence that our Teaching Assistants will rise to the challenge.
|
| |
|
Essay
|
|
Some extracts from Plowden's Progress - to be published shortly
....It seemed to me that there were too many flaws in the Plowden philosophy and that these flaws contributed to the many shortcomings of Plowden’s practice.
A Flawed Philosophy
Many of the ideas which were part of the progressive belief system have been critically examined, as we have seen, by academic philosophers, and their inconsistencies have been mercilessly exposed. But one doesn’t need to be a Professor of Educational Philosophy to be aware of the obvious flaws...
Common sense tells us that children are not the same as garden flowers and that horticultural metaphors about children growing naturally might sound attractive but are not very useful. We all want children to have a happy, fulfilled and natural childhood but we also want them to grow up, and to grow in the right direction. Most of us believe that parents and adults have a duty to ensure that children grow properly by nurturing, guiding and instructing them. This is what parents and adults are for – it is an enduring truth of human existence and why teachers should ever have questioned it is one of the great mysteries of education. There is no contradiction in children having a happy childhood and children being taught the values and skills they need to take their place in society...
Learning by doing is undoubtedly one of the best ways of learning at any age. It is something we do throughout our lives. Quite obviously, though, neither children nor adults can learn everything this way. There are plenty of other methods of learning such as by reading, watching DVDs, listening and discussing or wrestling with abstract ideas...
The same argument can be made about learning through experience. Of course this is a good way to learn and it is in tune with children’s natural instincts to explore their immediate surroundings. It is always better to learn about trees by going outside and studying real ones. But children cannot see and touch everything. Beyond the world of what they can experience directly is the rest of the world and they want to know about it. They want to know about tigers, crocodiles, rain forests, rivers, mountains and the mysteries of the universe. The world is endlessly fascinating for them and they need to see further than the horizon, which is why they need books, television programmes, DVDs and the internet...
Organisation
If it was no longer desirable for pupils to sit in rows and listen to their teacher, what should they be doing instead and how should they be organised? One solution, it seemed, was group work and the arguments for this method of working were persuasive. Children could be more active and independent in their learning if they were set tasks to do on their own. Teachers could give them more attention as there would be a manageable number to engage with, and practical activities in art and craft, or even science and maths, could be organised more calmly in groups rather than whole class sessions.
It seemed like the perfect solution but in practice it had weaknesses which were not acknowledged and there was a lack of clear thinking about its purpose and effectiveness. The method of working became more important than the quality of work being produced, or, to use the phrase which was current at the time, the process became more important than the product. When groups were working well the classroom looked good, a model of enlightened learning, but what was not immediately apparent was the quality of work being produced. To look behind the show at the substance was to see too much work which was below standard...
More extracts in future editions
***************
|
Edition 50
2 February 2007
Headlines
BEST OF HEADLINES
Fortieth anniversary of Star Trek, fiftieth edition of A School Report. To mark this auspicious occasion we look back on some of the headlines which, we hope, have contributed something to educational debate over the past year, and in 2001 when it was first started. To view the complete editions of the past year please visit archives.
SCHOOL FUNDING LOTTERY
Issue 31 7 April 2006
The present system of school funding must be dismantled. Governors, parents and teachers should be outraged that its inequities are allowed to continue.
Take a notional school with 500 pupils. In Chelsea and Kensington such a school has hit the jackpot. It receives a staggering £1 million more than its equivalent in Leicestershire - a bonanza which buys many more teachers and much more equipment. Less extreme, but still wholly unacceptable, is the fact that a school with 500 pupils in Slough has £230,000 more to spend than a comparable school in Barnsley, and that a school in Durham has £123,000 more than a school in Devon.
We all know that money is not the magic ingredient which transforms the education of our young people. But it must be right that wherever they happen to live they make their educational journey with an equitable allocation of resources to support them.
SCHOOL FUNDING
Issue 32 21 April 2006
The Labour government has shown a strong commitment to education. It has been too prescriptive and regulatory but its overall record has been good. It has improved funding, maintained the previous government’s drive for higher standards and introduced some much needed diversity into the system. Most recently it has begun to get to grips with the enduring problem of low achievement among pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Given this commitment it is deeply puzzling why the government does not resolve, once and for all, to end the long-running sore of the postcode lottery in school funding whereby geographical location determines the size of a school budget. The new Dedicated Schools Grant introduced this April is a recognition that education is a national entitlement for all our young people and not a local service provided by the council. It follows logically from this that all pupils, whichever part of the country they happen to live in, should have a fair share of taxpayers’ money to support them on their educational journey.
The best way to do this is to have a national formula which takes factors such as special needs and academic attainment into account and then distributes funding directly to schools on a per capita basis. Such a system would be fair, simple and transparent and could be phased in over a five year transitional period.
Before Gordon Brown puts any new money into education he must end the present postcode lottery and use taxpayers’ money in the way they would wish it to be used. He will not need any his legendary political acumen to work out that they wish it to be used fairly.
NOTE:
East Sussex is allocated £3598 per pupil from the Dedicated Schools Grant while Poole is allocated £3349. Both authorities receive the same percentage for deprivation. For a notional school of 500 pupils this is a difference of almost £125,000.
Greenwich is allocated £4745 per pupil from the DSG, Redbridge £3757. Again both authorities receive the same percentage for deprivation. For a notional school of 500 pupils this is a difference of almost £500,000.
For the full list of grant allocations visit: www.f40.org.uk
NATIONAL LUNACY STRATEGY
Issue 46 24 November 2006
We have had the National Literacy Strategy and the National Numeracy Strategy and now at the other end of the age spectrum we have the National Lunacy Strategy. Raising the school-leaving age to eighteen would be a huge misjudgement. Sixteen year olds should be free to make their own way in the world if they wish to do so. And if this means they begin their working life in unskilled employment this is not something to be scornful about as Alan Johnson seems to be when he makes demeaning comments about 'dead end jobs'. Rather we should applaud their willingness to work and be grateful for the essential contribution that unskilled workers make to our lives when they empty our refuse, maintain our roads, clean our streets, push trolleys in hospitals, drive vans or deliver the post.
Hard work, well-supervised by firm but fair employers, will give young people a sense of responsibility and contribute to their developing maturity. By the time they are sixteen they have had eleven years of schooling which is more than enough time to prepare them for the demands of adult life and the obligations of society. It is simply not necessary to force them to stay on at school or to be trained in something they are not interested in.
The leader column in the Further Education Supplement of the TES is profoundly mistaken when it says:'No one can argue with the Government's desire to raise the compulsory learning age to 18'. Many of us are strongly opposed to the idea and regard it as a retrograde suggestion rather than one which is forward thinking. A much better way to proceed would be to introduce a system of lifelong learning and training credits which would be available to everyone and particularly those who left school at 16. Let us hope that there is someone with a bit of imagination in the government who will take up this idea instead.
LESSEN PLANS
Issue 7 20 April 2001
Planning is now such an obsession with so many primary school teachers that one wonders if there are some who find it difficult to call the register or make a cup of tea in the staffroom without a planning sheet in front of them. Planning is important but not everything needs to be written down in minute detail. Lessons rarely proceed according to plan.
Teachers should be allowed to prepare their lessons in the way that suits them best provided they are following an agreed syllabus and their pupils are learning what is required. Over- elaborate and repetitive planning sheets, mistakenly regarded as a sign of good management, are quite unnecessary and burdensome. Jotting down some ideas in a notebook is just as effective even if it doesn’t look so pretty.
After all shouldn’t we actually know what we are trying to achieve and how we should put it over? Isn’t that our job? So far I have not yet seen my doctor, my dentist, my car mechanic nor the girl at the till refer to a planning sheet while they have been doing their jobs. What is so different about teaching?
RAISING OUR GAME
Issue 36 16 June 2006
It may not be every schoolboy's dream to score the winning goal in the final of the World Cup but this harmless fantasy must recently have crossed the minds of a significant number of energetic young males - maybe even in the middle of a maths lesson.
Great tournaments are always a good occasion to consider the sporting health of our schools even if this is something we should do all the time. So how healthy is the present state of school sport and what actually should it be achieving? One of its aims should certainly be to develop the talents of those who have natural ability and specialist schools, particularly, are able to give added support to these pupils. If this leads to more success in international competition then we can all bask in the glow. If it doesn't we can take the view that there are other more important things in life.
Of greater significance than honing the ability of a few super stars is the aim of nurturing all pupils' physical and sporting potential. 'Sport for all' must remain the focus of what takes place in school. Participating in sport has so much to offer that it must be given the high status it merits. It is enjoyable, exciting and relaxing and provides useful respite from cerebral exertion. It contributes to fitness and overall health, builds character and self-esteem and acts as an outlet for surplus energy and even aggression. For those who like to be competitive it provides the ideal arena and for those who like teamwork it has a lot to teach. Add to this the contribution it makes to future leisure pursuits, and, for some, future employment, then sport should arguably be part of the core curriculum.
Physical education is essential for our young people's overall development. It is fair to say, however, that as a subject it is not in peak condition. Although many women teachers would not admit to the deficiency there are not enough men in primary schools who are able to give boys the breadth and depth of sporting activities they need. At both primary and secondary level the decline in inter-school fixtures has not only reduced the time spent playing games in a fully committed, competitive way it has also reduced the need for training sessions. Fewer meetings, less paperwork and more flexible pay arrangements would easily overcome this problem.
Then there is the whole question of the crowded curriculum. Of course other subjects are important but, as has just been argued, physical education has so much to contribute it should be near the top of the table when it comes to priorities. Finally, among the shortcomings of the present situation, there is the continuing, woeful failure to use school playing fields, playgrounds and facilities outside school hours. That thousand of acres of recreational facilities all over the country are not being used for kicking a ball around after four o'clock in the afternoon is a national disgrace.
Sport for all is about participating in sporting activities. However much enjoyment we get from cheering on our teams in front of televisions and big screens nothing beats taking part in some sort of physical pursuit. Schools need to raise their game considerably if they are to meet the challenge of inspiring all their pupils to enjoy their sport and do lots of it.
IMPRESSIVE TERM
Issue 4 9 March 2001
David Blunkett’s term of office as Education Minister has been impressive. His guiding vision, based on deeply held principles, has been to provide better education for all children irrespective of their social background. To achieve this he has introduced literacy and numeracy programmes in primary schools, endorsed rigorous school inspections, developed the national curriculum and national assessments, supported the comparison of exam results between schools, encouraged an element of specialism in the secondary sector and introduced performance related payments for teachers. He has brought common sense and firm resolve to his job and our children are better educated because of him. We should all be grateful.
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION
Issue 42 16 June 2006
The subject of school dinners continues to provide us with us good entertainment. It's a spectacle to whet the appetite - pun intended - of all those who enjoy a contest between good and evil, the forces of light -fruit and veg - and the forces of darkness - those nasty, sugary, fatty, unwholesome substances which wreak havoc inside our bodies. In the hot dinners contest it's Jamie Oliver versus fish and chips; in the struggle to control the lunch box it's nanny state - carrots and apples - versus irresponsible parents - crisps and biscuits.
I know which side I'm on. Darkness, I'm afraid. In my little Eden it's a chocolate digestive which leads me into temptation not a Golden Delicious. No doubt there will shortly be a knock on the door from the food police and, craving forgiveness, I will be forced to confess my pitiful lack of self-control. Before they arrive, however, I must try to find a hiding place for my most recently acquired, satanic text - 'The Rotherham Mums' Guide to Good Nutrition'.
LESSONS OF RACE
Issue 8 4 May 2001
Giving young people an understanding of the issues involved in racism and prejudice of every sort is clearly a vital task for our schools. Pupils of all ages need to be given time to explore how prejudice develops in society, how it is easily inflamed and the effect it has on individuals, institutions and our social fabric generally. It is likely that almost every teacher in every school is already doing this on a regular basis, either as a timetabled area of the curriculum or whenever 'incidents' arise. It is a difficult issue to handle and in many schools teachers need all their skills in order to promote sensitive discussion.
Discussing problems is an essential starting point whenever there are difficulties and such discussion is invariably helpful. Often though we need to do more than just talk. We need to change our behaviour, attitudes and values, learn from our experiences and follow good examples. Not an easy undertaking.
In matters of race there is, in our primary schools, an example we can all follow. We can look in the playground and the classroom and see children from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds playing and working together perfectly normally as members of just one race, the race to which we all belong. They play and work together quite naturally without thinking about the colour of their skin or the country of their origin. Any prejudice they have will have been learned from adults since harbouring deep-seated suspicions and resentments is not a feature of childhood.
Let us keep discussing the issues with our pupils but let us at the same time reflect on the likelihood that this is one subject where they can teach us more than we can teach them. So let’s get learning.
NATIONAL NATURE DAY
Issue 20 19 October 2001
Every day, almost, is a special day for something or other. So why not a National Nature Day. In autumn sometime. A celebration of the glories of this season and the natural world in our own corner of the planet. Perhaps in schools it should be made compulsory.
THANK YOU
Issue 25 28 November 2001
How many children write thank you letters for their Christmas presents today, one wonders? Letters which used to be written on Boxing Day, or soon after, and which parents insisted had to be done even when there was a distinct lack of enthusiasm.
Phone calls, of course, are now an acceptable and often welcome means of saying thank you as indeed is email but there is still something about a letter which brings special pleasure. Perhaps it is because it can be held, handed round, be read over again or kept safely. Or perhaps it is simply because by making the effort to put pen to paper the recipient of a gift is able to show an appreciation which matches the intent of the person who gives.
Let us hope that in today’s take it for granted society all children are required by their parents to say thank you for their presents and that there will still be plenty who write or type a special letter.
***************
|
|
|
|
